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Of Ravens and Magpies

Updated on August 16, 2011
Two Magpies and a Raven
Two Magpies and a Raven

A Bit of Lore about these Birds

One for Sorrow

Two for Mirth

Three for a Wedding

Four for a Birth

Five for Silver

Six for Gold

Seven for a Secret,

Never to be Told

~

Last summer I mentioned to a friend that there was an unusually large number of Ravens frequenting my yard. A few days later, she sent me this traditional that can be applied to Ravens or Magpies.

I began counting, to see how many Ravens I had... Every day five or six would land in my yard. Then Magpies began to show up also. Only two at first, but their numbers grew, until I nearly always had six Magpies or six Ravens in my yard. Sometimes, all 12 birds would congregate. Not given to superstition, it made me curious as to if there was any truth in the rhyme.

Last fall, my husband bought a share in a gold mine.

I hadn't thought about any of this, until this morning, when two magpies and a raven showed up in my yard. I watched them for a time, then they flew away... leaving me to wonder:

Do they count as three, or two and one, meaning two seperate events, or do they cancel each other out?

After a while, one magpie returned and grabbed for a fat worm the rain had brought up.  Immediately, a robin, who's nest is in our yard, came and chased the magpie away!

Robins are traditionally a symbol of hope and joy.
Robins are traditionally a symbol of hope and joy.

Ivorwen, 2009.

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Another for Sorrow

A farmer went trotting upon his grey mare,

Bumpety, bumpety, bump!

With his daughter behind him so rosy and fair,

Lumpety, lumpety, lump!

>

A raven cried, Croak! and they all tumbled down,

Bumpety, bumpety, bump!

The mare broke her knees and the farmer his crown,

Lumpety, lumpety, lump!

>

The mischievous raven flew laughing away,

Bumpety, bumpety, bump!

And vowed he would serve them the same the next day.

Lumpety, lumpety, lump!

working

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