Difference between revisions of "Raven"

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[[File:Raven.jpg|thumb|350px|right|A raven in [[Oldtown]]. © Fantasy Flight Games]]
 
[[File:Raven.jpg|thumb|350px|right|A raven in [[Oldtown]]. © Fantasy Flight Games]]
[[File:Chris Rallis FFG card maester.JPG|thumb|350px|right|A [[maester]] reads a message brought by a raven. © Fantasy Flight Games]]
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[[File: Aleksander-karcz-exchange-of-information.jpg|thumb|350px|right|A raven is released © Fantasy Flight Games]]
[[File:Trevor Cook A Time for Ravens.JPG|thumb|350px|right|Ravens take flight bearing messages. © Fantasy Flight Games]]
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[[File:Alistair D Borthwick Black Raven.jpg|thumb|350px|A raven in flight. Art by Alistair D. Borthwick. © Fantasy Flight Games]]
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[[File:Antonio Mainez By Sword or By Guile.png|thumb|350px|Ravens can be targeted to prevent messages from arriving. Art by Antonio Maínez. © Fantasy Flight Games.]]
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'''Ravens''' are a species of large, black-feathered birds native to [[Westeros]]. Ravens are included in the sigils of Houses [[House Blackwood|Blackwood]],<ref>The Citadel. Heraldry: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/Heraldry/Houses/4/ Houses in the Riverlands]</ref> [[House Corbray|Corbray]],<ref>The Citadel. Heraldry: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/Heraldry/Houses/5/ Houses in the Vale]</ref> [[House Doggett|Doggett]],<ref>The Citadel. Heraldry: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/Heraldry/Houses/6/ Houses in the Westerlands]</ref> and [[House Hoare|Hoare]].<ref name=Citadel>The Citadel. Heraldry:  [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/Heraldry/Houses/3/ Houses on the Iron Islands]</ref>
  
'''Ravens''' are a species of large, black-feathered birds native to [[Westeros]]. Similar to [[w:common raven|common ravens]] of Earth, only stronger with better homing instinct. Ravens are used to [[w:homing pigeons|carry messages]] between castles and cities. While doves and pigeons can also be trained to carry messages, ravens are a stronger flyers, larger, bolder, far more clever, and better able to defend themselves against hawks.
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==About==
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:''See also [[:Category:Images of Ravens|Images of Ravens]]''
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Westerosi ravens are similar to [[w:common raven|common ravens]] of Earth, only stronger with better homing instincts. Ravens are used to [[w:homing pigeons|carry messages]] between castles and other settlements. While doves and pigeons can also be trained to carry messages, ravens are stronger flyers, larger, bolder, far more clever, and better able to defend themselves against hawks.{{Ref|AGOT|60}}
  
The maester of each castle usually tends to its own flock of ravens. [[Maesters]] raise a breed of large of [[White Ravens|white ravens]] at the [[Citadel]] that are said to be more intelligent and are sent out to mark the change of seasons. Ravens sometimes imitate human speech like parrots. Ravens can speak the [[True Tongue]], the language of the [[children of the forest]], a tongue no human can.
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The [[maester]] of each castle usually tends to its own flock of ravens. Maesters raise a breed of large of [[white raven]]s at the [[Citadel]] that are said to be more intelligent and are sent out to mark the change of seasons. Ravens sometimes imitate human speech like parrots.{{Ref|AGOT|52}}
  
The logistics of how ravens deliver messages is that most ravens are trained to fly to a specific castle. Some few can be taught to fly between two castles.  Such birds are greatly prized. Once in a very great while, a raven can learn the names of three or four or even five castles, and fly to each upon command. Birds as clever as that come along only once in a hundred years<ref>[http://georgerrmartin.com/if-sample.html ''The Winds of Winter'', Theon's sample chapter], made available on GRRM's website as of Dec 28th, 2011</ref>
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Most ravens are trained to fly to a specific castle, but some few can be taught to fly between two castles and are therefore greatly prized. Once in a very great while, a raven can learn the names of three or four or even five castles, and fly to each upon command. Birds as clever as that come along only once in a hundred years.<ref>[[Theon I (The Winds of Winter)]]</ref>
  
In the [[godswood]] at [[Raventree Hall]] in the [[Blackwood Vale]] there is a dead ancient [[weirwood]] of colossal size. Every evening at dusk hundreds of ravens come and roost on the tree all night, as they have for thousands of years. {{ref|aDwD|48}}
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==History==
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The [[children of the forest]] taught the [[First Men]] to use ravens to communicate over long distances. The [[greenseer]]s of the children could change their skins and speak through the birds. Unlike humans, ravens can speak the [[True Tongue]], the language of the children.{{ref|aDwD|34}} Some priests of the [[Iron Islands]] believe that ravens are servants of the [[Storm God]].{{ref|AFFC|1}} In the [[Faith of the Seven]], the first raven is said to have been let into the world when the [[Crone (the Seven)|Crone]] peered through the door of death.{{ref|ASOS|2}}
  
The [[children of the forest]] taught the [[First Men]] to use ravens to communicate over long distances. The [[greenseer]]s of the children could change their skins and speak through the birds.{{ref|aDwD|34}}
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In the [[godswood]] at [[Raventree Hall]] in [[Blackwood Vale]] there is a dead [[weirwood]] of colossal size. Every evening at dusk hundreds of ravens come and roost on the tree all night, as they have for thousands of years.{{ref|aDwD|48}}
  
[[Jeor Mormont]], [[Lord Commander of the Night's Watch]] has a [[Mormont's raven|pet raven]] that talks.
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[[Jeor Mormont]], the [[Lord Commander of the Night's Watch]], has a [[Mormont's raven|pet raven]] that talks.{{Ref|AGOT|52}}
  
==References and Notes==
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==Quotes==
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{{quote|Most ravens will eat grain, but they prefer flesh. It makes them strong, and I fear they relish the taste of blood. In that they are like men ... and like men, not all ravens are alike. Doves and pigeons can also be trained to carry messages, though the raven is a stronger flyer, larger, bolder, far more clever, better able to defend itself against hawks ... yet ravens are black, and they eat the dead, so some godly men abhor them.{{ref|AGOT|60}}|[[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]] to [[Jon Snow]]}}
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{{quote|The [[crow]] is the raven's poor cousin. They are both beggars in black, hated and misunderstood.{{ref|AGOT|60}}|[[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]] to [[Jon Snow]]}}
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{{quote|It was the [[children of the forest|singers]] who taught the [[First Men]] to send messages by raven… but in those days, the birds would speak the words. The trees remember, but men forget, and so now they write the messages on parchment and tie them round the feet of birds who have never [[skinchanger|shared their skin]].{{ref|adwd|34}}|[[last greenseer|Lord Brynden]] to [[Bran Stark]]}}
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==References==
 
{{references}}
 
{{references}}
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[[Category:Animals]]
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{{Creatures}}
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[[Category:Birds]][[Category: Order of the maesters]]
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[[es:Cuervo]]
 
[[es:Cuervo]]
 
[[fa:زاغ]]
 
[[fa:زاغ]]
 
[[fr:Corbeau messager]]
 
[[fr:Corbeau messager]]
 
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Revision as of 21:33, 23 February 2019

A raven in Oldtown. © Fantasy Flight Games
A raven is released © Fantasy Flight Games
A raven in flight. Art by Alistair D. Borthwick. © Fantasy Flight Games
Ravens can be targeted to prevent messages from arriving. Art by Antonio Maínez. © Fantasy Flight Games.

Ravens are a species of large, black-feathered birds native to Westeros. Ravens are included in the sigils of Houses Blackwood,[1] Corbray,[2] Doggett,[3] and Hoare.[4]

About

See also Images of Ravens

Westerosi ravens are similar to common ravens of Earth, only stronger with better homing instincts. Ravens are used to carry messages between castles and other settlements. While doves and pigeons can also be trained to carry messages, ravens are stronger flyers, larger, bolder, far more clever, and better able to defend themselves against hawks.[5]

The maester of each castle usually tends to its own flock of ravens. Maesters raise a breed of large of white ravens at the Citadel that are said to be more intelligent and are sent out to mark the change of seasons. Ravens sometimes imitate human speech like parrots.[6]

Most ravens are trained to fly to a specific castle, but some few can be taught to fly between two castles and are therefore greatly prized. Once in a very great while, a raven can learn the names of three or four or even five castles, and fly to each upon command. Birds as clever as that come along only once in a hundred years.[7]

History

The children of the forest taught the First Men to use ravens to communicate over long distances. The greenseers of the children could change their skins and speak through the birds. Unlike humans, ravens can speak the True Tongue, the language of the children.[8] Some priests of the Iron Islands believe that ravens are servants of the Storm God.[9] In the Faith of the Seven, the first raven is said to have been let into the world when the Crone peered through the door of death.[10]

In the godswood at Raventree Hall in Blackwood Vale there is a dead weirwood of colossal size. Every evening at dusk hundreds of ravens come and roost on the tree all night, as they have for thousands of years.[11]

Jeor Mormont, the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, has a pet raven that talks.[6]

Quotes

Most ravens will eat grain, but they prefer flesh. It makes them strong, and I fear they relish the taste of blood. In that they are like men ... and like men, not all ravens are alike. Doves and pigeons can also be trained to carry messages, though the raven is a stronger flyer, larger, bolder, far more clever, better able to defend itself against hawks ... yet ravens are black, and they eat the dead, so some godly men abhor them.[5]

The crow is the raven's poor cousin. They are both beggars in black, hated and misunderstood.[5]

It was the singers who taught the First Men to send messages by raven… but in those days, the birds would speak the words. The trees remember, but men forget, and so now they write the messages on parchment and tie them round the feet of birds who have never shared their skin.[8]

References