Superstitions Involving Animals and Insects

Black Crows

The association between crows and the dark side is a mainstay in tales of lore. Due in part to their mysterious appearance, the presence of these highly intelligent creatures is often seen by the more superstitious among us as a sign that someone, or something, from the land of spirits is attempting to make contact.

It is said that to have a single crow show up unexpectedly at a gathering means that a departed loved one, commonly one who was ostracized in life by those present, has joined the festivities. After making certain that it has been seen, usually be letting out a loud “caw,” the unexpected visitor will perch someplace nearby where it will then observe the goings-on for a while before taking flight.

When a crow targets an individual rather than a group, this indicates that someone with whom the person had unfinished business has dropped by from the afterlife to remind them that all is not forgotten.

Growing up, I was told a story in which a woman and her sister had feuded over their mother’s estate. One of them passed away suddenly before the matter was settled. Not long after her death, a crow began showing up at the home of the surviving sibling. The harried woman claimed that the bird quickly became the bane of her existence, stalking her every time she left the house…