Tribal Animate Symbols in Action
The Tribe of Asher and the Raven.
Contents:
1. Introduction. The Book of Job and the Raven.
2. The Raven Bird.
3. Ravens in the Bible.
4. The Hebrew Word for Raven.
5. Ravens, Odin, and the Vikings.
6. Ravens and Vikings.
7. The Tribe of Asher and Ireland. The House of Nial.
8. Ravens Elsewhere. Israelites to Rule the World.
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1. Introduction. The Book of Job and the Raven.
Mark McGee suggested that a list of 12 animals in the Book of Job, chapters 38-39 parallels the 12 Tribes of Israel.
We think that there is something to this and are working through the source.
One of the creatures listed is the Raven.
Job (NKJV) 38:
41 WHO PROVIDES FOOD FOR THE RAVEN,
WHEN ITS YOUNG ONES CRY TO GOD,
AND WANDER ABOUT FOR LACK OF FOOD?
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2. The Raven Bird.
A raven is any of several larger-bodied bird species of the genus Corvus. There is no consistent distinction between "crows" and "ravens", only ravens are generally larger.
The common raven (Corvus corax) is a large all-black passerine bird. It is the most widely distributed of all corvids, found across the Northern Hemisphere.
The Australian magpie has a similar appearance and behavior pattern but belongs to another species.
Wikipedia tells us:
# COMMON RAVENS HAVE COEXISTED WITH HUMANS FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS AND IN SOME AREAS HAVE BEEN SO NUMEROUS THAT PEOPLE HAVE REGARDED THEM AS PESTS. PART OF THEIR SUCCESS AS A SPECIES IS DUE TO THEIR OMNIVOROUS DIET; THEY ARE EXTREMELY VERSATILE AND OPPORTUNISTIC IN FINDING SOURCES OF NUTRITION, FEEDING ON CARRION, INSECTS, CEREAL GRAINS, BERRIES, FRUIT, SMALL ANIMALS, NESTING BIRDS, AND FOOD WASTE. SOME NOTABLE FEATS OF PROBLEM-SOLVING PROVIDE EVIDENCE THAT THE COMMON RAVEN IS UNUSUALLY INTELLIGENT. #
Ravens have a reputation for being intelligent. Numerous anecdotes testify to this.
cf.
(a) 13 Surprising And Spooky Raven Facts
https://chirpforbirds.com/wild-bird-resources/13-surprising-and-spooky-raven-facts/
by
ANNIE KRUG.
Extracts:
#1: RAVENS ARE HIGHLY INTELLIGENT
... ALL MEMBERS OF THE CORVID FAMILY HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO CRAFT AND USE TOOLS, PLAN FOR THE FUTURE, BARTER, AND EVEN PLAY GAMES LIKE HIDE-AND-SEEK.
#3: RAVENS CAN MIMIC HUMAN VOICES
IN FACT, THEY ARE OFTEN EVEN BETTER AT IT THAN PARROTS! THESE INTELLIGENT BIRDS CAN ALSO MIMIC ANIMAL AND BIRD CALLS AS WELL AS VARIOUS MANMADE SOUNDS LIKE A TOILET FLUSHING OR A CAR STARTING.
#6: RAVENS REMEMBER FACES
PERHAPS ONE OF THE MOST IMPRESSIVE, AND UNSETTLING, FACTS ABOUT RAVENS IS THAT THEY HAVE WHAT IS CALLED EPISODIC MEMORY, MUCH LIKE HUMANS AND OTHER PRIMATES. THIS ALLOWS THEM TO REMEMBER HUMAN FACES AND OTHER CHARACTERISTICS, PARTICULARLY IN ASSOCIATION WITH AN EMOTION OR EVENT, WHICH LEADS TO OUR NEXT FACT.
#7: RAVENS HAVE FRIENDSAND ENEMIES
RAVENS TEND TO PREFER COMPANIONSHIP WITH OTHER RAVENS, PARTICULARLY IF THEY ARE RELATIVES AND OF THE OPPOSITE SEX. BUT RAVEN OR HUMAN, DONT CHEAT THEM OR THEYLL REMEMBERAND PROBABLY WONT WORK WITH YOU AGAIN! IN FACT, RAVENS ARE KNOWN TO HOLD GRUDGES FOR UP TO ONE MONTH AFTER A SOUR EXPERIENCE!
#11: RAVENS ARE POWERFUL SYMBOLS IN LORE
OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH DEATH, ILLNESS, OR A BAD OMEN, RAVENS HAVE BEEN FEATURED IN ANCIENT STORIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD AND IN ALMOST EVERY CULTURE. FOR EXAMPLE, SWEDISH FOLKLORE HAS IT THAT RAVENS ARE THE SPIRITS OF MURDERED PEOPLE WHO WERENT GIVEN CHRISTIAN BURIALS. IRISH FOLKLORE SEES RAVENS AS SYMBOLS OF WARFARE...
(B) 10 RAVISHING FACTS ABOUT RAVENS
BY JOY LANZENDORFER
HTTPS://WWW.MENTALFLOSS.COM/ARTICLE/53295/10-FASCINATING-FACTS-ABOUT-RAVENS
... RAVENS SEEM CAPABLE OF FEELING EMPATHY. WHEN A RAVENS FRIEND LOSES IN A FIGHT, THEY WILL SEEM TO CONSOLE THE LOSING BIRD. THEY ALSO REMEMBER BIRDS THEY LIKE AND WILL RESPOND IN A FRIENDLY WAY TO CERTAIN BIRDS FOR AT LEAST THREE YEARS AFTER SEEING THEM. (BUT THEY ALSO HOLD GRUDGES.)
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3. Ravens in the Bible.
After the Flood Noah fist sent a raven to test when the Waters had subsided or not (Genesis 8:7)..
In the reign of Ahab and Queen Jezebel the Northern Israelites sinned grievously. The Almighty decreed a famine on all the Land. He also told Elijah the Prophet to seek refuge by the Brook of Cherith a tributary of the Jordan. He was to drink water from the Brook and to obtain food from ravens that would bring it to him.
1 Kings (NKJV) 17:
5 SO HE WENT AND DID ACCORDING TO THE WORD OF THE LORD, FOR HE WENT AND STAYED BY THE BROOK CHERITH, WHICH FLOWS INTO THE JORDAN. 6 THE RAVENS BROUGHT HIM BREAD AND MEAT IN THE MORNING, AND BREAD AND MEAT IN THE EVENING; AND HE DRANK FROM THE BROOK.
The hero in the Song of Solomon is described as having a gold-reddish beard, hair black as a raven, and eyes of grey like a dove.
Song of Solomon (JKV) 5:
11 HIS HEAD IS LIKE THE FINEST GOLD; HIS LOCKS ARE WAVY, AND BLACK AS A RAVEN.
12 HIS EYES ARE LIKE DOVES
BY THE RIVERS OF WATERS,
WASHED WITH MILK,
AND FITLY SET.
Annie Krug tells us:
#12: THERE ARE WHITE RAVENS. THESE LIGHT-FEATHERED BIRDS ARE ACTUALLY RAVENS WITH A RARE PIGMENT CONDITION CALLED LEUCISM, WHICH GIVES THEM THEIR FAIR FEATHERS AND, OFTENTIMES, BLUE EYES.
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4. The Hebrew Word for Raven.
The Hebrew word for Raven is "Orev." The French name for raven is Corbeau, the Latin is Corvus. The Old Anglo-Saxon dialect that gave us the word "raven" originally rendered it as "Hraefen."
Isaac Mozeson took all these words and related them back to the Hebrew original.
# RETURNING TO ANIMALS AND ADDRESSING THE INTERCHANGEABLE C/G/H/K SOUNDS ABOVE, BOTH THE HEBREW AYIN AND THE GIMEL ARE GUTTURALS THAT CAN HARDEN TO MAKE THE HARD C OF LATIN CORVUS (RAVEN) AND FRENCH CORBEAU (RAVEN) OR SOFTEN TO MAKE THE SOFT H OF ANGLO-SAXON HRAEFN (RAVEN). DO THESE DISPARATE INDO-EUROPEAN COUSINS MEET WHEN LINKED TO A COMMON SEMITIC ANCESTOR? THE HEBREW RAVEN IS AN OREV OR KHOREBH (AYIN-RESH-BET). #
Source: "Edenics: Origins of language" by Jeff A. Benner
https://www.ancient-hebrew.org/language/edenics-origins-of-language.htm
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5. Ravens, Odin, and the Vikings.
Orjan Svensson:
# ACCORDING TO THE MYTHS ODIN OWNED TWO RAVENS NAMED HUGIN AND MUNIN. THESE NAMES ARE APPARENTLY RELATED TO THE ICELANDIC WORDS HUGUR AND MUNUR WHICH MEAN "MIND" AND "DIFFERENCE" RESPECTIVELY. ANALOGOUSLY IN HEBREW WE HAVE HEGEH AND MANAH MEANING "THOUGHT" AND "TO SEPARATE" RESPECTIVELY. A SWEDISH WORD THAT IS RELATED TO HUGUR IS HAG WHICH MEANS "THOUGHT" OR "MIND". #
Odin belonged to that section of the ancestral gods known as "Aesir". In "The Tribes" by Yair Davidiy, the Aesir are identified with the Israelite Tribe of of Asher.
The Aesir migrated to Scandinavia. They were associated with the Goths of Gad who settled in Sweden, the Naphtalites who moved to Norway, and the Danes of Denmark from the Tribe of Dan.
The Aesir also helped give rise to the Vikings.
The Vikings were different groups of Scandinavian origin. From Scandinavia they moved to other places including Normandy (in France), England, Ireland, and Scotland.
The Tribe of Asher was dominant among a portion of them. The very name "Viking" is thought to derive from a word meaning "inlet." This may be indicated in the Biblical Song of Deborah that connects the Tribe of Asher to travelling by ships and dwelling in "inlets" by the sea.:
Judges (NKJV) 5
17 GILEAD STAYED BEYOND THE JORDAN,
AND WHY DID DAN REMAIN ON SHIPS?
ASHER CONTINUED AT THE SEASHORE,
AND STAYED BY HIS INLETS.
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6. Ravens and Vikings.
The Tribe of Asher was present among the Vikings who settled in Ireland and Northern England.
Many of these fought under an emblem depicting the raven.
Wikipedia - Extracts:
THE RAVEN BANNER WAS USED BY A NUMBER OF VIKING WARLORDS REGARDED IN NORSE TRADITION AS THE SONS OF RAGNAR LODBROK. THE FIRST MENTION OF A VIKING FORCE CARRYING A RAVEN BANNER IS IN THE ANGLO-SAXON CHRONICLE.
# RAGNAR LODBROK, ACCORDING TO LEGENDS, WAS A VIKING HERO AND A DANISH AND SWEDISH KING. HE IS KNOWN FROM OLD NORSE POETRY OF THE VIKING AGE, ICELANDIC SAGAS, AND NEAR-CONTEMPORARY CHRONICLES. ACCORDING TO TRADITIONAL LITERATURE, RAGNAR DISTINGUISHED HIMSELF BY CONDUCTING MANY RAIDS AGAINST THE BRITISH ISLES AND THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE DURING THE 9TH CENTURY [800S CE]..
# IN THE 10TH CENTURY, THE RAVEN BANNER SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN ADOPTED BY NORSE-GAELIC KINGS OF DUBLIN AND NORTHUMBRIA [NORTHERN ENGLAND]. MANY OF THE NORSE-GAELIC DYNASTS IN BRITAIN AND IRELAND WERE OF THE UI IMAIR CLAN, WHICH CLAIMED DESCENT FROM RAGNAR LODBROK THROUGH HIS SON IVAR. A TRIANGULAR BANNER APPEARING TO DEPICT A BIRD (POSSIBLY A RAVEN) APPEARS ON A PENNY MINTED BY OLAF CUARAN AROUND 940.
# THE ARMY OF KING CNUT THE GREAT OF ENGLAND, NORWAY AND DENMARK BORE A RAVEN BANNER MADE FROM WHITE SILK AT THE BATTLE OF ASHINGDON IN 1016.
The raven banner was also a standard used by the Norse Jarls of Orkney, i.e. rulers of the Northern Isles of Scotland, 1100s - ca. 1500.
Harald Hardrada, King of Norway (1015-1066) also had a raven banner. He attempted to conquer England from the Anglo-Saxon ruler, Harold of Wessex, but was defeated in the north of England. After defeating Harald Hardrada, Harald of Wessex then hurried back to face another invader, William of Normandy. The Normans won albeit by the skin of their teeth but that was enough. That is considered the end of the Viking Age and in the beginning of Norman reign in England.
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7. The Tribe of Asher and Ireland. The House of Nial.
In our work "Hebrew Tribes" we identify Ireland as having been settled by several Israelite Tribes at various times. These included Dan, Simeon, Asher, Manasseh, and others.
Asher was especially prominent:
# John D. MCLAUGHLIN shows a connection between the Venicnni of Donegal and the name of Irish groups known as Fenni meaning band or union. The Venicones of Donegal are therefore identifiable with the Irish Feni. MCLAUGHLIN suggests a link to the Connachta i.e. the descendants of Conn. These were early rulers (related to the original O'Neils) of much of Ireland. They came from the north and descended from the brothers of an ancestor referred to as Niel. ... Like the term "Fenni," the name Heber (of Asher) in Hebrew also means "band" or "union." The ancestor of the Connachta and other Gaelic peoples in Irish legend was named Hiber which in Hebrew (where the use of vowels is quite elastic) is an acceptable alternative for Heber.
Elements of the Vandals also came to Ireland. These too were descended from the Tribe of Asher.
So too, Vikings (probably from Asher and Naphtali) settled in eastern Ireland and along the coast. All major Irish towns, including Dublin, were founded by the Vikings. They also settled in northern England.
The name Asher in Hebrew derived from a root connoting happiness. Many of the Irish have an innate natural happy attitude. They are known all over the world for it. The Irish are often smiling.
There is even a famous song about it by Chauncey Olcott and George Graff, Jr., in the USA (1912), music by Ernest Ball.
“WHEN IRISH EYES ARE SMILING, SURE 'TIS LIKE A MORN IN SPRING.
IN THE LILT OF IRISH LAUGHTER YOU CAN HEAR THE ANGELS SING,
WHEN IRISH HEARTS ARE HAPPY ALL THE WORLD SEEMS BRIGHT AND GAY,
AND WHEN IRISH EYES ARE SMILING, SURE, THEY STEAL YOUR HEART AWAY.”
There is an expression Irish Happiness.
# The Irish have long been known for their happiness, optimism, beauty, etc.. They have always ranked near the top in studies that gage happiness and overall satisfaction with life. #
The Tribe of Asher was also destined to produce exceptionally fine warriors. All the Israelites were blessed that they should be brave men. This is one of the characteristics of the Israelite Nation.
Deuteronomy 33:
24 AND OF ASHER HE SAID:
ASHER IS MOST BLESSED OF SONS;
LET HIM BE FAVORED BY HIS BROTHERS,
AND LET HIM DIP HIS FOOT IN OIL.
25 YOUR SANDALS SHALL BE IRON AND BRONZE;
AS YOUR DAYS, SO SHALL YOUR STRENGTH BE.
The expression above translated as Your sandals" is "MINALECA." It more correctly should be understood to mean "lock, safeguard, ensure." It derives from the root "NAAL." This could just as well be rendered from the Hebrew as "NIAL" and refer to the House of Nial. descendants of Nial who supplied nearly all the early High Kings of Ireland and at the beginning most of its ruling royalty.
A few verses further on it says:
Deuteronomy 33:
29 HAPPY ARE YOU [HEBREW: ASHRECA HINTING AT THE TRIBE OF ASHER], O ISRAEL! WHO IS LIKE YOU, A PEOPLE SAVED BY THE LORD, THE SHIELD OF YOUR HELP, AND THE SWORD OF YOUR MAJESTY! YOUR ENEMIES SHALL SUBMIT TO YOU, AND YOU SHALL TREAD DOWN THEIR HIGH PLACES.
The raven may have been the animal symbol of the Tribe of Asher.
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8. Ravens Elsewhere. Israelites to Rule the World.
cf.
Raven proposed [unsuccesfully] as emblem of Alaska
cf. "A bird for all seasons: the case for the raven as an Alaska symbol,"
By Anchorage Daily News editorial board
Updated: January 12, 2019
https://www.adn.com/opinions/editorials/2019/01/12/a-bird-for-all-seasons-the-case-for-the-raven-as-an-alaska-symbol/
# RAVENS ARE, AFTER ALL, EMBLEMATIC OF ALASKA AND THE WAY WE SEE OURSELVES: SHREWD. SEEMINGLY UNCONCERNED BY EVEN THE BITTEREST COLD. FUN-LOVING. SOCIAL. LOYAL. ADAPTABLE TO ALL CIRCUMSTANCES. #
The raven is also the accepted symbol for the Canadian First-Nations Province of Yukon.
See Also:
Animals and Tribes
https://hebrewnations.com/articles/tribes/animaltribes.html
The Nation of Bhutan in Asia uses the crow (a kind of raven) as its symbol.
In our work "Esau. Edomites Today," by Yair Davidiy, 2015, we wrote that:
The Tribal Clans of Israel number 70 (Genesis ch.46, Numbers ch.26). Each clan is parallel to a specific non-Israelite nation (Deuteronomy 32:8). The Bible tells us that Israelites are destined to rule the earth (Genesis 27: 29, 48:19, Numbers 24:8, Jeremiah 51:20, Micah 6 5:8, Psalms 47:1-4). The 70 divisions of Israel will rule over the 70 nations of the world. It may be that Bhutan will fall to the guidance of the Tribe of Asher.