Feathers in your cap

[pugcasso]

Just curious if the Navajo consider the Raven as a "Trickster" in the mythological sense (if you know)? ... maybe they are more attached to Coyote in that mythological role (ie. Trickster) and Raven is more northwest coast (as a 'trickster' character).

I'm interested in mythology and spiritual symbolism (mostly Norse, Greek and I guess esoteric 'Christian' at present).


I'm more into 'Raven' in a Norse sense ( there isn't a lot of discoverable information regarding Huginn and Muninn but I am fascinated by them ... often when I see two crows together when I'm out and about, I will purposefully see them as these two mythological characters and use the opportunity to speculate upon my thoughts at that particular time ... a bit of a random process for self-introspection)

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I have heard of Scottish clan chiefs wearing eagle feathers but were raven or crow feathers ever used for some symbolic reason??

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It's odd (and unfortunate) that since I moved from the suburbs to near downtown I have found virtually no crow feathers .... whereas I had found many crow feathers when living in the suburbs.

I remember one spot I lived where every Autumn, hundreds and hundreds (maybe thousands) of crows would fly every sundown over my apartment towards a certain direction ... it appears they would assemble in a forested area on the grounds of a local University grounds.


Personally I am attracted to crows for emotional reasons I can't explain... for reasons regarding Norse mythology (the two ravens of Odin ... Huginn and Muninn) ... and regarding symbolism involved with European Alchemy ('crow' as the symbol of the initial stage of Alchemy ... the 'blackening' - the common idea that Alchemy was merely the physical attempt to create gold from lesser metals is false - it was an inner spiritual process for the individual to reach an enlightenment spiritual/mental stage).

Perhaps I will be attracted to Eagles more at some date... I remember seeing two bald eagles circling the Sun when driving with my friend ... she stopped the car and we watched them .... I later incorporated that into a painting.

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I don't know much about Eagles in Celtic symbolism/religion .... but I know in Norse symbolism, there is an Eagle at the top branches of Yggdrasil, the "World Tree", who has a hawk between his eyes (which makes me think the hawk is a symbol of the 'brow chakra' between the eyes to use an Indian - of India - reference ). At the base of Yggdrasil, is a serpent gnawing at the roots of the 'World Tree' ... so I ponder if this is similar to the Indian idea of the Kundalini or "serpent" energy coiled at the base of the humans spine). I personally think ancienbt peoples were often more in tune with such experiences than "rational" modern human who "thinks" perhaps too much.

Getting a bit off topic (perhaps) ... I often wonder how ancient Celtic and Norse people saw and felt about things ... were their religions and various customs based on some real felt experience (perhaps induced by some trance or Shamanic ritual).


The Eagle in some cultures is a symbol of the Sky god (in Greek, it is the symbol of Zeus)... I wonder if in some ancient Gaelic religious thread if there is a hint pertaining to this idea that made wearing eagle feathers... as a thunder/lightening god, Zeus/Jupiter/Thor all would be related to the Oak Tree (who knows, maybe Oak trees are more prone to being hit by lightening).... maybe there is some Celtic connection to that as well.


In esoteric Christian symbolism, the Eagle relates to the Evangel 'John' ...as the symbol for Scorpius, the Phoenix, and the Eagle (shown as an eagle on the Roman Catholic Cross) .


Oh well ... perhaps babbling too much here but it seems that is my role in life.... maybe it will induce some thoughts or ideas from some others out there in the internet Aether!.

[pugcasso]

Regarding some information posted.... I also am a bit interested if there are any ideas concerning the angle of feathers placed in caps.... certain old photos I have seen have some feathers placed very vertically in the hat - perhaps indicating that they are to be interpreted as being more "strong" in symbolic meaning!


Personally the one time I had worn a crow feather in my hat, it was angled backwards at an angle. I suggest that I personally feel that even using a crow feather, at my current level, I wear it angled backwards.


Perhaps one day when I am older (and perhaps wiser) I will feel like wearing it more vertically)

[Bugbear]

Just curious if the Navajo consider the Raven as a "Trickster" in the mythological sense (if you know)? ... maybe they are more attached to Coyote in that mythological role (ie. Trickster) and Raven is more northwest coast (as a 'trickster' character). ...

No, I don't think so, but I would have to look through some of my books. Hunting comes to mind as Raven for Navajo (Dine'); I could be way wrong without looking it up or asking around, though.

That being said, feather threads and discussions are taboo for me on this forum, so I'm out of here.

[piperdbh]

*DISCLAIMER*
What I am about to write has nothing to do with the kilt, clan chiefs or eagles.


I have a felt "Indiana Jones" style hat which has a 1/4" band on it. I once found some feathers from a dominecker chicken (whose real name is Dominique, but around here we call them domineckers). I stuck the feathers under the band of the hat. Then I found a crow feather. I added it to the domineckers. So forth and so on, I added feathers, and now my hat has all it needs, don't you think?