Why The RAVENS of Dinefwr?

Oh. I just knew that you’d ask that. And you just knew that I’d have an answer.

Ah. Ravens. Very important to the story.

‘My’ family claimed descent from Urien of Rheged.

SIDE NOTE: 

I hate stating such things without back-up. That is just repeating someone else’s opinion. It will take much time to go through Welsh genealogy to absolutely substantiate the above statement. But I will do my very best!

 

 

 

 

From the genus CORVUS. Old Norse – hrafn. Welsh – fithyn.

Ravens are members of the crow family, although crows are usually smaller than the Common Raven. And the collective nouns are… an ‘unkindness’ or a ‘conspiracy.’

The main reason for this post is part of a non-fiction book that I read a couple of days ago. It was about London and The Tower of London.

I quote – “Gradually the Tower (of London) ravens and their legend are being absorbed into the lore of Celtic Britain. In the arms of Dinefwr Castle in Wales, dating from the late 20th century (Italics mine) there is an apparent reference to the Tower of London. It shows a white castle and three ravens with the motto ‘Diogel dan Dinefwr’, Welsh for ‘Safe under Dinefwr.’ The ravens are from the arms of the Rhys family, after which one raven in the Tower is currently named.”

SIDE NOTE:

Hop. Hop. Hopping. 

Even a minute spent a-googling will tell you about ‘the lore’, Wales, ravens.

 

What about the late 6th century Urien of Rheged and his warband of ravens? Or the Army of Ravens in The Dream of Rhonabwy? Or King Arthur turning into a raven when he died. Or the Morrigan?

 

 

Or Apollo? Or Odin’s two ravens Huginn (thought) and Munnin (memory)? Or Bran the Blessed whose name means Raven? Or Cú Chulainn with the raven on his shoulder? Or Irish and Scots Bean Sidhes who take the form of ravens?

“There is wisdom in a raven’s head.” – Gaelic Proverb

“To have a raven’s knowledge.”  – Irish Proverb

 

My point here is that Ravens (and also Crows) have been such a well established part of the ‘lore of Celtic Britain’ that this statement is bordering on FAKE NEWS.

 

 

These are the arms supposedly ‘attributed to’ Urien of Rheged in the late Middle Ages. Urien and, particularly his son Owain are well know for their Raven Warband.

Rhys ap Tewedr, the last King of Deheubarth, always went to battle with a banner of Ravens. So did his son Gruffydd and his grandson Rhys. 

In Welsh history and mythology The House of Dinefwr has been represented by the Raven for well over a thousand years.

On a more personal note:

We have raised Ravens and Jackdaws from chicks to maturity. Two years ago we found a tiny crow in our garden that had fallen (or been pushed) from our giant Corsican Pine Tree. Fortunately he landed on a bush and survived. His head had been pecked of all its feathers and he was starving so we brought him inside and hand fed him for several weeks. He stayed with us for a year, never caged and always allowed to fly away free.

Below is a little video we made of him when he was about 3 months old. Aaaah!