'Crow'
really means a family of closely related carrion-eating birds including the
rook, raven, and carrion crow. One of the Goddess's archaic forms, the crone
Coronis, was a 'crow' who was transformed into the virgin mother of the
physician-god Asclepius; but other, similar forms appeared in myths as
harbingers of the hero's death. The Goddess Badb transformed herself into a
crow, Badb Catha, to confront the Celtic hero CuChulain and thereby announce his
doom.
The
white crow appears in Celtic lore as Branwen, sister of Bran. Crows can be a
form adopted by fairies, usually with ill intent, and are therefore dreaded.
Like the raven, crow is primaily associated with battle and death. The Irish for 'crow' is 'badh', a name given to one of the battle-goddesses associated with the Morrighan. The crow exemplifies the function of assimilation and reintegration within the mythic structure.