Here is a short but interesting conversation I had with Mr. E about the relationship between Elves and ravens. Oddly, as I was working on the illustration for this post, the ravens (or crows) in my neighborhood gathered in a huge group (as they sometimes do) and surrounded my home, raising their voices loudly for about an hour before they finally flew away.—Natalie

Natalie: Is there a special relationship between Elves and ravens? I was wondering about this because, in my world, many cultures see ravens (and crows) as mystical beings who are very in touch with magic. Movies and books also portray them as messengers.

Mr. E: In my world, these birds are very important. Ravens are very knowing and more intelligent than your average bird.

Natalie: Do you consider ravens and crows to be similar?

Mr. E: Yes. The raven is larger than the crow, but they are basically the same for our purposes.

Natalie: Are they used to send messages? Is that a common thing?

Mr. E: Yes, that is very common. They can be like carrier pigeons, but only some of them wish to be of service in this way. They are all capable, but they don’t always want to do it. Sometimes they’re just having fun and want to be birds.

Natalie: Some people here see them as dark and scary, while others see them as wise and powerful.

Mr. E: Well, for the record, we do not see them as symbols of dark energy at all.

Natalie: They are often associated with those who practice magic here, too.

Mr. E: That could have originally come from us. Long before we left your world, we had our own special fae ravens; you see? That is how it started.

We use ravens in the same way humans use drones. We can see what they are seeing through a telepathic connection. My brother-in-law JP often uses a seeing stone to view what the raven is seeing. He tells the raven where to go and what he needs to see; that kind of thing. It is very useful when gathering information about an enemy or a natural disaster, and it is often faster and safer than sending troops for the same information.

Natalie: So, I guess ravens are happy and willing to do this for you?

Mr. E: Yes, they are if you are fae, or of a magical nature. They can tell if you’re the right type of person, be it fae or human.

If you have a magical nature, you might suddenly notice there’s a raven nearby, just looking right at you when you’re out and about. There’s a reason for that, you see what I mean? They know what you are and they know you see them as the truly conscious beings they are. They will see you differently than they see other humans.

Natalie: Dryads have said the same thing.

Mr. E: Exactly. They can also see the difference. But, in the human world, it can be a little harder because it can take ravens or crows longer to notice you among all the other humans.

Natalie: I have had some very magical experiences with birds that I almost didn’t notice because I got caught up, like many do, in just living a human life.

Mr. E: Right, it’s easy to get caught in what Susan calls “the undertow of life.” But having these kinds of experiences helps you remember that magic exists and magic is everywhere.

Who is Mr E?

He is the main spokesperson for the Elves of Fyn. The best way to get to know him is to listen to his many audio clips and read a couple of his interviews.

MR E AUDIOS, MR E TALKS ABOUT HIS WORLD, MR E’S BLOG