The God Apollo used his white crows (ravens) to give messages to and spy on humans. When Apollo fell in love with the Thessalian Princess Coronis and made her pregnant he had his crows watch over her.
Unfortunately for all, the crow witnessed Coronis have an affair with Ischys a mere MORTAL!
When informed of this infidelity Apollo flew into a god like rage and had his sister Artemis shower plague arrows on Coronis' palace, dooming her and her retainers to horrible deaths.
He sent a white crow to see the result. When the crow retuned, he gleefully reported on Coronis' suffering, her begging Apollo's forgiveness and asking the god to save their child. The crow ended his report with a laughing HA, HA, HA. Apollo was so angry with the glee the crow had for the pleas of Coronis that he cursed all white crows and turned them black. Apollo then raised Coronis into the heavens where she became the constellation "Corvus the Crow."
Since that day all ravens/crows have been black, and their once melodic voices turned into harsh cry's. Apollo did save his child, a son Asclepius who was a great healer, but that is another story.
I painted these two plastic pieces in 2022.
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