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Few birds have embedded themselves into popular culture quite like the crow. Throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, the crow has evolved from a figure of folklore into a powerful modern symbol , appearing across literature, music, film, fashion, and art. Intelligent, adaptable, and unmistakably striking, the crow has come to represent everything from outsider identity to transformation and resistance. In popular culture, the crow is rarely just a bird — it is a statement. Ea

Across Eastern mythology, the crow is far more than a shadowy bird associated with death or ill fortune. Instead, it appears as a symbol of divine duty, cosmic order, filial loyalty, and transformation . From the blazing sun of ancient China to the ancestral messengers of Japan and Korea, the crow occupies a respected and often sacred role. Understanding how the crow is represented in Eastern traditions reveals a creature deeply woven into ideas of balance, responsibility, an

A Home for Handmade in the North East If you’re a maker, artist, collector or lover of unique handcrafted treasures in the North East of England, there’s an exciting new creative hub to watch. Smokey Crow Emporium , soon to open on Woodhorn Road in Ashington, Northumberland , is set to become a vibrant gathering place where craftsmanship takes centre stage and the beauty of handmade is celebrated in all its forms. A Physical Marketplace for Creative Souls Much like an in-pers

Symbols of Wisdom, Fate, and the All-Seeing Mind Crows in Norse mythology are central, few creatures carry as much symbolic weight as the crow and its close corvid relatives. Far from being mere birds, crows represent thought, memory, fate, war, and divine knowledge . To the Norse worldview, the crow was a creature that moved freely between worlds—watching, listening, and remembering. At the centre of this symbolism stands Odin , the Allfather, whose connection to crows and r

What Crows Really See When They Look at Each Other To human eyes, crows appear simple in colour—sleek, glossy, and black from head to toe. But this familiar view hides a remarkable truth. To other crows, a crow is not black at all.  Instead, it is likely a rich tapestry of colours, patterns, and signals that humans are simply unable to see. This difference comes down to how crows perceive the world—and how their vision far surpasses our own. Humans vs Crows: Two Very Differen

Across many Native American cultures, the Crow  appears as one of the most powerful and complex figures in traditional storytelling. Sometimes a creator, sometimes a trickster, and sometimes a teacher, the crow is never a simple character. Instead, these ancient tales use the crow to explain how the world came to be—and to remind people of the consequences of curiosity, intelligence, and ambition. The World Before Light In many versions of the tale, the world once existed in

In the summer of 2025, Hoppy the founder of Smokey Crow Emporium gained an unexpected — and unforgettable — mascot. While out on a dog walk, Hoppy , came across a baby crow in serious trouble. He was being attacked by two larger crows and appeared unable to escape. On closer inspection, he seemed to have injured legs and possible abdominal damage, and was clearly not going to survive without help. She brought him home, sought advice from RSPCA (who told her to leave him and l

At Smokey Crow Emporium , we sell more than just things — we sell stories, skills, and a sense of place. Our shelves are filled with affordable art, crafts and curiosities made right here in the North East of England , with a strong focus on Northumberland and Newcastle . Every piece in the shop has been created by a real artist or maker from our local area, using traditional skills, creative imagination and a genuine love of their craft. A physical shop in a digital world Sm

At Smokey Crow Emporium , the name often sparks curiosity. Is a smokey crow a myth, a symbol, or something rooted in the natural world? The answer is wonderfully real — and a testament to the remarkable intelligence of crows. The clever art of self-smoking A smokey crow  refers to an observed behaviour in wild crows where they deliberately expose themselves to smoke in order to control parasites such as mites and feather lice. Rather than being accidental, this behaviour appe