Peter Pan and Solomon Caw

"In this world, there are no second chances."

– Solomon Caw's warning to Peter Pan

The Little White Bird – J.M. Barrie 1902

Prequel to Peter Pan

Arthur Rackham's illustration for the White Bird

“The Little White Bird is a novel by J.M. Barrie that was published in 1902. It ranged from fantasy and whimsy to social comedy and dark aggressive undertones. It mostly achieved fame from several chapters that were written in a softer tone than the rest of the book, which introduced the character and mythology of Peter Pan . The chapters were later published as Peter Pan In Kensington Gardens as a children's book. The Peter Pan story started as a chapter of a longer work in the four years that Barrie worked on the book prior to publication that grew to an "elaborate book-within-a-book" of over a hundred pages”. Peter Pan Wiki

Solomon Caw is one of the characters the infant Peter Pan meets in Kensington Gardens. He is a wise old crow and is responsible for fulfilling the requests of ladies in London for children; he selects a bird for each women and sends them to their new homes.

Solomon Caw

 Peter Pan is a seven-day-old infant. All children begin life as birds until Solomon Caw sends them out to expecting mothers, where they become human children. Solomon is fond of Peter; he passes on as much wisdom to him as possible. Peter is still young enough that he's still half-bird and therefore has complete belief in his ability to fly. He escapes his home by flying out through the open window and arrives in Kensington Gardens. He realizes that he really is no longer a bird, and he lost the ability to fly because once you doubt your ability to fly, you can no longer do it. Solomon Caw tells him that he is not still a bird, but more like a human – Solomon says he is crossed between them as a "Betwixt-and-Between".

Peter Pan is loosely based on a Roman myth about a shipwrecked infant raised by crows, similar to the Romulus and Remus story.

Pan (Peter?) is the god of all wild things, nature, hunting and music, as well as the companion of the nymphs.

Pan was the God of the Wild

He is the only Greek god who actually dies whereas Peter never grows old. Solomon (Caw?) is King of Israel famous for his wisdom and his architectural projects, including the Temple in Jerusalem.

"Then I shan't be exactly a human?" Peter asked Solomon Caw.

"No."

"Nor exactly a bird?"

"No."

"What shall I be?"

"You will be a Betwixt-and-Between," Solomon said, and certainly he was a wise old fellow, for that is exactly how it turned out.

“Betwixt-and-Between”, by Larry Vienneau

Etching, 5 inch x 7 inch 2023 

The Raven at Agincourt

How Raven Started the Battle of Agincourt

 memorial of the Battle of Agincourt

I am an unabashed history nerd. I have always been intrigued by Medieval History. I am also an avid archer, I manage an archery blog with over 370,000 viewers. As an archer, I have always been interested in the facts and myths surrounding the importance of Longbow during the Hundred Year War. One of the most famous battles was Agincourt, England's most celebrated victory and was one of the most important English triumphs in the Hundred Years' War, along with the Battle of Crecy (1346) and Battle of Poitiers (1356). The lopsidedness of this battle is a legend, The British had an estimated 6-9,000 exhausted men, and the French had over 30,000 -35,000 men, the cream of French society. At the end of the day 7,000 French were dead of captured, while the English had perhaps 400 dead. The outcome of this battle changed the balance of power in Europe, and it forms the centerpiece of the play Henry V by William Shakespeare.

French Knights about to start their ill fated charge

The French, overconfident in their numbers and eager to slaughter the impudent English mounted a sloppy undisciplined cavalry charge. The English, aware of the sogginess of the ground, set a trap. They used 1500 unmounted armored knights as a decoy, while setting up 6000 archers and lightly armored knights on the flanks. The French became mired in the soaked ground and were easy prey for the nimble archers and knights. The vastly out numbered English were victorious and the French were decimated. 

arrows and mud were the victorious weapon 

the simple English Longbow was a devastating weapon. 

The Battle of Agincourt happened on St. Crispin's Day October 25^th 1415 and Raven helped to get the battle started!

detail showing Hungry Raven before he started the Battle of Agincourt

Raven had been following a mob of English men and horses. He had been feasting on the garbage and waste for miles.  As he flew he saw a vast host of 30,000 iron-clad Frenchmen and horses awaiting the 9,000 exhausted, filthy English. Raven flew to the ruin of an ancient castle to watch the confrontation. But the two forces made camp and the next morning both armies simply stared at each other, unwilling to make the first move. The French-mounted knights were aligned in a vast line that could easily sweep the English aside. Raven's stomach was empty, and he was impatient.  He decided to move things along. He saw an armored French horse with a gaudy black feather plume; it was the perfect hiding place.  A mounted charge was supposed to be an ordered prodding advance that would bring death to English archers. He landed atop the horse's head, hidden by the black plume. He leaned over and bit down on the unprotected ear of the horse so hard that the horse broke rank and charged. Other knights saw this and all wanted to be first to the slaughter and all raced forward. Soon the entire force began a mad dash through thick mud and a hail of arrows.

By the end of the day, 7,000 Frenchmen and 400 Englishmen lay lifeless in a sodden field of mud and blood.

England’s King Henry V had a great victory and Raven’s stomach was full.

"St. Crispin's Day, October 25th, 1415", 
etching, 5-inch x 7-inch 2012

Raven and The Arrow

RAVEN AND THE FIRST ARROW

Archaeologists believe Mankind invented the bow and arrow around 64,000 BC in Africa and by 10,000 the bow and arrow was nearly worldwide. Bird of prey feathers were the preferred feathers used on the ancient arrow, the hunter hoped to infuse the arrow with the power of the hunting birds. Some cultures preferred a Raven feather because they believed Raven was the wisest of all birds. There is strong evidence that Neanderthal used Raven wing bones and feathers for decoration as early as 45,000 years ago.

Comparing the Neanderthal artefact (inset) with modern imitations (main image) is proving enlightening

Francesco d'Errico

Read more: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2126292-neanderthal-artist-revealed-in-a-finely-carved-raven-bone/#ixzz64cM2aO7i

Raven and the Arrow

Raven had always been curious about Mankind. He watched Man struggle over millenniums, at first Man was the prey but now he was the hunter. Raven was amused by Man and Raven fed well every time this puny creature learned a new killing trick.  When Man bent a stick with a string and sent the first projectile flying haphazardly, Raven watched intently. Raven knew that his feathers helped him fly straight and strong. Raven thought that he should help Man; after all, Raven always feeds well off of this clever tool-maker butcher sites. One day Raven stole a bit of string, plucked a wing feather, and visited Man’s campsite. Raven found an arrow and lashed his wing feather to it, then flew to a branch to watch. Man returned to camp empty-handed again but noticed the arrow with the feather left by Raven. The Man was inquisitive so he shot the arrow from his bow and was astonished when it flew straight and strong.

Now Raven had the best intention. Raven enjoyed watching Humans and he thought that helping Man would be good for all of the Ravens, the scrapes of food Man left always fed Raven. But Raven had made a mistake, he had underestimated Man. On this day, like all others, raven watched from the safety of a high branch. However, on this day, Man had learned a new killing trick. Man picked up the feathered arrow and shot it straight at Raven. A startled Raven had just enough time to elude the killing point and flew up and caught the arrow. Realizing his mistake, Raven soared away with the arrow, thinking Man did not deserve his gift. But it was too late, Man had learned a most deadly killing trick.

RAVEN AND THE ARROW, 

Etching, 5 inch x 7 inch 2016

$70.00 contact me through this blog if you are interested in this print.

The Raven and the Arrow, Acrylic, and gold pigment on canvas, 18 inches by 48 inches, 2020, $2000

https://www.etsy.com/listing/852051522/the-raven-and-the-arrow-original