India, June 18 -- Crows are known for their black feathers, sharp beaks, and loud cawing. Few birds occupy such a complicated place in the human imagination. Across folklore, literature, mythology, superstition, and everyday life, the crow appears everywhere, wise and foolish, sacred and sinister, loved and disliked, welcomed and feared.

Sant Kabir Das used the crow as a metaphor to reflect on the power of gentle speech:

Kaga kako dhan hare, koel kako detMeethe sabd sunaiy ke, jag apno kar let

(The crow steals nothing, the koel gives nothing, yet the koel wins the world with its sweet voice.)

Poor crow. Kabir blamed its harsh voice for its lack of popularity, but what exactly is the crow supposed to do about it? Its identity is insepa...