The Raven's role in Benedictine history The Raven holds an honored place in the history of the Benedictine Order. Back in the sixth century, a Raven befriended St. Benedict, founder of the order named after him. This particular bird, the legend goes, took poisoned bread from the mouth of the saint on one occasion and on another brought him morsels of bread when Benedict was segregated and starving in the barren mountains of Italy. This and other stories about the life of Sts. Benedict and Scholastica were written by Pope St. Gregory the Great in the Dialogues. In view of past actions, the bird was given a place on the escutcheon of Benedictine College. The Raven in Scripture "Think of the ravens. They do not sow or reap; they have not storehouses or barns, yet God feeds them. How much more are you worth than the birds" (Luke 12:24). The Raven in Nature The Raven derived its name from the Greek words corvus corax, which means ‘croaker’ due to its hoarse voice. The Raven ranges from 21” to 27” long with a 46-56” wingspan. Ravens are an advanced and highly successful family of tough, intelligent and adaptable songbirds. Though shy and wary, they are widespread in both the Old and New World living in a variety of habitats ranging from deserts, mountains and canyons, boreal forests, and rocky seacoasts to the treeless tundra. Ravens are strong fliers, and they are well ordered and much more formal than the average bird.
Ravenswood Overlook and Ravenswood Forest
The Ravenswood Overlook was built in the summer of 1992, with funds donated by an alumnus. It has been said that the view from this bluff matches any along the Hudson River Valley. It is the original forest on the Eastern most edge of campus overlooking the Missouri River. Benedictines have a tradition and reputation for good land stewardship and the conservation of natural resources. Much zoological and botanical observation and research has been conducted on this hillside by college faculty and students. Historical In front of, and below, this overlook are some posts and the remains of some steps leading down to a trail which extends northward down the bluff and ends at the ledge marking the south end of the quarried area below St. Benedict’s Abbey. Some early faculty members, resident at the Abbey, recall that half a century ago this trail, thought to date from the Indian and pioneer days, started at the top of the hillside opposite the drive leading down to Westerman hall. Plans should be made to conserve this valuable natural asset, and to open the hillside path as a “nature trail” for students and hikers. Along this hillside trail is a spring, which flows throughout the year, some good “lenses” of glacial gravel, and a variety of plans, ranging from liverworts, mosses, and ferns, to Mayapples, Papaws, and various native trees. Lewis and Cark traveled up this section of the Missouri River in 1804, when what has now become Kansas was part of the newly acquired “Louisiana Purchase.” Their journals show that on the evening of July 4, 1804, the expedition camped at the mouth of a tributary of the Missouri just north of present Atchison, and there drank a toast and fired their rifles in what has 89