Caw Like A Crow & You’ll Fit Right In
We often hear about the dangers of peer pressure. But this Polish proverb tells us to embrace local customs, go with the flow, and . . . caw like a crow. (Oops, unintentional rhyme!)
Jeśli wejdziesz między wrony, musisz krakać jak i one.
Polish Proverb
If you enter the company of crows, you must caw like they do.
This crow proverb emphasizes the necessity of conforming to local customs. When you visit a new place, you shouldn’t try to impose your own ideas and behavior. Instead, you should respect the local traditions.
Even if that means that you need to pretend to be a bird! So practice your cawing, chirping, and twittering.
When I was little, I attended Polish Saturday school, and this was one of the first Polish proverbs that I learned. It amused me then and it still amuses me now. Our English equivalent – “When in Rome, do as the Romans do” – doesn’t evoke quite such a vivid image.
I love the ancient Romans (I am a classicist), but even I have to admit that a crow proverb is more entertaining. And speaking of crows . . .
Caw Like A Crow: Final Thoughts
If you are from North America like me, you might be thinking, “Is that actually a crow in the photo?” The answer is YES.
When I went to eastern Europe for the first time, I was shocked to discover that the crows there were black and gray. Meet the Hooded Crow, Corvus cornix – the kind of crow you see in Poland.
Did you like this Polish proverb? Do you know any similar sayings in other languages? Let me know in the comments! And check out this language tidbit from a few weeks ago, in which I introduce the equivalent Russian phrase. Hint: it relates to wolves.
And when in doubt, keep calm and caw like a crow!
Background photo credit: Chris Stenger on Unsplash
This sure does look like a raven to me, with its bearded throat feathers and its sturdy beak. Of course, crows and ravens are both corvids, so maybe the distinction is too fine.
Hi Fran, this is a great observation! The Latin name for the hooded crow, Corvus cornix, actually just means “raven crow” – which certainly shows a bit of indecision on the part of scientists. 🙂 My understanding is that there is no clear-cut biological distinction between “crows” vs. “ravens”; that is, whether a particular species within the family Corvidae is labeled a crow or a raven depends more on convention. But there is absolutely a biological difference between individual crow and raven species. So, in the US, common ravens have the scarier beak and the beard feathers, as you pointed out, whereas American crows are a bit smaller and have a slightly different beak shape. In other words – the hooded crow could have just as easily been called a hooded raven! But for whatever reason, way back when they decided to call it a crow.
How right you are! I rather like the “hooded raven” idea.
It does have a nice ring to it! 🙂