The Gaelic word for raven is fitheach. A number of Scottish place names contain the words ‘an Fhithich or ‘nam Fitheach’, meaning ‘of the ravens’. An old Scottish name for the raven (and crows generally) is corbie, a word that can be traced back to the Latin corvus.
This large crow appears again and again in Celtic lore. In Welsh mythology, the god Bran the Blessed is a guardian of Britain whose totem is a raven. Bran ordered for his own head to be cut off, after which it could still speak words of prophecy.
Legend has it that Bran’s head was buried beneath Tower Hill, at the Tower of London. The presence of ravens at the Tower is an echo of this legend.