--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Almost as evil as the stench was the…" description: "\"“Almost as evil as the stench was the silence. Senex, however poorly he had ended his rule, had always remembered the canonical crows. He sang them, to..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6b/walter-wangerin-jr-25465_quote_almost-as-evil-as-the-stench-was-the-sil_1997784.jpg" --- # Almost as evil as the stench was the silence. Senex… ![“Almost as evil as the stench was the silence. Senex, however poorly he had ended his rule, had always remembered the canonical crows. He sang them, to be sure, in a disoriented manner; but he did sing them, keeping his animals that way, banding them, unifying them. But Cockatrice never crowed the…” quote by Walter Wangerin Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6b/walter-wangerin-jr-25465_quote_almost-as-evil-as-the-stench-was-the-sil_1997784.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6b/walter-wangerin-jr-25465_quote_almost-as-evil-as-the-stench-was-the-sil_1997784.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6b/walter-wangerin-jr-25465_quote_almost-as-evil-as-the-stench-was-the-sil_1997784.jpg) > ““Almost as evil as the stench was the silence. Senex, however poorly he had ended his rule, had always remembered the canonical crows. He sang them, to be sure, in a disoriented manner; but he did sing them, keeping his animals that way, banding them, unifying them. But Cockatrice never crowed the canon. So under him the day lost its meaning and its direction, and the animals lost any sense of time or purpose. Their land became strange to them. A terrible feeling of danger entered their souls, of things undone, of treasures unprotected. They were tired all the day long, and at night they did not sleep. And it was a most pitiful sight to see, how they all went about with hunched shoulders, heads tucked in, limping here and there as if they were forever walking into an ill wind, and flinching at every sound as if the wind carried arrows.”” [Walter Wangerin Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-wangerin-jr/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A ruler’s neglect of tradition leads to chaos, causing fear, disorientation, and loss of purpose among his people. **In simple terms:** Neglecting tradition creates disorder and anxiety. Key Takeaway Preserve meaningful rituals. Themes tradition leadership order fear purpose Mood uneasy thoughtful somber Type literary philosophical reflective When to use this quote - government policy - community rituals - education - ritual preservation Key Concepts Cultural continuity social cohesion psychology Questions to Reflect On - Which traditions should be re‑examined? - How can leaders balance continuity and innovation? A Different Perspective The quote assumes tradition is always beneficial, ignoring needed change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Canonical Crows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/canonical-crows-3498063/) [Cockatrice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cockatrice-1944505/) [Cockatrice Crowed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cockatrice-crowed-3498064/) [Crows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crows/) [Crows Sang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crows-sang-3498062/) ## Related quotes > [“Remember, this is the time of the cockatrice. It has hatched from its egg. 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But men should be above the reach of praise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sathya-sai-baba/the-world-is-a-nest-of-crows-some-caw-in-praise-some-caw-in-derision/) [Sathya Sai Baba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sathya-sai-baba/) > [“Cowardice is how you decide to be in real life, and in real life, I am not getting pecked to death by crows.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/cowardice-is-how-you-decide-to-be-in-real-life-and-in-real-life-i-am/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [But the positive thoughts would give way to negative thoughts, and the negative thoughts seemed to swoop into her mind the way a big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/but-the-positive-thoughts-would-give-way-to-negative-thoughts-and-the/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [Our minds are like crows. They pick up everything that glitters, no matter how uncomfortable our nests get with all that metal in them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/our-minds-are-like-crows-they-pick-up-everything-that-glitters-no/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [Crows appear in many of my new unpublished poems. In these walks, they take on a symbolic life apart from their irritating, undeniable, interruptive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-geok-lin-lim/crows-appear-in-many-of-my-new-unpublished-poems-in-these-walks-they/) [Shirley Geok-lin Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-geok-lin-lim/) > [If you want to fly with the eagles you can't hang out with the crows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brock-lesnar/if-you-want-to-fly-with-the-eagles-you-can-t-hang-out-with-the-crows/) [Brock Lesnar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brock-lesnar/) > [Paraphrased: When Chuang Tzu was about to die, his disciples began planning a splendid funeral. However some disciples expressed concern that given a particular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhuangzi/paraphrased-when-chuang-tzu-was-about-to-die-his-disciples-began/) [Zhuangzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhuangzi/) > [One of the pleasures of the original 'Grimm's Fairy Tales' is how incredibly ghastly they are. The ugly sisters have their eyes pecked out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-gatiss/one-of-the-pleasures-of-the-original-grimm-s-fairy-tales-is-how/) [Mark Gatiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-gatiss/) > [“They were halfway across the road when a birdcall tugged her back, pulling at some strange, secret part of her. A crow, she thought,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilia-hart/they-were-halfway-across-the-road-when-a-birdcall-tugged-her-back/) [Emilia Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilia-hart/) > [You know, all is development. The principle is perpetually going on. First, there was nothing, then there was something; then-I forget the next-I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-disraeli/you-know-all-is-development-the-principle-is-perpetually-going-on/) [Benjamin Disraeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-disraeli/) > [Crows pick out the eyes of the dead, when the dead have no longer need of them; but flatterers mar the soul of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/crows-pick-out-the-eyes-of-the-dead-when-the-dead-have-no-longer-need/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [“The Crows of the region could have told them that there are almost always more Crows around them than they can see; but like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-crowley/the-crows-of-the-region-could-have-told-them-that-there-are-almost/) [John Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-crowley/) ## More by Walter Wangerin Jr > [“Eurus thrashes, but Rutt holds on. She crushes the bones of his jaws and still holds on until he suffocates and dies.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-wangerin-jr/eurus-thrashes-but-rutt-holds-on-she-crushes-the-bones-of-his-jaws/) [Walter Wangerin Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-wangerin-jr/) > [“He went wordless, and wordless he sat beside her. He knew the size of her sorrow.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-wangerin-jr/he-went-wordless-and-wordless-he-sat-beside-her-he-knew-the-size-of/) [Walter Wangerin Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-wangerin-jr/) > [“Her ballad did nothing to make the serpants lovely. Her ballad hid nothing of their dread. But the music itself spoke of faith and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-wangerin-jr/her-ballad-did-nothing-to-make-the-serpants-lovely-her-ballad-hid/) [Walter Wangerin Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-wangerin-jr/) > [“WELL, THEN SHAG IT, YOU SUITCASE! 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It is the constant truthfulness, the continued dependability,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-wangerin-jr/and-the-strongest-trust-is-built-by-the-smallest-actions-the-keeping/) [Walter Wangerin Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-wangerin-jr/) > [“And "sharing the work of survival," therefore, means resisting every temptation towards independence, towards personal liberty, towards "doing your own thing". This takes s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-wangerin-jr/and-sharing-the-work-of-survival-therefore-means-resisting-every/) [Walter Wangerin Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-wangerin-jr/) > [“For what was your gesture? An act of pure love for Jesus particularly. 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Why do you suffer today and tomorrow?” oozed the compassionate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-wangerin-jr/behold-the-rooster-who-suffers-much-more-than-he-must-ah-chauntecleer/) [Walter Wangerin Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-wangerin-jr/) > [“How many battles make a war?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-wangerin-jr/how-many-battles-make-a-war/) [Walter Wangerin Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-wangerin-jr/) > [“Mutuality is accomplished by two whole persons; and if each partner truly intends to be but the fraction of a relationship (thinking my whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-wangerin-jr/mutuality-is-accomplished-by-two-whole-persons-and-if-each-partner/) [Walter Wangerin Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-wangerin-jr/) [Explore all 23 Walter Wangerin Jr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-wangerin-jr/) ## More Crows quotes > [“The Crows of the region could have told them that there are almost always more Crows around them than they can see; but like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-crowley/the-crows-of-the-region-could-have-told-them-that-there-are-almost/) [John Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-crowley/) > [Crows pick out the eyes of the dead, when the dead have no longer need of them; but flatterers mar the soul of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/crows-pick-out-the-eyes-of-the-dead-when-the-dead-have-no-longer-need/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [You know, all is development. 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The ugly sisters have their eyes pecked out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-gatiss/one-of-the-pleasures-of-the-original-grimm-s-fairy-tales-is-how/) [Mark Gatiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-gatiss/) > [Paraphrased: When Chuang Tzu was about to die, his disciples began planning a splendid funeral. However some disciples expressed concern that given a particular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhuangzi/paraphrased-when-chuang-tzu-was-about-to-die-his-disciples-began/) [Zhuangzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhuangzi/) > [If you want to fly with the eagles you can't hang out with the crows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brock-lesnar/if-you-want-to-fly-with-the-eagles-you-can-t-hang-out-with-the-crows/) [Brock Lesnar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brock-lesnar/) > [Crows appear in many of my new unpublished poems. 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But men should be above the reach of praise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sathya-sai-baba/the-world-is-a-nest-of-crows-some-caw-in-praise-some-caw-in-derision/) [Sathya Sai Baba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sathya-sai-baba/) > [“Last night, the stars on the water were trap doors. The crows with their charred wings are complaining to a hawk. It’s time to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-jackson/last-night-the-stars-on-the-water-were-trap-doors-the-crows-with/) [Richard Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-jackson/) > [“Somewhere off to my left, a little voice chirped: The redhead is smart. We can help. In a nearby tree sat a murder of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/somewhere-off-to-my-left-a-little-voice-chirped-the-redhead-is-smart/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [When I lived in Delhi, I used to visit the Lodhi Gardens and feed the pigeons, crows, and ducks there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sangram-singh/when-i-lived-in-delhi-i-used-to-visit-the-lodhi-gardens-and-feed-the/) [Sangram Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sangram-singh/) [Browse all 127 Crows quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crows/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Almost as evil as the stench was the silence. Senex, however poorly he had ended his rule, had always remembered the canonical crows. He sang them, to be sure, in a disoriented manner; but he did sing them, keeping his animals that way, banding them, unifying them. But Cockatrice never crowed the canon. So under him the day lost its meaning and its direction, and the animals lost any sense of time or purpose. Their land became strange to them. A terrible feeling of danger entered their souls, of things undone, of treasures unprotected. They were tired all the day long, and at night they did not sleep. 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