Board Thread:Episode Discussion/@comment-14138255-20160214165601/@comment-45.56.38.31-20160217011014

This is a lengthy theory, one based off of some rather tenuous connections, but I think it has merit.

I've noticed through the series how significant many of the allusions and names are, from the innocuous "Crow Bar" where we meet Qrow, to Cinder's entire character. In addition to these, eye color is obviously incredibly significant, as proved by Ruby in the finale.

All of this is tied up in Salem's appearance and name. Salem is a name easily associated with witches, due to the Salem Witch Trials, and so we can infer that she is a witch, perhaps to parallel Ozpin's wizardry and the wizard in the Maiden's legend. Based on her red eyes and black and white appearance, she is related to the Grimm, maybe their progenitor or commander.

A critical aspect of witchdom, though, is the concept of a familiar spirit. Through their familiar, the witch would be able to spy on their neighbors, channel their spells, and commune with dark entities. Common familiars are cats, owls, and corvids, like crows and ravens.

Qrow’s unconfirmed ability to shapeshift into a literal crow is a significant point. That ability would let him easily get into places where others don’t want him, as well as surviving in the wild amid hordes of man-eating Grimm. Both abilities crucial to the reconnaissance that Ozpin seems to trust to him exclusively. Thus, Qrow, the rowdy drunk who both trusts and is trusted by the chessmaster, is Ozpin’s familiar, his eyes, ears, and silent hand.

So where does Raven fit into this?

If we take a slight leap and say that the shape-shifting ability is hereditary, then we have to look at Raven’s character differently. I know that there is at least one red-eyed crow in the show, and likely more. It would explain why it’s impossible for anyone except Qrow to find Raven, and why she can appear and disappear so abruptly. So, if Raven is that way, then whose agenda is she serving by watching? The answer is that she is Salem’s familiar.

Some further evidence for this: Raven’s first appearance ended with her walking through a portal, black and red-rimmed. The only other character we’ve seen with this sort of an effect is Cinder, and only a few times, like when she summoned the insect Grimm from her glove. Cinder is obviously affiliated with Salem, and so we can infer that this shared black and red motif is some of Salem’s witchcraft. This in addition to Raven’s Grimm mask, which, while similar to the White Fang’s masks, is considerably more ornate.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.89;margin-top:11pt;margin-bottom:11pt;"><span style="font-size:13.333333333333332px;font-family:Arial;color:#f4cccc;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Returning to the eyes, Qrow, Raven, Salem, and angry Yang share their red eyes, a color typically used to denote dangerous or frightening characters. I personally think that it indicates a lineage, created or sponsored by Salem for the purpose of serving as familiars. Qrow and Raven’s surname, Branwen, means “blessed white raven”, implying that their line may be fighting for some sort of redemption. Raven would have abandoned that cause, setting up some tension between her and Qrow.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.89;margin-top:4pt;margin-bottom:6pt;"> <span style="font-size:13.3333px;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(244,204,204);font-weight:400;white-space:pre-wrap;">All is speculation however. Thoughts?