CrowThough not generally perceived as graceful, crows are remarkably so—a single curve undulates from the tip of the bird’s beak to the end of its tail. They take flight almost without effort, flapping their wings easily and ascending into the air like spirits. Crow by Boria Sax is a celebration of the crow and its relatives in myth, literature, and life. Sax takes readers into the history of crows, detailing how in a range of cultures, from the Chinese to the Hopi Indians, crows are bearers of prophecy. For example, thanks in part to the birds’ courtship rituals, Greeks invoked crows as symbols of conjugal love. From the raven sent out by Noah to the corvid deities of the Eskimo, from Taoist legends to Victorian novels and contemporary films, Sax’s book ranges across history and culture and will interest anyone who has ever been intrigued, puzzled, annoyed, or charmed by these wonderfully intelligent birds. |
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Page 7
... bird, and older people tried to talk to it or feed it. Neither greatly pleased nor troubled, the crow would politely hop away, and this continued for several days. The jumps turned into flights, and these gradually became longer. After ...
... bird, and older people tried to talk to it or feed it. Neither greatly pleased nor troubled, the crow would politely hop away, and this continued for several days. The jumps turned into flights, and these gradually became longer. After ...
Page 8
... birds in folklore shows that crows have an intense, if subtle, fascination for men and women. When one looks at other birds in an urban setting, such as pigeons or sparrows, they generally seem to be simply biding their time, relaxing ...
... birds in folklore shows that crows have an intense, if subtle, fascination for men and women. When one looks at other birds in an urban setting, such as pigeons or sparrows, they generally seem to be simply biding their time, relaxing ...
Page 9
... birds. These birds belong to the order Passeriformes, popularly known as 'songbirds', even though not all the members are musical. The family Corvidae probably originated in Australia, at a time when that continent was relatively ...
... birds. These birds belong to the order Passeriformes, popularly known as 'songbirds', even though not all the members are musical. The family Corvidae probably originated in Australia, at a time when that continent was relatively ...
Page 10
... birds are mostly black, though some species have areas of white, brown, grey, blue, purple or green. This dark plumage generally makes crows stand out dramatically, though it can also make it difficult to distinguish individual birds ...
... birds are mostly black, though some species have areas of white, brown, grey, blue, purple or green. This dark plumage generally makes crows stand out dramatically, though it can also make it difficult to distinguish individual birds ...
Page 13
... birds have extensive ranges, and complex relationships with human beings. The carrion crow is almost entirely black ... bird is known for its ability to mimic the voices of other animals, from crickets to humans.
... birds have extensive ranges, and complex relationships with human beings. The carrion crow is almost entirely black ... bird is known for its ability to mimic the voices of other animals, from crickets to humans.
Contents
31 | |
38 | |
The European Middle Ages and Renaissance | 55 |
Asia | 80 |
Native American Culture | 90 |
The Romantic Era | 102 |
Lord of the Crows | 128 |
The Twentieth Century and Beyond | 144 |
References | 164 |
Bibliography | 168 |
Websites | 175 |
Associations | 177 |
Acknowledgements | 178 |
Photo Acknowledgements | 179 |
Index | 180 |
Timeline | 162 |
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Common terms and phrases
Ages and Renaissance American crow animals Apollo appear archaic associated Athena Badbh battle beak became behaviour birds body carrion crow Celtic Celts colour common raven corone corvids creatures crow Corvus crow or raven crows and ravens culture dead death deity divination Emperor Ernest Thompson Seton especially Europe fable farmers feathers fields flew genus Corvus Ghost Dance goddess Gogh Greek Grimm brothers heaven hero hooded crow Horapollo human illustration Indians Inuit Irish jackdaw Jacob de Voragine killed king legend literature live Lorenz magpie medieval Middle Ages myths Native Americans nests nineteenth century Noah numbers O'Casey Odin painted pecking perched perhaps poem popular probably prophet raven or crow Roman rooks scarecrow scaring scientists Sean O'Casey Seton shows Silverspot sometimes story symbol tale tell told traditions tree twentieth century wings wolves word wrote young