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. |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 29
Page 8
... probably not very far away, but it prefers to keep a moderate distance from human beings. I can no longer tell that crow from others, which might be its children or parents, in the park, but I like to imagine that perhaps that crow may ...
... probably not very far away, but it prefers to keep a moderate distance from human beings. I can no longer tell that crow from others, which might be its children or parents, in the park, but I like to imagine that perhaps that crow may ...
Page 9
... probably originated in Australia, at a time when that continent was relatively isolated from Eurasia. After the continents drifted closer together, about 20 to 30 million years ago, these birds crossed into Asia. That migration was ...
... probably originated in Australia, at a time when that continent was relatively isolated from Eurasia. After the continents drifted closer together, about 20 to 30 million years ago, these birds crossed into Asia. That migration was ...
Page 13
... probably only diverged since two populations were separated during the last ice age, and their combined range covers most of Eurasia. The hooded crow is generally found in the far North, left: A Eurasian nutcracker from a 19th-century ...
... probably only diverged since two populations were separated during the last ice age, and their combined range covers most of Eurasia. The hooded crow is generally found in the far North, left: A Eurasian nutcracker from a 19th-century ...
Page 18
... probably an evocation of its voice. The designations seem magical, since to name the bird is, in a sense, to summon it with a call. There is an ongoing dispute among scientists as to whether the American crow, the raven, or any of their ...
... probably an evocation of its voice. The designations seem magical, since to name the bird is, in a sense, to summon it with a call. There is an ongoing dispute among scientists as to whether the American crow, the raven, or any of their ...
Page 19
... probably impossible. Popular thinking, however, is not always so modest or cautious. Intelligence is often enough used not only as a measure of certain abilities but of the entire worth of a person or animal. We traditionally think of ...
... probably impossible. Popular thinking, however, is not always so modest or cautious. Intelligence is often enough used not only as a measure of certain abilities but of the entire worth of a person or animal. We traditionally think of ...
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