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
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Page 8
... crow ? No image of an animal is simpler , more iconic , and more unmistakable . We think of a silhouette of out- stretched wings , a slouched head , and an extended tail against the white of a winter sky . Such , at. 8.
... crow ? No image of an animal is simpler , more iconic , and more unmistakable . We think of a silhouette of out- stretched wings , a slouched head , and an extended tail against the white of a winter sky . Such , at. 8.
Page 9
... head and said that the elephant was like a basket , while another felt the tusk and thought the creature resembled a ploughshare . The one who touched the trunk thought of a Conti de Corebi The arms of the house of Corbet 9.
... head and said that the elephant was like a basket , while another felt the tusk and thought the creature resembled a ploughshare . The one who touched the trunk thought of a Conti de Corebi The arms of the house of Corbet 9.
Page 11
... head . The purplish remains of cranberries the raven had been eating fell on his hat , and Kilham concluded that ravens , in addition to being smart , had a sense of humour . A raven illustrated in a 19th - century book of natural ...
... head . The purplish remains of cranberries the raven had been eating fell on his hat , and Kilham concluded that ravens , in addition to being smart , had a sense of humour . A raven illustrated in a 19th - century book of natural ...
Page 13
... head or bends toward the ground . The best known members of the genus Corvus are the car- rion crow ( Corvus corone corone ) , the hooded crow ( Corvus corone cornix ) the American crow ( Corvus brachyrhynchos ) , the common raven ...
... head or bends toward the ground . The best known members of the genus Corvus are the car- rion crow ( Corvus corone corone ) , the hooded crow ( Corvus corone cornix ) the American crow ( Corvus brachyrhynchos ) , the common raven ...
Page 29
... head . Folklorists have recorded many rhymes , especially in Britain and America , linking the number of crows you see with fate . The counting is often done when corvids are seen flying overhead . One of the best - known verses for ...
... head . Folklorists have recorded many rhymes , especially in Britain and America , linking the number of crows you see with fate . The counting is often done when corvids are seen flying overhead . One of the best - known verses for ...
Contents
Mesopotamia | 31 |
Egypt Greece and Rome | 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 |
164 | |
Bibliography | 168 |
Websites | 175 |
Associations | 177 |
Acknowledgements | 178 |
Photo Acknowledgements | 179 |
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 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 J. J. Grandville jackdaw Jacob de Voragine killed king legend live London Lorenz magpie medieval Middle Ages myths Native Americans natural history nests nineteenth century Noah numbers O'Casey Odin painted pecking perched perhaps poem popular probably prophet raven or crow Roman rooks scarecrow scaring scientists Seton shows Silverspot sometimes story symbol tale tell told traditions tree twentieth century wings wolves wrote young
Popular passages
Page 29 - One for sorrow, Two for mirth, Three for a wedding, Four for a birth.