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 13
... intelligence of its close relatives . It has an uncanny ability to cache food and locate it at a later date . right : A jay from a 19th - century book of natural history . This bird is known for its ability to mimic the voices of other ...
... intelligence of its close relatives . It has an uncanny ability to cache food and locate it at a later date . right : A jay from a 19th - century book of natural history . This bird is known for its ability to mimic the voices of other ...
Page 15
... intelligence . the shoulders and upper breast . The most dramatic feature of jackdaws , however , is their silvery eyes , which shine dramat- ically against the dark feathers surrounding them . Jackdaws are found throughout Europe and ...
... intelligence . the shoulders and upper breast . The most dramatic feature of jackdaws , however , is their silvery eyes , which shine dramat- ically against the dark feathers surrounding them . Jackdaws are found throughout Europe and ...
Page 19
... intelligence ' , transcending lines of species , is 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 ...
... intelligence ' , transcending lines of species , is 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 ...
Page 21
... intelligence of crows . One crow in a laboratory figured out how to scoop water from a plastic cup and carry it away to moisten pellets for food . Another used a piece of paper to push scraps of food within pecking distance of his cage ...
... intelligence of crows . One crow in a laboratory figured out how to scoop water from a plastic cup and carry it away to moisten pellets for food . Another used a piece of paper to push scraps of food within pecking distance of his cage ...
Page 22
... intelligence or their emotional awareness . Anecdotal accounts may be suspect , particularly from the point of view of a scientist . Inevitably , these incidents involve not only a record but also an interpretation of behaviour , and ...
... intelligence or their emotional awareness . Anecdotal accounts may be suspect , particularly from the point of view of a scientist . Inevitably , these incidents involve not only a record but also an interpretation of behaviour , and ...
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.