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 38
Page 11
... that ravens , in addition to being smart , had a sense of humour . A raven illustrated in a 19th - century book of natural history . The raven is by far the largest and most imposing of corvids . 21- A blue jay , after J. J. Audubon ,. 11.
... that ravens , in addition to being smart , had a sense of humour . A raven illustrated in a 19th - century book of natural history . The raven is by far the largest and most imposing of corvids . 21- A blue jay , after J. J. Audubon ,. 11.
Page 12
... J. J. Audubon , from a 19th- century book of natural history . This is one of the most familiar corvids of North America , and its playfulness has often made it a trickster in legends . Foraging on their long , powerful legs , crows can.
... J. J. Audubon , from a 19th- century book of natural history . This is one of the most familiar corvids of North America , and its playfulness has often made it a trickster in legends . Foraging on their long , powerful legs , crows can.
Page 13
... natural history . Though not a true crow , the nut- cracker shares the reputation for 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 ...
... natural history . Though not a true crow , the nut- cracker shares the reputation for 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 ...
Page 14
... natural range extends eastward as far as Japan . They were introduced in New Zealand , a region previously without corvids , during the nineteenth century . The one member of the genus Corvus that nobody will confuse with the others in ...
... natural range extends eastward as far as Japan . They were introduced in New Zealand , a region previously without corvids , during the nineteenth century . The one member of the genus Corvus that nobody will confuse with the others in ...
Page 15
Boria Sax. THE MAGPIE . ' The Magpie ' from a 1911 British Natural History . Although not considered ' true crows ' , magpies share the crows ' reputation for intelligence . the shoulders and upper breast . The most dramatic feature of ...
Boria Sax. THE MAGPIE . ' The Magpie ' from a 1911 British Natural History . Although not considered ' true crows ' , magpies share the crows ' reputation for intelligence . the shoulders and upper breast . The most dramatic feature of ...
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.