Spirit Animal – A Legend About Raven

 

A picture of a “common” raven from www.birding.in 

Earlier today, I published a blog about Spirit Animal – Raven and how it flew ahead of me.  Coincidently, the following legend was shared with me… a legend about Raven.  The legend shows that there is nothing common about Raven.  In fact, Raven is one of the few birds that knows how to play, even as an adult.  And, it will play “tag – trying to pull the hair in the tail of an animal, especially a dog”, “steal the stick where one enterprising raven finds a stick, makes it a treasure, and the other ravens chase it”, and the dangerous “bombs away – where the raven will drop something on dogs, cats, coyotes, or even humans”. 

Enjoy this legend about Raven’s intelligence.

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"A Squamish Legend - Seagull, Raven and The Daylight Box” ~Shirley Heint~

When the world was created, everything was in darkness. All the daylight was kept in one little box. That one little box was hidden in Seagull's house, and Seagull kept it all to himself. Now Raven, who was Seagull's brother, thought that this just wasn't fair. It was so dark and cold without any daylight. If only he could get that box. But how? Raven sat down and thought and thought.

A Ha!! He had a plan, a great plan. That night, when the tide was low. Raven went down to the beach and picked up some sea urchins. A sea urchin has a hard shell with little sharp spines all over it. After he had eaten these sea urchins, he quietly tip-toed up to Seagull's house. Quietly he spread the sharp spiny shells all around the door step, then quickly he crept back home. Next morning, Raven strolled over to see his younger brother. Seagull was in bed. His feet were all swollen. Poor Seagull.

"Oh my! What happened to you?" Cried Raven "Did you gather some sea urchins last night?" asked Seagull "Why yes, I did," replied Raven, looking surprised. "Well I guess those children of yours went and dropped their shells all around my front steps, I stepped on them and now look at my feet, just full of thorns. "Let me have a look," said Raven.

"Put your feet up here." Seagull lifted up his feet. "Now how do you expect me to see in this darkness? Open up your daylight box a little, Seagull." Seagull opened up his box a tiny, tiny bit. Raven had a knife and kept jabbing Seagull with it, in the wrong place. "Ow! Ow! Ouch!" yelled Seagull. "Well, if you give me a little more light I could see what I was doing," complained Raven. "Give me more light!" Seagull opened the box a bit more. Raven kept pricking and jabbing Seagull's foot with his knife. "Oh please, Raven, leave my feet alone. You can't take the thorns out; You're killing me." Seagull brought the box closer. Quick as lightening, Raven threw off the lid, and then..., the daylight excepted, and spread all over the room. Then outside it went, spreading it's lovely warm glow wider and wider till daylight spread all over the whole world. Seagull saw his beautiful daylight escaping him, and he began to cry and cry. And he is still crying for his daylight today. Just listen sometime, you can hear him, too.

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Judy@angelsandancestors.com   Join us for Wednesday, Dec 16, New Moon Meditation, 7:30-9pm. Please register and get driving directions.