The Raven Steals the Light

by Bill Reid and Robert Bringhurst

Book Overview

An elegant reissue of a timeless collection of Haida myths, with a new preface by Claude Levi-Strauss.

Ten masterful, complex drawings by Bill Reid are accompanied by ten episodes from Haida mythology told by Bill Reid and Robert Bringhurst. The result brings Haida art and mythology alive as never before in an English-speaking world. The collection includes, says Reid, "a good selection of bestiality, adultery,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0295975245
• ISBN13: 9780295975245
• Release Date: February 1996
• Publisher: University of Washington Press
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 0.38 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.0" x 8.5"
• Age Range: 3 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Good Stories from Another Culture

There's much to be learned from prehistoric belief systems and this collection of stories is just that. The need to understand the natural world around us and our place in it along with explaining the existence of consciousness in us and whether in other creatures. Well told by a fine artist.

out of print masterpiece

Perhaps the best compilation of Haida oral traditions by famous carver Bill Reid with accompanying illustrations. These are stories written to be heard out loud.

A tiny book full of great tales!

Ten delightful stories, not just of the Raven, but also of the First Men, Bear Mother, Mouse Woman and other early tales from the times of myth. The stories are full of humor, love, speaking animals and bawdy scenes of lust. Boy, does the Raven get into trouble. This version of the book is a tiny, pocket size, edition. Great for carrying on a bus, car, train, plane, and so on.

A Haida legend primer

I brought this book on a trip to Vancouver and Victoria and read it in the evenings after returning to my hotels. As a European American, I found it indispensable to understanding much of the art I saw on vacation (especially Totem Poles). This book relates many of the best known Haida stories, including those of the noble, tragic Bear; the intrepid, versatile human fisherman-hunter Nanasigmit and above all the amoral but always fascinating Raven. Almost all the stories are simple, yet strike a deep chord. Add this to "Looking at Totem Poles" and "Kwakuitl Legends", both also reasonably priced, and you'll be well on your way to understanding the basics of First Nations culture.

The Raven Steals the Light

I grew up in the pacific north-west and experienced many of these stories as a child. This was a wonderful book to bring back most of those memories. It is well written. Simple yet engaging. Once I started I couldn't put it down. I've since used it as a teaching resourse in social studies and will be ordering other copies for fellow teachers I've shown it to and were equally impressed. I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in native legends or mythology.