The Raven: Soaring Through History, Legend, & Lore

by Lynn Hassler Kaufman

No other bird evokes more myth, mystery, and misinformation. Ravens have sparked the interest and imagination of mankind for centuries. Mentioned in the Bible, they also figure in the art, literature, and folklore of many different cultures, sometimes as tricksters or cheaters, sometimes as symbols of danger, death, and wisdom. For centuries, Native Americans in the Pacific Northwest revered the raven and considered it to be the creator of the earth, moon, sun, and stars—perhaps because these inky black birds are extremely intelligent. They are also accomplished vocalists, acrobatic fliers, and survivors of heat, cold, and city life. Skillfully mixing storytelling with science, birder and author Lynn Hassler unravels the mysteries of the legendary raven in this very engaging book.

Genres: Animals, Nonfiction, Mythology

120 pages, Paperback

First published July 8, 2007

Reviews

[Beth Cato · Rating 2 out of 5]

I knew this book was short, but I had higher hopes for it. The intended audience seems to be layman, not writers who want deeper mythological and literary insights on corvids. It spent several pages at the start simply listing places where ravens are found in modern culture, but I didn't buy the book because I wanted affirmation that a football team was named for ravens. I was left wondering, "Would Wikipedia have been a better resource?" By the end, the book became more specific and interesting as it discussed the importance of ravens in Pacific Northwestern culture and I enjoyed that section immensely--though I wished it were longer.

I'll keep this on my shelf, at least for now.

[D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't be misled by the length of time it took for me to finish this book; it was my 'car book' so I only read snippets when I could. It is a small, compact book with a wealth of information on Ravens, and thoroughly enjoyable.

[R J Royer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful study of the corvus species and their wonderful habits. I think the information provided here is well worth reading and the fun stories inside. I think that Ravens are an amazing bird and I would love to have one as a pet if it could live with my cats.

[Peggy Huey · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting analysis of the history, legend and lore surrounding the raven.

[Sandra · Rating 1 out of 5]

"Let's just list a bunch of facts about ravens and present it in the driest way possible. I can already imagine the looks of boredom on our unfortunate readers' faces. They'll really get a kick out of those tribal lore pieces that we've reduced to mere plot summary to make them not even stories anymore. Ooo let's also write 'raven/spruce needle' to maximize space efficiency because we can only fit a slash in."

Gee, I thought if it was about birds, it would be alright. Apparently not. The one rather funny bit: ravens getting high off of confiscated-marijuana fumes.

[Matt Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rather simplistic treatment of the subject. Every time I started getting excited about, oh, say a raven-based creation myth story, it would end abruptly with any detail. A good broad overview, I guess, and I'm glad I bought it and read it. (It also treated Canada as a weird unknown other-land at times, for example, the odd phrasing of "the Saskatchewan province of Canada" on page 113.) I would recommend this to a younger audience or to someone just learning about ravens, perhaps a small public library, particularly in western North America.

[Cassandra Carico · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book, full of information, but very elementary. This book barely scratches the surface of the information that most books about ravens cover. I cannot say that I did not enjoy it, but I also see no need to read it more than once or to use it as a reference book.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It contained a lot of facts and folklore about Ravens that I did not know. Very enjoyable and a fast read.

[Shauna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Myths, Stories and differences between Ravens and Crows.