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The Raven Steals the Light
This new edition of a collaboration between one of the finest living artists in North America and one of Canada's finest poets includes a new introduction by the distinguished anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss. Ten masterful, complex drawings by Bill Reid and ten tales demonstrate the richness and range of Haida mythology, from bawdy yet profound tales of the trickster Raven to poignant, imagistic narratives of love and its complications in a world where animals speak, dreams come real, and demigods, monsters, and men live side by side.
128 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1984
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294 people want to read
About the author
Robert Bringhurst
70 books102 followersRobert Bringhurst is a Canadian poet, typographer and author. He is the author of The Elements of Typographic Style – a reference book of typefaces, glyphs and the visual and geometric arrangement of type. He has also translated works of epic poetry from Haida mythology into English.
He lives on Quadra Island, near Campbell River, British Columbia (approximately 170 km northwest of Vancouver).
He lives on Quadra Island, near Campbell River, British Columbia (approximately 170 km northwest of Vancouver).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
March 15, 2021
Some very interesting folk stories, would highly recommend. Some tales hit on universal notes and beats that reappear in many cultures all around the world, which is interesting, but most approach existence, creation, and other big humanity's questions from a very specific and unique point of view.
I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone interested in folklore and fairy tales from different cultures.
I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone interested in folklore and fairy tales from different cultures.
Read
November 30, 2014Excellent collection of Trickster tales. From the Preface, by Claude Levi-Strauss:
"... the Raven [is] a deity of the type called in English a trickster, which the old French word decepteur matches to perfection. The fact that the Amerindians placed a deceitful, insolent, libidinous and often grotesque character with a penchant for scatology in the forefront of their pantheon sometimes surprises people. But indigenous thought places the Raven at the turning point between two eras. In the beginning, nothing was impossible; the most extravagant wishes could come true. However, the present era, in which humans and animals have acquired distinct natures, is stamped with the the seal of necessity. In the world inhabited by man, social life obeys rules, and nature dictates its will. We can no longer do just anything. The Trickster discovers this, often to his cost. And because his immoderate appetites make him the foremost victim of these nascent constraints, it is up to him to make them definitive and to establish their terms. In a universe that is undergoing constant change, the Raven is both the ultimate rebel and the foremost maker of laws." pg. 11
I also recommend TRICKSTER:NATIVE AMERICAN TALES - A GRAPHIC COLLECTION ... https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
"... the Raven [is] a deity of the type called in English a trickster, which the old French word decepteur matches to perfection. The fact that the Amerindians placed a deceitful, insolent, libidinous and often grotesque character with a penchant for scatology in the forefront of their pantheon sometimes surprises people. But indigenous thought places the Raven at the turning point between two eras. In the beginning, nothing was impossible; the most extravagant wishes could come true. However, the present era, in which humans and animals have acquired distinct natures, is stamped with the the seal of necessity. In the world inhabited by man, social life obeys rules, and nature dictates its will. We can no longer do just anything. The Trickster discovers this, often to his cost. And because his immoderate appetites make him the foremost victim of these nascent constraints, it is up to him to make them definitive and to establish their terms. In a universe that is undergoing constant change, the Raven is both the ultimate rebel and the foremost maker of laws." pg. 11
I also recommend TRICKSTER:NATIVE AMERICAN TALES - A GRAPHIC COLLECTION ... https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
July 31, 2018
A collection of Haida myths with beautiful traditional drawings.
Recommend reading for upcoming trip to British Columbia, Canada.
Recommend reading for upcoming trip to British Columbia, Canada.
January 19, 2025
These stories from the Haida are just incredible. Just beautiful mythology, loved it.
July 31, 2025
At times I genuinely laughed out loud. Beautiful writing, I really learned from the way contemporary themes of renewal (from diseases; colonization) are woven into these old old stories.
July 31, 2018
A collection of First Nation Haida myths. A ‘tribute’ to the American Indians in Western Canada and their folklore....
November 12, 2011
A collection of Haida myths accompanied by beautiful drawings by Haida artist Bill Reid. I purchased the book in the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. The museum was something I was really looking forward to on our trip and I wasn’t disappointed. Full of a wonderful collection of pieces from various periods in the history of the peoples of the Pacific Northwest, it was the first place I was able to glean real appreciation for the culture of the First People there. I thought the totem poles, in particular, were fantastic.
The Haida are one of the First Nations bands who live along Alaska’s southernmost and Canada’s western coasts. Their spiritual home is called Queen Charlotte Islands in our language and Haida Gwaii in theirs. The book is full of great stories of the trickster Raven: how he created the sun, moon, and stars by stealing the light from an old man and his granddaughter and spilling it as he escaped from them; how he lost his beak, quite painfully, by tricking a hunter away from his home so he could have some personal time with the hunter’s wife, and then of how he regained the beak again, and so on.
The illustrations by Bill Reid mirror the artistic style he applies to his sculpture, jewelry, painting, and printing pieces. He artfully combines traditional Haida imagery and style with modern techniques and mediums to create pieces that celebrate the Haida culture. It was very neat to see his statue of the Raven and the First Men in the Museum and then see a drawing in the book as well. The last chapter in the book refers to a missing story called The Dogfish Woman and leaves the reader with a heavy sadness for all the pieces of life that so many First Nations people are missing as a result of European imperialism and, more recently, US and Canadian policy toward First Nation and Native American people. It makes one really treasure the ten little stories and the lovely artwork that illustrates only a sliver of the Haida culture.
Riverview Book Club
The Haida are one of the First Nations bands who live along Alaska’s southernmost and Canada’s western coasts. Their spiritual home is called Queen Charlotte Islands in our language and Haida Gwaii in theirs. The book is full of great stories of the trickster Raven: how he created the sun, moon, and stars by stealing the light from an old man and his granddaughter and spilling it as he escaped from them; how he lost his beak, quite painfully, by tricking a hunter away from his home so he could have some personal time with the hunter’s wife, and then of how he regained the beak again, and so on.
The illustrations by Bill Reid mirror the artistic style he applies to his sculpture, jewelry, painting, and printing pieces. He artfully combines traditional Haida imagery and style with modern techniques and mediums to create pieces that celebrate the Haida culture. It was very neat to see his statue of the Raven and the First Men in the Museum and then see a drawing in the book as well. The last chapter in the book refers to a missing story called The Dogfish Woman and leaves the reader with a heavy sadness for all the pieces of life that so many First Nations people are missing as a result of European imperialism and, more recently, US and Canadian policy toward First Nation and Native American people. It makes one really treasure the ten little stories and the lovely artwork that illustrates only a sliver of the Haida culture.
Riverview Book Club
July 15, 2013
From the first page,
"Inky, pitchy, all-consuming dark, blacker than a thousand stormy winter midnights, blacker than anything anywhere has been since."
The unforgettable language that paints the picture of this story as you read is mesmerizing. The beginning of this story is truly the beginning, a story of creation and explanation. The sense of time is extremely focused and yet expansive as you continue to be lead by the details. The raven's character is described as having always and will always exist and yet the small details bring you to know this character by such a host of human emotions and connections that it is easy to see the parallels and logical connections to why he has had the misadventures he has. The end of the story finds that even in achieving his goal of stealing the light, the raven was ultimately unable to keep it for himself but through his actions it was also no longer able to be kept solely by the old man either. The reader must reflect on how the light was given to the world and how to view the actions of each character. Tension or at least the need to interpret is presented by the direction of the story teller. In writing this piece could be used to show how stories can both explain something but still be very figurative and full of language that is extraordinary.
"Inky, pitchy, all-consuming dark, blacker than a thousand stormy winter midnights, blacker than anything anywhere has been since."
The unforgettable language that paints the picture of this story as you read is mesmerizing. The beginning of this story is truly the beginning, a story of creation and explanation. The sense of time is extremely focused and yet expansive as you continue to be lead by the details. The raven's character is described as having always and will always exist and yet the small details bring you to know this character by such a host of human emotions and connections that it is easy to see the parallels and logical connections to why he has had the misadventures he has. The end of the story finds that even in achieving his goal of stealing the light, the raven was ultimately unable to keep it for himself but through his actions it was also no longer able to be kept solely by the old man either. The reader must reflect on how the light was given to the world and how to view the actions of each character. Tension or at least the need to interpret is presented by the direction of the story teller. In writing this piece could be used to show how stories can both explain something but still be very figurative and full of language that is extraordinary.
November 15, 2011
This is my favorite version of traditional raven tales to date. I got swept away into a world of ancient people and creatures with fantastical super powers. Reid gives tiny glimmers of a contemporary vibe to the stories that are older than the tallest trees.
February 17, 2020
This book was required reading for a online course I was taking; we were assigned to read it over a two-week period. It was quite the compilation of Haida a legends and stories - funny, interesting, bawdy, mysterious, and fun to read. They are not necessarily complicated stories, but they do tell aspects of the "ancient history" of the Haida. The artwork is pretty amazing and works well with each story (there is a picture before each story).
Half of the stories focus on the Raven; he is the trickster for the Haida and able to change his shape. He can take on the shape of other animals as well as humans; he prefers to copulate with human women more than any other creature. He never seems to learn from his (mis)adventures, as he continually gets himself into trouble because of his curiosity and need to be entertained in some way. The stories about the Raven seem to follow a nice progression, each story building upon the one before. After the stories about the Raven are over, the rest of the stories do not have the same sense of flow or continuity that the stories about the Raven had (granted, the remaining stories tend to be about different individuals or events, so it makes sense there will not be as much continuity to them).
Overall, I enjoyed the stories . They were funny, entertaining, and a quick read. Had I never taken the class, I might never have read the book. As it is, I am glad I was required to read it, as it was an overall enjoyable experience.
Half of the stories focus on the Raven; he is the trickster for the Haida and able to change his shape. He can take on the shape of other animals as well as humans; he prefers to copulate with human women more than any other creature. He never seems to learn from his (mis)adventures, as he continually gets himself into trouble because of his curiosity and need to be entertained in some way. The stories about the Raven seem to follow a nice progression, each story building upon the one before. After the stories about the Raven are over, the rest of the stories do not have the same sense of flow or continuity that the stories about the Raven had (granted, the remaining stories tend to be about different individuals or events, so it makes sense there will not be as much continuity to them).
Overall, I enjoyed the stories . They were funny, entertaining, and a quick read. Had I never taken the class, I might never have read the book. As it is, I am glad I was required to read it, as it was an overall enjoyable experience.
July 12, 2020
I picked up this book at a local tourist shop here in Juneau. I bought it to learn more about the mythology of the people who live here. While it is about the Haidas rather than the Tlingit, who are the local tribe in Juneau they don't live too far away, and they have a joint community. I enjoyed the stories about the ravens and the bears. I also really liked how they view animals as being able to transform into humans and how humans can transform into animals. It is especially fascinating to read how they anthropomorphize the animals in their stories. There are nine stories here. I have to be honest that I didn't enjoy all of them. I found some of them to be a bit confusing while others made total sense. I suspect some of these stories don't carry a moral lesson, and some of those stories could simply have been made to entertain rather than instill some idea of morality or virtue. Anyway, The Raven Steals the Light taught a little about the Haidas and a little more about the southeast Alaska and BC.
January 15, 2021
Coincidentally, I started watching Twin Peaks: The Return around the time I started reading this. The "morals" of these stories are never easy or straightforward. Everything is sheathed in mystery, and of course animals/nature and humanity are so closely linked, people just *poof* become animals and vice versa without anyone batting an eye. So the tales are elemental and to me do not read as "mythical" so much as bygone. This bears out in the epilogue, where the light Raven has stolen has dimmed for us all.
Bringhurst is great. I have been a fan ever since I picked up The Elements of Typographic Style (I'm a book compositor by trade) and later The Beauty of the Weapons, and his clear, direct style works so well in prose or poetry. Reid I was not familiar with although I know a bit about Inuit art, especially sculpture. I inadvertently bought the Shambhala Centaur Edition, which is lovely (I have a few others) but due to its small size does not do justice to Reid's prints. I may have to pick a large-format collection now.
Bringhurst is great. I have been a fan ever since I picked up The Elements of Typographic Style (I'm a book compositor by trade) and later The Beauty of the Weapons, and his clear, direct style works so well in prose or poetry. Reid I was not familiar with although I know a bit about Inuit art, especially sculpture. I inadvertently bought the Shambhala Centaur Edition, which is lovely (I have a few others) but due to its small size does not do justice to Reid's prints. I may have to pick a large-format collection now.
May 25, 2020
[23/166]
A faithful and witty anthology of Haida mythology and art. Contains, as told on the back, "a good selection of bestiality, adultery, violence, thievery and assault, for those who like that sort of thing."
That about covers it.
The telling of these stories retains all of its color and life, with ponderings and jokes shuffled throughout, and the result is that it feels almost as if you are being told these stories in person. The Raven is a lively trickster character and his tales are entrancing, especially the one that starts the book and his scuffle with the fisherman. Later stories in the book, such as The Bear Mother and The Eagle and the Frog, focus more on mythical origins of certain lineages of the Haida people.
The volume admits that it is incomplete (see the Dogfish Woman epilogue), but what has been preserved here is incredibly valuable, and a worthwhile read for any fans of mythology, or anyone interested in the lore of native peoples of the Northwest.
A faithful and witty anthology of Haida mythology and art. Contains, as told on the back, "a good selection of bestiality, adultery, violence, thievery and assault, for those who like that sort of thing."
That about covers it.
The telling of these stories retains all of its color and life, with ponderings and jokes shuffled throughout, and the result is that it feels almost as if you are being told these stories in person. The Raven is a lively trickster character and his tales are entrancing, especially the one that starts the book and his scuffle with the fisherman. Later stories in the book, such as The Bear Mother and The Eagle and the Frog, focus more on mythical origins of certain lineages of the Haida people.
The volume admits that it is incomplete (see the Dogfish Woman epilogue), but what has been preserved here is incredibly valuable, and a worthwhile read for any fans of mythology, or anyone interested in the lore of native peoples of the Northwest.
September 11, 2021
Ten episodes from Haida mythology. I feel so blessed to have been able to visit the islands of Haida Gwaii in September 2018. Traveling around the north island for a week independently was followed by a utterly captivating 4 day tour of the former Haida villages on the south island. The richness of the culture and traditions was far too complex to do any more than skim the surface during a short visit. These stories helped further my understanding of the important roles of the Raven and Eagle, and the magic of the supernatural shape shifting kept me captivated. We learned some of the symbolism represented in the carvings and totem poles of Haida Gwaii during our visit, and this introduction was reinforced by the superb pictures of Bill Reid carvings that accompany each tale.
February 2, 2025
The Tsimshian are a matrilineal tribe and, my mother being of the Raven clan, so am I.
This is a quick read and good fun. The book contains ten tales, most of them from the classic Haida cycle of Raven stories. I’ve read nearly all of them before, most in multiple versions. The climax of the story of The Raven Steals the Light was carved on my wedding ring by the Haida artist Francis Williams.
Bill Reid did the illustrations, and he worked on this book with Robert Bringhurst, a poet, to write the texts. The stories are enjoyable and are written with the bawdy disregard for fussy social niceties that is typical of Northwest Coast tales.
It’s short, it’s cheap, it’s fun – if this kind of thing interests you in the slightest you should buy it and read it! 😊
This is a quick read and good fun. The book contains ten tales, most of them from the classic Haida cycle of Raven stories. I’ve read nearly all of them before, most in multiple versions. The climax of the story of The Raven Steals the Light was carved on my wedding ring by the Haida artist Francis Williams.
Bill Reid did the illustrations, and he worked on this book with Robert Bringhurst, a poet, to write the texts. The stories are enjoyable and are written with the bawdy disregard for fussy social niceties that is typical of Northwest Coast tales.
It’s short, it’s cheap, it’s fun – if this kind of thing interests you in the slightest you should buy it and read it! 😊
February 21, 2019
One thing is to see Native sculptures and art and know that the Raven plays an important role behind their creation, but getting to know the Raven and his detailed story is a completely transforming experience! After reading this book you will understand and feel the West coast dancing, art and heritage in a completely different way.
I appreciated how the book followed a certain chronological order that helped to witness the evolution of the Raven. And needless to say, Bill Reid's drawings are incredible.
I appreciated how the book followed a certain chronological order that helped to witness the evolution of the Raven. And needless to say, Bill Reid's drawings are incredible.
August 4, 2020
I enjoyed reading this book. As a Haida, I appreciated the art that accompanied each story and the selection of our most treasured stories. Granted, Bringhurst is criticized for assuming too much poetic license without permission among many in our indigenous nation. Regardless, I would not quote any of the passages but I am entertained by his creative writing.
If you are interested in the oral narratives of the Haida people with a creative non-Haida interpretation, you may enjoy this one.
If you are interested in the oral narratives of the Haida people with a creative non-Haida interpretation, you may enjoy this one.
December 12, 2017
Interesting stories, skilfully retold and accompanied with beautiful drawings. The existence of this book is both a happy and a sad thing: putting an oral tradition into writing both to share it with the world and to protect it in case things continue to get worse for the storytellers. There are some elegiac moments in the book which are quite powerful.
March 27, 2018
The stories in this book are fascinating and extremely interesting. It is very convenient to get all ten stories into one book that is concise and easy to read. I would love to go to Haida Gwaii one day, and this book has peaked my interest in Haida culture and the beautiful islands of Haida Gwaii even more!
November 3, 2018
A small collection of stories from the West Coast Indigenous peoples with a focus on the groups of islands of the Haida Gwaii. Key characters include a pesky raven, a wise mouse woman as well as the bear and eagle clan. These stories give a nice insight into the west coast landscape and its cultures.
November 18, 2020
This is a short book with numerous tales of the adventures of the Haida Raven trickster. Raven is an amoral character, driven by insatiable appetites, and whose actions often have cosmological impact on the nature of our universe. These interesting and curious stories have interesting and well-done illustrations, and are quickly read.
November 14, 2024
Exactly what one should expect.
A clearly-delivered, sober articulation of an Indigenous cosmological myth. Its style exists purely to reflect its content, and in this way nothing is overlooked. It is a tragedy that we have lost so much of the original forms that this story once occupied, but such is the way of modernity.
A clearly-delivered, sober articulation of an Indigenous cosmological myth. Its style exists purely to reflect its content, and in this way nothing is overlooked. It is a tragedy that we have lost so much of the original forms that this story once occupied, but such is the way of modernity.
July 8, 2017
The stories are wonderful. The art is a delight. It's too bad that this famous and respected collection is brought to us by a settler, however well-connected with the people whose tales he tells.
February 2, 2019
read harder challenge 2019: read a book of mythology or folklore
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October 30, 2019Stories that are realer than real—vessels for the life that tells (or reads) them—they vibrate in the liminal place between worldly and other-worldly.
December 11, 2019
Powerful stories that are like nothing I've ever encountered from the myths of Northern Europe. Some were very disturbing. Sad that most of these stories are only just fragmentary.
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July 14, 2021Q
October 1, 2022
A must-read. A real gem.
September 20, 2023
oh this was so lovely
September 25, 2023
BEAUTIFUL
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews