Crow

by Boria Sax

Overview

The crow is a remarkably graceful bird: a single curve runs from the tip of its beak to the end of its tail, which changes rhythmically as it turns its head or bends toward the ground. It takes flight almost without effort, ascending like a spirit to glide over the earth. In a vast range of cultures, from the Chinese to the Hopi Indians, the crow is a bearer of prophecy. Because of its courtship dances and monogamous nature, at weddings the Greeks invoked the crow as a symbol of conjugal love. This book considers crows, ravens, magpies and their relatives in myth, literature and life. It ranges from the raven sent out by Noah to the corvid deities of the Eskimo, to Daoist legends, Victorian novels and recent films. It will be of interest to anyone who has ever been intrigued, puzzled, annoyed or charmed by these wonderfully intelligent birds.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781861891945
Publisher:	Reaktion Books, Limited
Publication date:	04/04/2004
Series:	Animal
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	184
Product dimensions:	5.29(w) x 7.50(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Boria Sax teaches at Sing Sing Prison and online in the graduate literature program at Mercy College. He is the author of many books.

Table of Contents

	Introduction	7
1	Mesopotamia	31
2	Egypt, Greece and Rome	38
3	The European Middle Ages and Renaissance	55
4	Asia	80
5	Native American Culture	90
6	The Romantic Era	102
7	Lord of the Crows	128
8	The Twentieth Century and Beyond	144
	Timeline	162
	References	164
	Bibliography	168
	Websites	175
	Associations	177
	Acknowledgements	178
	Photo Acknowledgements	179
	Index	180

Editorial Reviews

Sax’s book roams divertingly over the scientific and cultural history of the ‘corvid’ family, which includes the carrion crow, the raven, the rook, and the jackdaw, tracing ambivalent responses to the mischievous birds.

Guardian

"The sort of monograph I treasure and seek out, a work that draws together around a totem animal centuries of relevant lore, a richness of iconographic treatments and the best natural history and natural science available to a lay researcher and engaged author"

H-Net Reviews - David Scofield Wilson

"This authoritative and well-researched volume is an ideal source of reference for anyone who has ever been intrigued, annoyed or charmed by these wonderful birds"

Cage and Aviary Birds - Matt Smith

"Sax looks at how [crows] have been at the center of myth, culture, and religion throughout human history, often as birds of ill omen or at least negative associations. It’s an easy read despite the great wealth of material included, and the author keeps things grounded in accurate observation of the behavior of real-life birds. Enjoyable and educational for birders of all levels."

Bird Watching

"A pleasure to read. I found it enjoyable, if somewhat disconcerting, to learn that the crow and its relatives have indeed been viewed in so many ways by humans and continue to be a soure of mystery and charm for us today."

Anthrozoos - Penny Bernstein

"A fascinating and delightful book. . . . An excellent read for anyone interested in this group of birds."

British Trust for Ornithology

"Boria Sax's Crow takes a broadly chronological approach, with an intriguing digression on scarecrows. There are strong themes in the way different cultures have thought about crows (and ravens)."

Independent Whig.

"Boria Sax's Crow takes a broadly chronological approach, with an intriguing digression on scarecrows. There are strong themes in the way different cultures have thought about crows (and ravens)."

Independent