Haida Raven Myth

Semantic Breakdown of the Raven Spirit from the Northwest Native American understanding.

B. Rael Ali

4/24/2014

The Raven has for a long time been a symbolic reference in the Haida Native North American culture. The Raven has also appeared historically throughout several cultures. The following text takes on a philosophical diagnosis of the Raven myth and Raven historically to gain a clear understanding of what the Raven figure truly represents.

B. Rael Ali

2/13/2014

North Native American History

Critical View of the Haida Raven Myth

My focus is on the study of the Cultural beliefs of the Haida tribe in the

Northwest Alaskan regions; particularly the ideals that exist behind the tales of the Raven

Spirit. This paper will analyze of the Haida cultural beliefs of the Raven while comparing

and contrasting the beliefs about the Raven by the many cultures throughout history as

well as the present day view of the Raven. My intent of the compare and contrast is to

discover a common custom for the symbolism of the Raven, so that there may be an

understanding of its significance in our lives as well as gain an understanding of the

Haida Native Americans’ mindset.

The Haida culture and the Native American culture in general is the focal point

culture when it comes to this discussion because of the great influence the Raven has on

the lives of the Native Americans. In fact the Raven spirit is portrayed with many

sculptural likenesses throughout their culture such as totem poles, masks and pipes as

shown in figure #1. There are also paintings of the Raven figure and costumes made in

order to honor the figure that is the Raven and perform a ritual dance so that the wearer

may to inherit the abilities of the Raven figure and bestow those abilities on the tribe’s

members. The Raven dance will be addressed later on once a true over standing of the

Raven figure is discovered.

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Figure # 1: Native Raven Drawing and Raven Mask

To the Haida culture, a Northwest Native American Tribe living off the coast of

Canada, the Raven is a very powerful and sacred symbolic figure. The Raven figure is so

deeply imbedded in the cultural tradition of the Haida that it is included within their

Creation Stories as the bringer of light to the cosmic darkness that at one point in time

engulfed the entire world.

“According to a Haida story, in the beginning the world was in total darkness. 

       The Raven, who had existed from the beginning of time, was tired of groping about and bumping into things in the dark.        Eventually the Raven came upon the home of an old man who lived alone with his daughter. Through his slyness, the Raven learned that the old man had a great treasure. This was all the light in the universe, contained in a tiny box concealed within many boxes.        At once the Raven vowed to steal the light.        He thought and thought, and finally came up with a plan. He waited until the old man's daughter came to the river to gather water. Then the Raven changed himself into a single hemlock needle and dropped himself into the river, just as the girl was dipping her water-basket into the river.        As she drank from the basket, she swallowed the needle. It slipped and slithered down into her warm belly, where the Raven transformed himself again, this time into a tiny

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human. After sleeping and growing there for a very long time, at last the Raven emerged into the world once more, this time as a human infant.        Even though he had a rather strange appearance, the Raven's grandfather loved him. But the old man threatened dire punishment if he ever touched the precious treasure box. Nonetheless the Raven child begged and begged to be allowed to hold the light just for a moment.        In time the old man yielded, and lifted from the box a warm and glowing sphere, which he threw to his grandson.        As the light was moving toward him, the human child transformed into a gigantic black shadowy bird-form, wings spread ready for flight, and beak open in anticipation. As the beautiful ball of light reached him, the Raven captured it in his beak!        Moving his powerful wings, he burst through the smokehole in the roof of the house, and escaped into the darkness with his stolen treasure.        And that is how light came into the universe.”(http://www.magma.ca/~jbremner/blog/months/RavenStealsSun.htm) 

My approach to the Haida creation story will be an interpretation of allegory for it

is hard to believe that the Native Americans would honestly think that the world was

illuminated in such a manner of a raven stealing light literally. For one to analyze the

Haida’s Raven Steals the Sun myth there is a need for a have a step by step breakdown so

that we may gain understanding of the separate parts only to put the define parts back

together in their proper places granting us a holistic over standing of the myth.

According to the Haida myth the Raven is a being that existed since the beginning

of time, not before it; meaning that the Raven is an actual creation itself, not a creator.

To create, according to Webster’s dictionary as it applies means “produce or bring about

by a course of action of behavior.” Anything created is created with intent and purpose

whether that purpose to problem solve of simply expression. Webster defines time “as a

measurable period during which action, process, or condition exists or continues.” Giving

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the history of the nature of the Raven one would assume that the purpose of the creation

of Raven in the Haida perspective would be to further complete the process of creating

the reality in which it exist in time and space; Making the Raven a tool or aid of the

universal creator. The myth goes on to explain that the biggest problem in which the

Raven tool was designed to solve is the confusion of the darkness as it was “tired of

bumping into things.”

To properly examine the myth in question one would have to decide if it is

metaphorical darkness the Haida people are speaking of or of literal darkness meaning

without light. To define the darkness in the story one must further read to clarify the

where this light that would offset the darkness will be receive from. The myth explains

that at that point in time the keeper of the light would be an old man. Common Customs

and generalized symbolism tell us that historically old men are representations of

knowledge wisdom and understanding through the passing of time and the experience

gained of that old man’s process throughout life. With the understanding of the

symbolism of the old man in the myth, one concludes that the myth is speaking of

metaphorical darkness; representing confusion and the light representing knowledge

wisdom and understanding of the dark matter cosmos. As the Myth progresses the Raven

vows to acquire the light that the old man’s possess. The Raven goes about obtaining the

light through transformation. Webster’s definition of transform as it applies to the myth is

“to a change in composition of structure to change outward form or appearance and to

change in character or condition.” In the myth the Raven transforms itself it to a hemlock

needle in order to impregnate the daughter of the old man becoming the grandson of the

old man. Being on a metaphoric pathway of understanding of the Haida Raven myth one

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would deduce that in order to gain the knowledge, wisdom and understanding that the old

man possessed, the Raven would have to indoctrinate its’ self into the old man’s family

through Immaculate Conception. This proposes two points of reasoning the first is that

the Raven has no father to a give the knowledge to it and it also symbolic of humbling

one’s self, as a child would for an adult, in the presence of wisdom in order to gain

understanding and learn the knowledge the old man has and so you may develop your

own wisdom… At first the old man would not give the Raven the light but after gaining

the trust and love of the old man the Raven child was given the light as a present. Upon

the receiving the gift the Raven child took its true form of a bird, flying away in order to

further spread the wisdom he had acquired from the old man.

Through the breakdown of the Haida Raven myth I conclude that the story is a

process of becoming and discovery of one’s true self through gaining knowledge wisdom

and understanding. I propose that the allegory of the Raven creation myth was created by

the Haida to precipitate culture and instill values with in the younger generations in a

manner that would treat a serious conversation light heartedly and in a fun perspective

that would still evolve the thought processes of the younger tribe’s members’ minds

throughout maturity.

For the Haida people the Raven represents revelations of truth and the humbling

of one self before it. Once one gains truth it is that person responsibility to spread truth to

those that are willing to listen…

Even through analyzing the Haida Raven myths symbolic message, one would

still question; why the Raven? What is the distinction of the Raven compared to any other

bird of prey? The sleek black bird known as the Raven is one of the more common birds

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that the Haida would experience soaring above their heads. At a mature state the Raven’s

wingspan could reach about 25 inches in length and 2.6 pounds in mass. The Raven can

live up to 21 years in the wild. Ravens have co-existed with humans for thousands of

years and present day many regard the Raven as a pest or bad omen. But historically the

Raven has been renowned as a bringer of light.

Figure #2: Raven

In Greek mythology ravens are associated with Apollo, the god of prophecy as

shown in figure #3.

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Figure #3: Apollo with Raven

“In the New Testament as well, ravens are used by Jesus as an illustration of

God's provision in Luke 12:24.” (King James Bible) Other representations of the raven in

the bible are shown in Figure #4 A&B.

Figure 4A: Noah with raven as scout Figure #4B: Elijah being feed by Ravens

The Hindu deity Shani is often represented as sitting on top of a giant black raven

or crow, as shown in Figure #5.

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Figure #5: Hindu Deity Shani

These are few of the many examples throughout history that the ominous Raven

has been use to explain and convey many symbolic messages. The real question that I

proposed is; is the Raven itself a symbolic creature of the creator or is the Raven more

symbolic to the creations? I.e. Mankind.

Nevertheless the Haida tribe uses the Raven figure as a symbolic reference for the

message that they want to convey; truth acceptance and truth abundance.

The Haida tribe are a very culturally expressive people; Cultural gems such as

totem poles masks and painting aid with the passing down of culture from generation to

generation. One of the most profound representations of the preservation of Haida culture

and the ideals of the Raven specifically is the Raven Dance. The Raven dance is a

ceremonial dance done to accredit the Raven and embody the attributes of the Raven

within ones own body or temple. The Haida use the Raven Dance a physical cultivation

of the spirit through mental release and rhythmic process. The dancer dresses up in a

costume that reflects the Haida’s creative expression that is the Raven. The dancer wears

a wood carved mask of the head of the Raven representing the ability to see truth. The

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dancer would also wear the wings and feathers of the Raven that represents the ability to

spread the truth as the Raven spreads is wings across the sky.

In response to my evaluation of the Haida Raven myth I will create my own raven

mask and wings via Paper Mache, and will respectful reenact the traditional Haida Raven

Dance in hopes to embody the qualities of the Raven within myself as well as spread

truth throughout my own experience. My performance will be an attempt to preserve of

the Haida Native American tribal culture, through creating a clear understanding of the

minds of the Haida people.

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B. Rael Ali4/24/2014

Native American Art History

Annotated Bibliography

1. http://www.hindu.com/2001/07/26/stories/13261289.htm The Hindu,

Copyright 2011

2. http://www.magma.ca/~jbremner/blog/months/RavenStealsSun.htm

Raven Steals the Sun

3. www.spirits ofthewestcoast.com. Sprits of the West Coast Art Gallery,

Copyright 2014,

http://www.spiritsofthewestcoast.com/symbol/the_raven/1/, 2014.

www.spiritsofthewestcoast.com is a Native American art theme website that explains the

significance of the symbolic representations that are presented in Native American art.

This website denotes a clear understanding of the Northwest Coast Native American

Myths about the Raven figure.

4. Ultimatepapermache.com, Jonni Good, Copyright 2008

http://www.ultimatepapermache.com/category/masks/page/3

Ultimatepapermache..com showcases the sculpting process of experienced

paper mache artist Jonnie Good.

5. http://www.warpaths2peacepipes.com . Native American Tribes copyright

2012,

http://www.warpaths2peacepipes.com/native-american-symbols/raven-

symbol.htm

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www.warpaths2peacepipes.com is a hub of information on Native American Tribes. It

allows for easy compare and contrasts of the different Native American tribe symbols and

cultures.

6. Youtube.com, Native American Raven Dancing. Posted

2009,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cg7IjPAPrIQ

Native American Raven Dancing shows a performance of the tradition Raven dance done

historically by the Native American people.

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