Quoth The Raven

February-March 2003

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by Bryan Nichols

It's too bad that Corvus corax, common ravens, can't really quoth - they'd likely have some interesting things to tell us. Ravens and other corvids are remarkably intelligent, even by our lofty standards - their brain to body size ratio is comparable to that of dolphins. Of course, scientists haven't got Flipper talking much either - not yet, anyway.

On the other hand, ravens are considerably more verbose in literature. Edgar Allen Poe's raven, in his brilliantly macabre poem, managed to say an awful lot in one word, driving a lonely man loony in the process. Nevermore or not, ravens have been sassing humans in North America long before Poe's poem. The Northwest in particular has a distinct group of "Raven Tales" that have educated, amused, moralized and satirized Homo sapiens for millennia.

WHY THE RAVEN?

Why indeed? What's so special about those large black birds? You could argue that ravens are ugly, drab and obnoxious. You could say they are just squawkers, scavengers and pests. If you were superstitious, you might even add they bring bad luck.

But watch ravens for a while, and you'll be struck by their intelligence. Listen to something besides their admittedly annoying dawn choruses and you'll hear a breathtaking range of sounds, from affectionate chuckles to near perfect mimicry of other birds. People who don't spend their lives insulated by steel and concrete are likely to know and appreciate a bird better. First Nations folks who watched a lot of ravens decided they were worth telling tales about.

Like dolphins and people, ravens are very social, and many scientists believe that social behavior selects for intelligence. This shouldn't be surprising—anyone who has spent time dating knows you have to be damn smart to decipher the cues, clues and taboos that the opposite sex is projecting.

Besides exercising their brains for good lovin', ravens seem to be fond of games. Many are solitary games—watch ravens a while and you'll likely see versions of 'Drop and Catch', 'Land on the Flimsy Branch' and 'Roost Upside-Down'. Though these games are solitary, they tend to inspire competition - one raven trying to perch on the flimsiest branch possible will elicit similar silly behavior in others.

There are those who believe animals are incapable of fun, and that such behavior must really have some evolutionary benefit. They're probably half right - aerial stunts and even dangerous games with predators like 'Bait and Chase' are likely good practice for young ravens, a way to develop skills that will come in handy. But that doesn't mean they aren't also fun. They're certainly fun to watch; dedicated raven watchers can wax poetic about the games birds play.

Another likely reason why ravens were elevated to myth status around the North Pacific is their lovely voice. If "caw, caw!" doesn't move you, there is bound to be something in the raven repertoire that will. Personally, I like those chuckle noises, but there are baby's cries, strange clicks and pops - all sorts of interesting stuff that you won't believe is coming out of one black bird. Studies have indicated that ravens have regional dialects, like killer whales and people. Of course, ravens don't just talk among themselves - they can be sneaky mimics, copying the cries of a variety of other birds and the occasional mammal.

RAVEN TALES

So now that we know why ravens have the potential to be symbolic stars, let's look at the tales themselves. Keep in mind we're talking about an oral tradition swept by aggressive outside religions, devastating diseases and an assortment of formidable language barriers. It's difficult to be subtle, witty or ironic without an excellent grasp of the language.

As a result, it is hard to do these tales justice. Who knows what nuances a good storyteller could give something we translate and condense into 'The Coloring of the Birds'. Slapstick hum our? Ponderous morality? We can only imagine. Did the audience in the long house yawn and sigh? Did they guffaw and slap their knees? Did they cry? Cheer? Invent new endings? Storytelling is more fluid and interactive than the books, television or movies we're used to.

Here are the main raven tales often quoted by Northwest literature. Read this list slowly, and try to picture the potential story lines in your mind. Which ones would you like to hear, cozied up in a big, smoky long house on a wet December day? How about around an August campfire under a starry sky? Or while paddling a war canoe up the coast? Taken from Peter Goodchild's Raven Tales (a 1991 compilation and analysis), The Raven cycle goes something like this ...

ORIGIN

1. The birth of Raven; the deluge

2. Raven becomes voracious

3. The theft of the sun

4. Raven threatens to let out the light

5. The theft of fresh water

6. The origin of eulachon

7. The origin of the tides

8. War with the south wind

9. The theft of fire

10. The origin of humans; the origin of death

11. The painting of the birds

12. The origin of fog

13. The origin of salmon

TRICKSTER

14. Raven kills the salmon

15. The killing of grizzly bear

16. Cormorant's tongue is torn out

17. The killing of Pitch 18. Raven's beak is torn off

19. Raven is swallowed by a whale 20. Raven travels with his slave

21. Raven gathers poor food

22. Raven becomes a woman

23. The bungling host

24. The visit to Shadow Town

25. Raven kills deer

OTHERS

26. Raven steals salmon eggs

27. Raven steals his sister's berries

28. Raven burns a girl's groins

29. The master fisherman

30. War with the thunderbird

31. The arrow of the supernatural being

Which caught your fancy? If you're interested, there are a few books out there that will provide you some detail, though not much. There are children's books that tackle some of the tales, but I suspect they are much sanitized, like our bland versions of those naughty and often nasty tales told by the Brothers Grimm. A Story as Sharp as a Knife is a recent and important lyrical translation of Haida tales by Robert Bringhurst.

For a Raven bibliography check out: www.eldrbarry.net/rabb/rvn/roost.htm Here are summaries of a couple that jumped out at me.

The Origin of the Tides

The first thirteen tales listed above are considered creation stories by the folks that study this sort of thing. In this one, Raven visits the old woman who is responsible for the tides coming in and going out. The problem is, the tides only come and go on rare occasions, which makes it tough for people to collect food. Digging clams, gathering seaweed - none of it is easy.

So Raven drops by, asking her to make the tides regular. She's not so keen on the idea, and instead wants to know where he got the sea urchins he's munching on. Instead of telling her, he proceeds to stick the spines into her butt until she relents and makes the tides regular. Naturally, the people are happy - hurray and thanks to Raven, the creator.

The second half of the tales listed above are considered trickster tales, which are common throughout North America, though not necessarily with a raven as the central character (Coyote is usually the protagonist in the Southwest).

Some are moral; many are violent; some more whimsical. In the following tale,Raven isn't noble, murderous or even ravenous - just lecherous and mocking.

Raven Burns A Woman's Groins

This tale involves Raven and the beautiful Ms. Merganser. Since this is a family magazine, I can't really go into details, but suffice to say that Raven's elaborate plot to sample her charms is successful, until he is discovered and she beats the libido out of him.

Reading even a bare outline of it, you can see how a gifted storyteller could make it hilarious. What better way to get through a dreary Northwest winter evening?

So head for the library or your local bookstore and grab some Raven stories. Lessons on life? Rhythmic poetry? Just plain storytelling fun? One thing's for sure - the people who spend their lives trying to figure out myths are not the same people who try to figure out ravens. With your new knowledge of both, there are lessons to be learned out there, in your boats, at camp, as ravens chuckle and croak and watch you. Get comfortable, perhaps with a pair of binoculars - and watch them in return. You might be surprised at the tales they tell.

© Bryan Nichols is a biologist and regular WaveLength columnist.