Reading Notes: Alaskan Legends, Part A

The Sunrise Thanks to Raven. Source: Flickr.

    One story stuck out to me, which was called The Bringing of the Light by Raven. I really liked this story because it tells of the origin of something and how something came to be. In the story, there is an orphan boy who many people do not like. He lived in a village that was only lit up by stars because the sun and moon had been taken away. The magical powers of the shamans couldn't even bring light to the village, so the boy decided to take matters into his own hands. The boy had a special ability to be able to put on a raven coat and then become a raven.

    He left his house in search of the sun and moon in hopes of bringing light back to his village. He eventually came upon a ball of fire at a house of a man. The boy tricks the man and takes the ball of fire/light and eventually turns back into a raven fleeing from the man who was close behind. As the boy flew back home, he broke off pieces of the light, which made it daytime. He did this repeatedly, which is why there is a cycle of night and day.

    I really enjoyed this story because it was an origin story and also was very unique. I loved the idea of an orphaned boy being the hero of the story. I also thought it was very cool that he could put on a raven coat and then turn into a raven himself. I think there is a ton of room for creativity when creating a rendition of this story. The last part of the story was a little confusing, but I think the idea was that the boy drifted to the other side of the sea, which is why the sun can be seen so far away. This is why the sun sets and rises beyond the horizon.

Story Source: The Bringing of the Light by Raven from Myths and Legends of Alaska, edited by Katharine Berry Judson (1911).