The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #132935   Message #3010827
Posted By: ClaireBear
19-Oct-10 - 02:02 PM
Thread Name: Folklore: Tricks and Tricksters
Subject: RE: Folklore: Tricks and Tricksters
Here's a short version of that raven-stealing-the-sun myth someone mentioned on FB:

"A long time ago, the Raven looked down from the sky and saw that the people of the world were living in darkness. The ball of light was kept hidden by a selfish old chief. So the Raven turned himself into a spruce needle and floated on the river where the chief's daughter came for water. She drank the spruce needle. She became pregnant and gave birth to a boy—which was the Raven in disguise. The baby cried and cried until the chief gave him the ball of light to play with. As soon as he had the light, the Raven turned back into himself and carried the light into the sky. From then on, we no longer live in darkness."

spoken by Marilyn Whirlwind, in a Northern Exposure Christmas pageant