Myth-Folklore Unit: Alaskan Legends

Overview. If you want to learn about the many myths and legends about Raven, one of the great trickster-creators of world mythology, this collection of Alaskan stories — Myths and Legends of Alaska — is the unit for you: fifteen of the stories are about Raven, as told by Inuit (Eskimo) storytellers of the Bering Straits and Lower Yukon, along with stories from the Tlingit, Tsimshian, and Haida peoples. There are stories about other animals, too — wolves, foxes, wolverines, killer whales, and thunderbirds, to name just a few. The collection also includes creation stories about the origin of the winds, the light, and the sun and moon. And, finally, there are also great tales of human drama, including supernatural visits to the land of the dead.

Language. Judson's book is an anthology of stories takes from various anthropological sources, written in a variety of styles. Some of the stories are told in a more traditional oral style, while other stories are edited in a style more like literary prose.

Story Length. Most of the stories here are quite short, and all of them are single-page stories.

Navigation. You will find the table of contents below, and you can also use this link to see the story posts displayed on two pages total: Alaskan Legends. Click "Older Posts" at the bottom of that page to see the second page.



 READING A:
  1. The Raven Myth: Raven's Creation
  2. The Raven Myth: Raven Creates the People
  3. The Raven Myth: The Skyland and the Sea
  4. The Raven Myth: Raven-Boy and the Sun
  5. The Flood
  6. The Origin of the Tides
  7. Raven's Feast
  8. Raven's Marriage
  9. Raven and the Seals
  10. Raven and Pitch
  11. Raven and Marmot
  12. The Bringing of the Light by Raven
  13. The Naming of the Birds
  14. How Raven Stole the Lake
READING B:
  1. Origin of the Chilkat Blanket
  2. The First Woman
  3. Origin of the Winds
  4. The Land of the Dead
  5. The Ghost Land
  6. The Lost Light
  7. The Boy in the Moon
  8. Cradle Song
  9. The Wolves and the Deer
  10. The Last of the Thunderbirds
  11. Origin of the Killer Whale Crest
  12. The Discontented Grass Plant
  13. Tricks of the Fox
(illustration from Judson's book)



Posted by
Labels: , , , , , , ,