Native American Legends
How Raven brought light to the World
A Haida Legend
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 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 Ravenchild 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 smoke-hole in the
roof of the house, and escaped into the darkness with his stolen
treasure.
And that is how light came into the universe.
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