Bill Reid (1) (1920–1998)

I almost overlooked this book as I browsed through the stacks of second hand offerings at my local thrift shop.Given its slender size, it was easy to miss in the stacks. It was the subtitle "Drawings by Bill Reid" that caught my eye. That was a name I recognized. An aboriginal artist and sculptor from the remote shores of western Canada, now known as Haida Gwai, his masterpieces are on display around the world.

It is through storytelling that the aboriginal people of Haida Gwai have passed down their mythology of origin. Bill Reid dedicates this book to one of these storytellers, Henry Young of Skidgate. Bill first encountered Henry as a young man of twenty when Henry was in his eighties. In collaboration with poet Robert Bringhurst, Bill brings ten of these wondrous, strange tales to life with lyrical language and fine artwork.

I began exploring this book in my usual comfy chair, reading to myself. I quickly realized that this was "story time" and started to read aloud to myself. I am so glad I did. I soon was immersed in the culture and history of Haida Gwaii, feeling the moisture of the coast on my face while listening to the forest that surrounded me. It was a delightful afternoon of time travel.… (altro)

Excellent collection of Trickster tales. From the Preface, by Claude Levi-Strauss:
"... the Raven [is] a deity of the type called in English a trickster, which the old French word decepteur matches to perfection. The fact that the Amerindians placed a deceitful, insolent, libidinous and often grotesque character with a penchant for scatology in the forefront of their pantheon sometimes surprises people. But indigenous thought places the Raven at the turning point between two eras. In the beginning, nothing was impossible; the most extravagant wishes could come true. However, the present era, in which humans and animals have acquired distinct natures, is stamped with the the seal of necessity. In the world inhabited by man, social life obeys rules, and nature dictates its will. We can no longer do just anything. The Trickster discovers this, often to his cost. And because his immoderate appetites make him the foremost victim of these nascent constraints, it is up to him to make them definitive and to establish their terms. In a universe that is undergoing constant change, the Raven is both the ultimate rebel and the foremost maker of laws." pg. 11

I also recommend TRICKSTER:NATIVE AMERICAN TALES - A GRAPHIC COLLECTION ... https://www.librarything.com/work/9840463/summary/70338459… (altro)

Anyone who ever watched the great CBS series will remember how important the Raven was to the Native Americans living in that small village. In this case, the microcosm truly did represent the world outside.

Raven is a "trickster god." These deities are found throughout the world. They represent chaos, a concept that does not translate well to Christian theology. It is not, as some theologians would have it, equivalent to evil. Instead, it simply represents the state of the universe before the creator god organized it. Tricksters are often extremely naive in the way they approach "life." They are usually easily defeated by other characters in the believers' mythos, and often seen as objects of ridicule and humor. It is likely that the concept of the Christian devil began as a trickster before the emphasis on the sufferings of Jesus on behalf of humanity became an important part of the religion. Loki, in Norse mythology, is a trickster, as is Coyote in the Apache mythos.

The back cover of this book further explains:

"The ten delightful Native American stories ... retellings of Haida myths and folktales. They ranger from bawdy tales of how the firt Haida were brought to the Queen Charlotte Islands, to poignant narratives of the complexities of love in a world where animals speak, dreams come alive, and demigods, monsters, and people live side by side.

Have fun reading this book. And remember that chaos is always only a sneeze away.… (altro)