The Eskimo have various ingenious methods of taking ptarmigan and water fowl. During the winter small sinew snares are set among the bushes where the ptarmigan resort to feed or to rest. Sometimes little brush fences are built, with openings at intervals in which the snares are set so that the birds may be taken […]
Tag: north america
The few men that understand the cries of the Raven
When it is desired that the owner of an afterbirth should understand the cries of the raven, the afterbirth is put down on the beach where the ravens peck at it. And when it is pecked at by the ravens, the man, when he is full grown, will understand the cries of the raven, for […]
The White Passenger Pigeon and the Old Man Wild Cat
It is said that among travelling pigeons the white ones are the chiefs of their communities. According to tradition, a white pigeon once flew into the forest lodge of a noted old man, the Wild Cat. The visitor did not appear ill at ease but stood in the lodge wherever it seemed good to him, […]
Red-necked Grebe defeats the Winter Spirit
Every winter, the birds fly south. One winter, a hell-diver (also called a grebe) told all of the other birds that he would stay for the winter to take care of two of his friends who had been injured and couldn’t fly south. Both of his friends, a whooping crane and mallard duck, had broken […]
The Great Auk in Penobscot folklore
The great auk, now almost forgotten in the world by all except the ornithologists, is still remembered among the Penobscot as one of the legendary bird chiefs. While we may hesitate a moment in believing the strict identity of this now-extinct bird with the hero character in one of the creation tales, it nevertheless seems […]
The Loon in the folklore of the Penobscot and Micmac Indians
The family of the divers and swimmers naturally claims a large share of the attention of the northern natives whose homes lie among the rivers and lakes where these large and conspicuous birds resort during the breeding season. Among them the loon stands forth rather sharply. His name “choice, admired bird”, shows the esteem which […]
Folklore, how the Snipe got its long beak
At one time there were no lakes. There were creeks and rivers, but no lakes. Raven wanted to make lakes, so he made a depression in the ground for to collect the water and a new lake began to form. Then he put fish in the new lake. After a time he returned to see […]
Folklore, how Raven made Pelican steal fire for a good cause
Only the Rock people had fire, and they guarded it jealously. Raven decided that all people should have fire, and he went to see the Rock people. Knowing he was a transformer and fooler of people, they drove him away. To make themselves more secure from Raven, they made a wide stretch of water all […]
Folklore, how Raven colored the birds
Raven called great feast for all the birds. He painted each one a different way, all birds, the hawks, the owls, the eagles, the jays, great and small. He painted Robin red on the breast, Bluejay blue, and a knot on his head. He tied up Ruffed-Grouse’s hair in a knot. He painted Bald-Headed Eagle […]
Folkore, the birth of the Raven
This story tells how the Raven came to birth. It is a Tahltan tribe story, an Indian tribe living in Britsh Columbia and Canada. A number of people were living together near the sea. Among them was a man, gifted with magic power, who did not live with his wife. He did not allow any […]