| Crow Contributor(s): Sax, Boria (Author) |
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ISBN: 1861891946 ISBN-13: 9781861891945 Publisher: Reaktion Books OUR PRICE: $17.96 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: April 2004 Annotation: Though people generally do not think of them in such terms, crows are remarkably graceful: from the tip of a crow's beak to the end of its tail is a single curve, which changes rhythmically as the crow turns its head or bends toward the ground. Foraging on their long, powerful legs, crows appear to glide over the earth; they take flight almost without effort, flapping their wings easily, ascending into the air like spirits.Nevertheless, the whiskers around their beaks and an apparent smile make crows, in a scruffy sort of way, endearingly "human." In a vast range of cultures from the Chinese to the Hopi Indians, crows are bearers of prophecy. Because of their courtship dances and monogamous unions, the Greeks invoked crows at weddings as symbols of conjugal love. Crows are among the most ubiquitous of birds, yet, without being in the least exotic, they remain mysterious.This book is a survey of crows, ravens, magpies and their relatives in myth, literature and life. It ranges from the raven sent out by Noah to the corvid deities of the Eskimo, to Taoist legends, Victorian novels and contemporary films. It will be of interest to all people who have ever been intrigued, puzzled, annoyed or charmed by these wonderfully intelligent birds. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Nature | Birdwatching Guides |
| Dewey: 598.864 |
| LCCN: 2004426242 |
| Series: Animal |
| Physical Information: 0.49" H x 5.42" W x 7.46" (0.71 lbs) 184 pages |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Though not generally perceived as graceful, crows are remarkably so--a single curve undulates from the tip of the bird's beak to the end of its tail. They take flight almost without effort, flapping their wings easily and ascending into the air like spirits. Crow by Boria Sax is a celebration of the crow and its relatives in myth, literature, and life. Sax takes readers into the history of crows, detailing how in a range of cultures, from the Chinese to the Hopi Indians, crows are bearers of prophecy. For example, thanks in part to the birds' courtship rituals, Greeks invoked crows as symbols of conjugal love. From the raven sent out by Noah to the corvid deities of the Eskimo, from Taoist legends to Victorian novels and contemporary films, Sax's book ranges across history and culture and will interest anyone who has ever been intrigued, puzzled, annoyed, or charmed by these wonderfully intelligent birds. |
Contributor Bio(s): Sax, Boria: - Boria Sax is a lecturer in literature in the graduate program of Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry, New York, as well as at Sing Sing and Taconic Prisons. He is the author of many books, including Imaginary Animals, Crow, and Lizard, all also published by Reaktion Books |