Reading Notes: Alaskan Legends, Part A

(Raven flying over the ocean; source: Pxhere)

Plot:

• Since the Raven had been alone for a long time, he decided to get married. he noticed that birds were flying south for the winter and went to go find a bride.
• The Raven saw that a young goose was approaching and announced that he was a very nice man that was looking to get married. The goose flew past him without any acknowledgement and the same things happened with a black brant and a duck.
• Eventually a family of white-front geese flew by and Raven announced that he was handsome and a good hunter. Hearing this, the family, which had the parents, four brothers, and one sister, landed in front of the Raven.
• The Raven found a white stone with a hole in it and strung some grass through it to make it a necklace. Then all the birds pushed up their beaks like masks and became humans. The Raven was taken by the girl's beauty so he offered the necklace to her and asked for her hand in marriage. She took the necklace and consented and they all took off flying southwards.
• The geese flapped their wings heavily and flew slowly whereas the Raven glided before them. The geese were impressed by the Raven's grace and speed. When the Raven grew tired he told the geese he wanted to stop and they all slept for some time. In the morning, the geese were up before the Raven and told him they must continue south because it would begin snowing soon. They began flying and the geese once again marveled at how graceful and speedy the Raven was.
• Next, they traveled to the seashore where they ate and slept. In the morning, the geese wanted to continue their flight without breakfast and the Raven consented, though he began to be afraid.
• Eventually the geese noticed that the Raven was falling further and further behind. The Father goose considered the fact that the Raven wasn't as agile as he had initially thought and told his family to land so they could wait for the Raven. When the Raven arrived and caught his breath, he told the geese that the reason for his delay was an arrowhead that had been lodged in his heart from an old war and was causing him pain.
• Some time after taking off, they noticed that the Raven was falling behind again and alighted. The Raven's wife placed her hand on his chest and claimed not to feel an arrowhead. They took off and again, the Raven fell behind so they had to land. The Father goose told the Raven that they would not stop again until they reached the shore.
• The birds began to fly again but the geese soared into the sky while the Raven began falling near the water. He screamed for his wife to throw him the stone which he had given her for it was actually a magic stone. The geese reached land while the Raven began to sink into the water. He was pulled this way and that by the waves but eventually, the water deposited him on the shore. He crawled up the beach and hung his Raven coat and beak to dry while he lit a fire to warm himself.

Characters:

• Raven - arrogant, unaware of his own limits
• Father goose - disappointed by his son-in-law, began to lose patience
• Raven's wife - uncaring of the fact that her newlywed husband was on the verge of death

Bibliography. Myths and Legends of Alaska, edited by Katharine Berry Judson (1911).