Crow

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.

About the author

Boria Sax teaches at Sing Sing prison and online in the graduate literature programme at Mercy University. He has published many books, which have won awards and been translated into numerous languages. His most recent is Avian Illuminations: A Cultural History of Birds (Reaktion, 2021).

Summary

A classic account of the crow, now available in B-format paperback. Boria Sax looks at the crow in myth, literature and life, from Noah's raven to films such as The Crow.

Product details

• Authors: Boria Sax, Sax Boria
• Publisher: Reaktion Books
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 31.08.2017
• EAN: 9781780238425
• ISBN: 978-1-78023-842-5
• No. of pages: 184
• Series: Animal; Animal
• Subjects: Guides > Nature; Humanities, art, music > Art > Photography, film, video, TV; Social sciences, law, business > Sociology > Sociological theories; Cultural Studies, NATURE / Animals / Birds, NATURE / Animal Rights, SCIENCE / Life Sciences / Zoology / Ornithology, LITERARY CRITICISM / General, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Folklore & Mythology, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Anthropology / Cultural & Social, NATURE / Birdwatching Guides, natural history, Films, cinema, Zoology: birds (ornithology), Animals & society, Literary studies: fiction, novelists and prose writers, Wildlife: birds and birdwatching: general interest, Animals and society, PERFORMING ARTS / Film / General, Folklore studies / Study of myth (mythology)