Crows play an important role in the mythology and folklore of many Native American tribes. They are often portrayed as tricksters and transformers – powerful spirit beings who can shape shift between human and animal forms. The crow is a common motif in stories and art from tribes across North America.
The Crow in Northwest Coast Mythology
Among Northwest Coast tribes like the Haida, Tlingit, and Tsimshian, the crow is a central figure in many myths and legends. He is known by various names including Yelth, Yehl, and Wak-ah. The crow is depicted as an intelligent, mischievous trickster who often gets into trouble with his reckless antics. But he also performs heroic feats and helps transform the world.
In one Haida myth, the crow god Yehl creates the first humans by transforming bits of his own flesh into men and women. In another story, Yehl becomes tangled in the long hair of a chief’s daughter while transformed into pine needle. His cries of pain as the girl trims her hair give the crow his characteristic “caw-caw” sound.
The crow is so important to the cultures of the Northwest Coast that he is featured prominently in totem poles, masks, blankets, and other artworks. The Kwakwaka’wakw and other tribes perform ceremonial dances while wearing crow masks and regalia to emulate this powerful, shape-shifting entity.
Raven Myths of the Pacific Northwest
Further south, crows are often intertwined with ravens in tribal mythology. Ravens appear in similar trickster roles to crows in stories and art from Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia tribes like the Cowichan, Tillamook, and Squamish.
One legend describes how Raven helped bring the first humans, fire, water, and daylight to the world through his cleverness. In another tale, Raven steals the sun and stars and is burned black by the sun as he carries it in his beak. His feathers singed, he becomes the jet black bird we know today.
Crow Gods of the Plains
Crow tribes like the Apsáalooke of Montana have a tradition of incorporating crows deeply into their mythology. In their folklore, crows were the protectors of children and gave hints about the future. The Apsáalooke venerated sacred crows called Steele-beauxchaux who carried messages from the spirit world.
Isapwo (Old Man Coyote) and Uueetealee (Blood Clot Boy) are creator gods and heroes in Apsáalooke myths. They are often partnered with crows who act as their scouts and companions. Crows also feature in narratives as keepers of medicine and magic that can transform the world around them.
Iktomi and the Dakota Crow
Among the Dakota and other Siouan tribes, crows are linked with the spider trickster god Iktomi. In one legend, Iktomi tries to ride a buffalo bull but is thrown off and turns into a hideous, two-faced monster called Iya. The crow and magpie mock Iya and blacken his faces with mud.
In retaliation, Iya curses the formerly white magpie to remain black forever. But the crow outsmarts Iya by washing off the black mud in a river, retaining his colorful feathers. This story explains the origins of the crow’s brilliant plumage.
Wisakedjak, Crow God of the Algonquians
Throughout the Upper Midwest and Canada, Anishinaabe and other Algonquian-speaking tribes tell stories of Wisakedjak, also called Wisagatcak or Nanabozho. Though often called “the trickster,” Wisakedjak is more than a mere prankster. He is a complex, powerful entity who created life and helped shape the world.
Wisakedjak frequently appears partnered with crows and ravens or is able to transform into these birds. In one Anishinaabe story, Wisakedjak turns into a pine needle to sew together the aged earth and sky, which were once married but grew apart. A crow searches for Wisakedjak and finally finds him, allowing the worlds to be rejoined.
The Iroquois Crow God
The crows and ravens of Iroquois mythology hold a unique status as messengers of the highest god, the Great Spirit. According to legend, the Great Spirit was testing the birds to see who was strongest and most worthy. The owl stayed awake all night, but grew tired by morning. The hawk flew high towards the sun but weakened and fell.
But the crow and raven soared endlessly between the earth and sky, tireless in their devotion. Impressed by their dedication, the Great Spirit chose them to act as his divine couriers. The Iroquois believe crows still maintain this sacred role today.
Crows in Southwest Native American Culture
In the deserts of the American Southwest, crows appear in legends and rituals of the Hopi, Navajo, Zuni, and other tribes. They are respected as bearers of wisdom with the ability to communicate between worlds. Crows are viewed as fair judges and protectors in folk stories.
The famous Hopi creator god Masau’u is often represented with a crow as a companion. Some tribes practice rituals known as “feeding the crows” – leaving offerings of corn and food to gain the crows’ blessings and favor. Their black color symbolizes rain and life-giving water that allows crops to grow in the harsh climate.
The Pueblo Crow Mother
Crows hold a special meaning in Puebloan cosmology. The Acoma, Hopi, and Zuni all incorporate crows into their version of the Emergence Myth – the story of how humans entered this world from previous realms below. According to these tribes, human beings crawled up through the layers of the underworld and finally emerged into the present world guided by Crow Mother, or Mother of Men.
This crow deity led the first humans into the light of this surface world, just as an actual crow mother bird leads her fledglings from the dark nest to daylight. Crows maintain this symbolic role as the tribe’s sacred maternal ancestors.
The Mayan Crow God: Yum Kaax
In the cosmology of the pre-Columbian Mayan civilization of Central America, various animal gods represent the multiple aspects of the supreme deity. The black crow or raven known as Yum Kaax was the patron of agriculture, vegetation, and the cycle of life and death.
As the lord over the fields and crops, Yum Kaax was closely associated with the rain and storms that nourished Mayan agriculture. Art from the Mayan Classic Period (250-900 AD) often depicts Yum Kaax engraved with plants and vegetation representing his connections to sustaining life through the rains.
Countering the Vulture God
Yum Kaax counterbalanced the menacing vulture god and death lord Kisin who brought destruction and harvested souls into the underworld. Together, Yum Kaax and Kisin represented the dual forces that governed existence – the balance between giving and taking away life, such as through the crop cycle.
The Maya would appeal to Yum Kaax for abundant rains and bountiful harvests to prevail over Kisin’s forces of decay and drought. Though a powerful deity, the crow was also viewed by the Maya as a humble provider for humanity’s needs. His immense capacity for procreation and nesting symbolized the fertility of the fields.
Crow Myths of Mesoamerica and the Southwest: Shared Motifs
Crows and ravens appear as recurring figures throughout the mythologies of the pre-Columbian civilizations of Mesoamerica and the American Southwest. These cultures developed independently over thousands of years, yet their legends reveal some shared views regarding crows:
- Crows serve as boundary crossers, guides, or tricksters who connect the worlds of gods, humans, and nature.
- They have the power of speech and prophecy – crows are portrayed as oracles and heralds.
- Crows are associated with agriculture, vegetation, rains, and cycles of fertility.
- They help establish the origins of humans, life, and the present world order.
These common crow motifs echo and amplify core myths and beliefs within these diverse Native American societies. The ubiquity of crows in their folklore speaks to the enduring symbolic power these birds have maintained across cultures and through the ages.
The Crow in African and Native American Culture: A Comparison
Crows and ravens hold a significant place in the mythologies of many Native American societies. There are some parallels with the roles and symbolism of crows in African folklore as well:
Native American Crow Symbolism | African Crow Symbolism |
---|---|
Trickster figure | Trickster figure |
Messenger between worlds | Messenger between worlds |
Shape-shifting abilities | Shape-shifting abilities |
Link to fertility, agriculture, rain | Link to fertility, agriculture, rain |
In some African legends, the crow also symbolizes chaos, warfare, and the struggle between order and disorder. By contrast, Native American traditions focus on the crow as a transformer and culture hero who creates order from chaos. So while aspects of the trickster crow overlap, the meanings associated with this adaptable bird vary across global cultures.
Conclusion
For Native American tribes across North America, crows embody a host of vital mythic roles and symbols. Crows link the natural world to the realm of sacred forces and human affairs through their roles as tricksters, transformers, and timeless wisdom-bearers. They appear in origin stories teaching how humans came into being, and as guides between cosmic layers and the passageways of life and death.
As lords of the crops and fields, crows wield power over the elements like rain that make agriculture and sustenance possible. And as noisy social birds, crows epitomize communication between the mundane and ethereal planes. That is why crows earned their reputation in folklore as spirit messengers, fate’s heralds, divine confidantes, and partners of the gods themselves.