unsatisfied with their depictions, they revolted'
by Tor Lukasik-Foss
Me and the Ravens
I love ravens. I love crows. I love their shiny black feathers, their croaking, cawing and gurgling voices. I love their distinct silhouettes when flying or roosting in trees. I love how they hop around on the ground. I love how they inspire story.
The Corvid family is an interesting crew indeed. They thrive in a vast array of climatic zones from the southwest American desert to the rainforests of Haida Gwaii to the Canadian Arctic where they remain even during the winter. In fact, they live everywhere on the planet except the southern tip of South America and the polar icecaps. They are considered to be the most intelligent of birds. They are playful. They are resourceful. They memorize. They are tool-users. They are known to be attracted to and even collect shiny baubles.
The corvids inspire story, song, myth. Edgar Allan Poe, Joni Mitchell, Lou Reed and Aesop have all been inspired by the corvids The ravens who live under the protective care of the RavenMaster at the Tower of London are said to be the guardians of the kingdom – “if the ravens leave the tower, the kingdom will fall”.
Not long after I visited Bill Reid’s sculpture “Raven and the First Men”, which depicts a Haida creation myth, I learned that the Norse God, Odin, had a pair of ravens on whom he relied for the daily news. The all-knowing, Norse father God would be nowhere without his birds. The Haida creation story tells of the Raven bringing human life to the world. From two separate and geographically discreet cultures, the corvids had come to life in my imagination as creatures of intelligence, knowledge, mystery and purpose.
Over the years, it became evident that there was a mutually shared curiosity about ravens and crows amongst a group of my friends and performing compatriots. This curiosity became a magical springboard to explore and develop the “Huginand Munin” performance piece and to name ourselves the Ravenstring Collective.
I am inspired by our collective and by the corvids. The creative activation they compel is a deep well, both collectively and personally. I have been described, in my youth, as a “porcelain raven”. My friend Ben affectionately calls me his “raven beauty”. In the company of my creative pals, developing character, text and music in the voice of the raven and donning the long and flowing black robes to play the part of Munin is an invigorating creative adventure. Sue Smith
by Tor Lukasik-Foss
Me and the Ravens
I love ravens. I love crows. I love their shiny black feathers, their croaking, cawing and gurgling voices. I love their distinct silhouettes when flying or roosting in trees. I love how they hop around on the ground. I love how they inspire story.
The Corvid family is an interesting crew indeed. They thrive in a vast array of climatic zones from the southwest American desert to the rainforests of Haida Gwaii to the Canadian Arctic where they remain even during the winter. In fact, they live everywhere on the planet except the southern tip of South America and the polar icecaps. They are considered to be the most intelligent of birds. They are playful. They are resourceful. They memorize. They are tool-users. They are known to be attracted to and even collect shiny baubles.
The corvids inspire story, song, myth. Edgar Allan Poe, Joni Mitchell, Lou Reed and Aesop have all been inspired by the corvids The ravens who live under the protective care of the RavenMaster at the Tower of London are said to be the guardians of the kingdom – “if the ravens leave the tower, the kingdom will fall”.
Not long after I visited Bill Reid’s sculpture “Raven and the First Men”, which depicts a Haida creation myth, I learned that the Norse God, Odin, had a pair of ravens on whom he relied for the daily news. The all-knowing, Norse father God would be nowhere without his birds. The Haida creation story tells of the Raven bringing human life to the world. From two separate and geographically discreet cultures, the corvids had come to life in my imagination as creatures of intelligence, knowledge, mystery and purpose.
Over the years, it became evident that there was a mutually shared curiosity about ravens and crows amongst a group of my friends and performing compatriots. This curiosity became a magical springboard to explore and develop the “Huginand Munin” performance piece and to name ourselves the Ravenstring Collective.
I am inspired by our collective and by the corvids. The creative activation they compel is a deep well, both collectively and personally. I have been described, in my youth, as a “porcelain raven”. My friend Ben affectionately calls me his “raven beauty”. In the company of my creative pals, developing character, text and music in the voice of the raven and donning the long and flowing black robes to play the part of Munin is an invigorating creative adventure. Sue Smith
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