Birds: Myth, Lore and Legend

Birds: Myth, Lore and Legend
Author: Rachel Warren Chadd
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 306
Release: 2016-08-25
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 1472922883

The stories, myths and legends associated with more than 80 kinds of birds from around the world. Why are owls regarded either as wise or as harbingers of doom? What gave rise to the fanciful belief that storks bring babies? Why is the eagle associated with victory or the hummingbird with paradise? The answers are here in this engaging book. By re-telling the many legends, beliefs, proverbs and predictions associated with more than 80 birds from many nations, it brings into focus the close – and often ancient – links between humans and these remarkable feathered descendants of dinosaurs. Discover, for instance: - Why the cockerel features on many church spires - The one sacred bird that symbolises life and peace in most cultures - How to dispel bad luck if you see a certain black-and-white bird - The South American 'devil bird' once thought to be a dragon Birds: Myth, Lore and Legend draws on historical accounts and scientific literature to reveal how colourful tales or superstitions were shaped by human imagination based on each bird's behaviour or appearance. It offers a fresh and enchanting perspective on birds across the world.

Aesop's Fables

Aesop's Fables
Author: Aesop
Publisher: Wordsworth Editions
Total Pages: 210
Release: 1994
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 9781853261282

A collection of animal fables told by the Greek slave Aesop.

The Birds of Heaven

The Birds of Heaven
Author: Peter Matthiessen
Publisher: Macmillan
Total Pages: 404
Release: 2001-12-20
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 9780374199449

In addition, the enormous spans of cranes' migrations have encouraged international conservation efforts.".

In the Company of Crows and Ravens

In the Company of Crows and Ravens
Author: John M. Marzluff
Publisher: Yale University Press
Total Pages: 404
Release: 2008-10-01
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 0300135262

“Crows and people share similar traits and social strategies. To a surprising extent, to know the crow is to know ourselves.”—from the Preface From the cave walls at Lascaux to the last painting by Van Gogh, from the works of Shakespeare to those of Mark Twain, there is clear evidence that crows and ravens influence human culture. Yet this influence is not unidirectional, say the authors of this fascinating book: people profoundly influence crow culture, ecology, and evolution as well. John Marzluff and Tony Angell examine the often surprising ways that crows and humans interact. The authors contend that those interactions reflect a process of “cultural coevolution.” They offer a challenging new view of the human-crow dynamic—a view that may change our thinking not only about crows but also about ourselves. Featuring more than 100 original drawings, the book takes a close look at the influences people have had on the lives of crows throughout history and at the significant ways crows have altered human lives. In the Company of Crows and Ravens illuminates the entwined histories of crows and people and concludes with an intriguing discussion of the crow-human relationship and how our attitudes toward crows may affect our cultural trajectory.

People Could Fly: American Black Folktales

People Could Fly: American Black Folktales
Author: Virginia Hamilton
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 1985
Genre:
ISBN:

Retold Afro-American folktales of animals, fantasy, the supernatural, and desire for freedom, born of the sorrow of the slaves, but passed on in hope.