The raven has been the object of countless myths and legends around the world. The
Native American peoples in the Pacific Northwest considered Raven to be the god who
brought life and order. The spiritual importance of the raven to Alaska's Native people is
still recognized. The Tingit, Haida, Tsimshian, BellaBella, and Kwakiuti all viewed the
raven as the creator of the world and bringer of daylight. The raven is also important in
the creation myths by the Eskimo. The myths of the raven remain a significant social and
religious component of Alaskan culture.
 
Raven was first and foremost a creator and trickster god, especially for the Haida tribe,
who claim he discovered the first humans hiding in a clam shell and brought them berries
and salmon to survive. For some Native Americans, such as the Tsimshian people,
Raven is both a trickster and a culture hero. Sometimes his antics shake up the gods and
the established order of the universe, and sometimes they backfire and get him into
trouble. Often, though, Raven's deeds benefit Humankind, as in the legend of how
Raven brought light into the world. After finding the hiding place where the moon, stars, and sun were kept, he succeeded in stealing the light from the power that held it and
wanted to keep the world in darkness. Raven released them so that they could shine on
the world. Some versions of this myth relate that prior to the liberation of light, Raven's
feathers were white, and then the gradual release of the light turned them the color of soot
or black.
 
Ravens have also had a strong association with floods, and perhaps the best known is the
description of the raven's role on Noah's ark during the flood depicted in Genesis. In this
story, the raven is sent off by Noah to see whether or not the waters have subsided, but the
raven never returns. The association of the raven in the flood-creation story also points
out its significance as a messenger. There are examples from Germany, India, Siberia,
Iceland and elsewhere, where people are advantaged by speaking with these birds or
eavesdropping on the conversation of ravens. In Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow
Queen, a raven, attempts to help little Gerda look for her lost playmate, Kay. *Listen to
me," said the raven, but it is so difficult to speak your language! Do you understand
Ravenish? If so, I can tell you much better.
 
Now, I will relate this to my vessel. The raven has often been called upon for assistance
as a Spirit Guide or Guardian. The flying raven on one side of my vessel represents the
raven that Noah first sent from the Ark to find land. The symbol of the raven on the other
side of the vessel represents the ability of the raven to be a trickster and to shapeshift into
C human form. You will notice that the top part is of a bird, and the lower body and legs
are human in form. This allows him to accomplish tasks in two different worlds.
The raven on the top represents the spirit messenger and the bearer of gifts. Black is a
color of magical power and is only to be feared if it is misused. Raven's element is air, and this allows the shamans to project their influence over great distances.
The raven holds in its mouth a small piece of turquoise, which is one of the oldest protection amulets known in many cultures. It brings strength, peace to the home, good fortune, and a
connection to the spirit world. Turquoise also has healing properties and carries great
wisdom of basic truth within. There are also pottery shards on the top of the lid to
represent the many cultures of the past.
 
I titled the vessel "Bearer of Gifts" not only for the turquoise he holds or the gifts of food he gave to the first people in the clam shell, but also for the stars, moon, and sunlight that
he gave to the world.