Legend of the Raven

the eskimos of Canada have been made since earliest times for Magical reasons or simply for amusement today the eskimos still create objects of such beauty that they are often held in the hand for Pure enjoyment of shape and texture like their art the legends of the eskimos are simple interpretations of the spirit world and the elements of nature which surround them this film through the medium of carvings tell such a story passed down through generations and enriched by Eskimo songs and poetry and the music of the drum dance [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] the darkness goes on for months in the Arctic winter the wind never stops and the snow keeps on drifting [Music] [Music] he [Music] hey he he [Music] he hey hey hey [Music] hey [Music] [Music] for once long ago as sometimes happens in early spring there was a hungry time for the people the migration of the Caribou had not come we ourselves have waited long for the Caribou some years but never as long as that all the people were hungry and so a man and his son left home and went in search of food fear was about them and remaining was intolerable at last they saw a raven sitting on the barrier ice in those days of course all Ravens were able to speak like men I Raven have you seen any animals we could eat no I'm starving myself just now I was dreaming of dead fish you are higher than we are Raven you are a good Hunter will you tell us if you find any game I [Music] will after he had flown for a long time thinking how hungry he was the Raven saw some walrus lying on the flow ice in the past the Raven had teased iish because he was clumsy now the walrus teased [Music] him the Raven flew on and spied terak the weasel but he is the quickest of all animals and when the Raven SW whooped terak only laughed at last down on the tundra The Raven saw something he could eat it was the eggs of opic the owl perhaps opic would be generous the raven could only think of how good those eggs would taste I am so happy to see you opic are you not happier to see my eggs could you spare me one egg try and take one just one [Music] egg The Raven was hungrier than ever he saw nanuk the bear watching for seal by a crack in the sea ice for he too is hungry nan have you no sense the seal will hit he [Music] you a long way off the man and the boy who had found no game were fishing through a hole in the sea ice for a long time they bent over the water hoping for a bite they caught nothing how they wished for even a sculpin or a rock cod to catch the hook but the sculpin laughed at them the water was dark and still and there was no tug on the line they were weak with Hunger but there was no help for it there was nothing but ice around them night came on they were tired of watching and waiting the father sang magic words to call up [Music] game se you are in my thoughts come up from the [Music] sea K come in your hers in dear early morning Beasts of the plain come and offer yourselves Beasts of the sea come and offer [Music] yourselves come and offer yourselves in the [Music] morning but there was no answer to his songs meanwhile far away through the night the Raven flew on though he had seen much game for men he had seen none for himself he saw more walrus but this time he did not speak he saw peruto the otter who was hunting too and op Glide in silently hunting in the darkness of the [Music] moon when Dawn came he saw four snow geese Beyond the Edge of the flow ice he knew that spring was coming back then he saw a wolf hunting it followed fresh Carib [Music] at last the Caribou had come the Raven must fly back with the news when men hunt caraboo ravens eat [Music] well now at this time the hunters who had found no game were returning to camp a a we are starving our stomachs are shrunken a we are so weak that we see the skin boats rise up out of their Mings it is indeed a time of starvation Earth itself hovers loose in the air we are Bewitched by toruk the small Spirit but look The Raven has come back the Raven who was hunting for game for us cheer up I have seen game where is it what kind of game tell us where is it where is the game and what kind is it the Raven told them of cabou walrus bear and seal just then something caught his eye it was NAA the seagull with a fish in her mouth she was not hungry perhaps NAA has some eggs nearby now everyone knows that the seagull is kind and generous perhaps she will give him an ache dear seagar I have not eaten for Days please let me have one of your eggs won't you give me just one of your eggs no said the seag girl and she repeated no you wouldn't let me die would you dear seagull well to save your life you may have one egg at the thought of the eggs The Raven became greedy he saw two skin buckets left lying on the Shore by a careless girl and he flew down to pick them up the Hunter and his son came up to him Raven where is the game you saw and he answered far from here what did you see that we might catch the Caribou are coming tell us where we will go to hunt them first I will get my own food then I will tell you and the Raven told took one egg the seagar was happy to save the Raven's life he took a second egg Raven spare my children but Raven was greedy all the birds protested Raven where is the game for us but with the egg in his mouth he could only answer even without he AED his beak raven could not speak because of his greediness the raven could no longer speak with men ever since that day the seagull has carefully guarded her legs and ever since that day all Raven have been cast out by the birds and can no longer speak like men [Music] d [Music]