Dean M. Chriss
Photography
Raven Tree Sunset, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

Raven Tree Sunset, Bryce Canyon

(Click image to enlarge)

There are many Native American legends about the raven. It was Raven, the transformer, who assisted the Great Spirit in creating the world. Full of mystical powers, Raven could transform himself into any form at will. He loved to tease and trick. One legend tells of Raven being burned black as a result of thievery and cruelty to the other birds. Whatever you may believe about ravens, they are incredibly intelligent birds. Simply watching one for a while makes it easy to see how the various legends arose.

Ravens have a huge range that encompasses northwest Europe, Britain, Holarctic, Greenland (mainly coastal areas), Iceland, northern Scandinavia, east to Pacific, central Asia to the Himalayas and northwest India, Iran and the Near East, northwest Africa and Canary Islands, North and Central America.