An Aboriginal Presence

Our Origins

Wealth of Stories - Raven Bringing Light to the World

In the utter darkness at the beginning of the world, light was hidden in the lodge of the Old Fisherman. Raven, wishing to gain access to this treasure, turns himself into a leaf and is swallowed by the Old Fisherman's daughter. Now born as her son, Raven begs and pleads with his Grandfather to bring out the box holding the light. Worn out by the child's whining, the Old Fisherman unwraps eight boxes, one inside the next, until the last lid is lifted and the lodge is flooded with light. Entranced, the boy runs around the house, playing with the ball of fire. He asks for the roof boards covering the smoke hole to be taken off. No sooner are they removed, than the child changes himself back into Raven, jumps to the roof and flings the ball of light into the sky where it becomes the Sun.

Adapted from Marius Barbeau,
"How the Raven Stole the Sun"