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fearn β€” Raven and Grey Eagles Daughter

Published: 2006-08-29 00:26:02 +0000 UTC; Views: 4342; Favourites: 210; Downloads: 19
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Description I love First Nations folk-lore and art. This is a bit of my tribute to it.

Myth obviously stolen from Wikipedia.

"Long ago, near the beginning of the world, Gray Eagle was the guardian of the Sun, Moon and Stars, of fresh water, and of fire. Gray Eagle hated people so much that he kept these things hidden. People lived in darkness, without fire and without fresh water.

Gray Eagle had a beautiful daughter, and Raven fell in love with her. At that time Raven was a handsome young man. He changed himself into a snow-white bird, and as a snow-white bird he pleased Gray Eagle's daughter. She invited him to her father's longhouse.

When Raven saw the Sun, Moon and stars, and fresh water hanging on the sides of Eagle's lodge, he knew what he should do. He watched for his chance to seize them when no one was looking. He stole all of them, and a brand of fire also, and flew out of the longhouse through the smoke hole. As soon as Raven got outside he hung the Sun up in the sky. It made so much light that he was able to fly far out to an island in the middle of the ocean. When the Sun set, he fastened the Moon up in the sky and hung the stars around in different places. By this new light he kept on flying, carrying with him the fresh water and the brand of fire he had stolen.

He flew back over the land. When he had reached the right place, he dropped all the water he had stolen. It fell to the ground and there became the source of all the fresh-water streams and lakes in the world. Then Raven flew on, holding the brand of fire in his bill. The smoke from the fire blew back over his white feathers and made them black. When his bill began to burn, he had to drop the firebrand. It struck rocks and hid itself within them. That is why, if you strike two stones together, sparks of fire will drop out.

Raven's feathers never became white again after they were blackened by the smoke from the firebrand. That is why Raven is now a black bird."

I decided to draw Grey Eagle's daughter in traditional Tlingit dress.

Done entirely in Photoshop.
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Comments: 49

geowillia7 [2013-12-05 16:44:36 +0000 UTC]

I finally found the creator of this beautiful image, and wanted to thank you. Β This became the end pieces to my chest plate tattoo. Β I hope you do not mind me using it. Β 

Again Thank you

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fearn In reply to geowillia7 [2013-12-16 03:25:55 +0000 UTC]

Not at all.Β  I've love to see a photo of your chest piece though! if you don't mind.Β  I have a few tattoos myself, nothing that I've created though!

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muttleymcg [2013-02-08 12:45:16 +0000 UTC]

Absolutely love this Would really like to use this for a tattoo design if thats ok with you?

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fearn In reply to muttleymcg [2013-02-09 15:04:03 +0000 UTC]

Sure, I'd be honoured. Just make sure to show me the results if it gets done!

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heatherrubylee [2010-06-22 01:22:42 +0000 UTC]

i love this i wish i could look as sexy at her in my button blanket lol! there is so many versions of this story! the one i learned was the raven turned himself into a pine needle and when the daughter drank from the river she drank the raven and soon after she was pregnet, raven was a trickster and told his grandfather he wanted the stars and when he opened the box he let it out in the sky, he soon got the sun and moon the same way and after all that he changed back into a raven and flew out the hole in the roof.....

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fearn In reply to heatherrubylee [2010-06-22 04:11:02 +0000 UTC]

Oh, that's a beautiful version of the story too!! And I'm sure you look great in your button blanket too! I think it's great that new generations of the First Nations are still taking on some of the same traditions and lore. It would be a shame to lose any of it, though I'm sure much has already been lost, unfotunately.

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bitmap0023 [2010-04-15 04:22:56 +0000 UTC]

very well done!

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blackonshadow [2009-01-11 06:37:42 +0000 UTC]

Beautiful! I love the inclusion of one of the old myths, though it's not quite the same as the version I grew up with. I love that you put her in Tlingit dress!

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fearn In reply to blackonshadow [2009-01-11 15:17:24 +0000 UTC]

It's more of an interpretation of the Tlingit dress. I don't think they are really meant to be so scandalous. lol. I'm sure there are variations on all of the myths, this was the one that I found. I love Native folklore, especially those about the Raven.

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airsoftassassin [2008-05-22 13:27:59 +0000 UTC]

You did a great job on this! Everything just flows together nicely.

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fearn In reply to airsoftassassin [2008-05-22 13:59:41 +0000 UTC]

thank you.

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ProfessorParsec [2008-01-24 04:30:22 +0000 UTC]

Awesome!

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MasumiXMRCX [2007-09-22 08:42:44 +0000 UTC]

Fantastic, excellent style meshes well between the illustrative and the design, exciting compliment to the story.

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XELOTEN-XELET [2007-08-27 18:04:09 +0000 UTC]

This is very beautiful and I like it a lot. You are very talented.

Is this your first pacific northwest coast artwork?

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fearn In reply to XELOTEN-XELET [2007-08-31 01:45:58 +0000 UTC]

Yes, it is my first piece of not only Northwest coast art, but native inspire art.

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jujubugone [2007-04-09 05:39:14 +0000 UTC]

Gorgeous

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LankaWeetzie [2006-12-21 07:10:59 +0000 UTC]

breath taking..>i'd buy a small print

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tharah [2006-11-28 19:19:31 +0000 UTC]

Arg, how did I not see and fave this before? *bashes forehead*

Beautiful job Ash, as always you amaze me with how diverse you....I always find such different things to see and enjoy among your work. *hugs*

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Emchromatic [2006-11-22 23:07:20 +0000 UTC]

Beautiful...

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Doctordrink [2006-10-14 22:52:46 +0000 UTC]

wow, interesting story and kick ass pic o.o I espically like how you made that bird figure over her hair, and the design you did for her makes her look stunning.

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InvisigothXVI [2006-09-04 19:49:50 +0000 UTC]

awesome! definite fave

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Inku-kun [2006-09-03 12:43:59 +0000 UTC]

wai~! This is good =O~ I really love that folklore behind this peice. It just makes it that much more interesting ^__^ I really like the solid colors of black and red, and its interesting how it just sort of fades with the smoke/cloudy-ness. I like very much <3

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shuu-bunni [2006-09-02 04:12:30 +0000 UTC]

It has a very japanesy feel (not anime, but more of the traditional Japanese/Chinese art) to it. Beautiful.

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Emchromatic In reply to shuu-bunni [2006-11-22 23:18:26 +0000 UTC]

HI WASHY

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shuu-bunni In reply to Emchromatic [2006-12-13 04:50:59 +0000 UTC]

OMFG HI.

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lily-kat [2006-08-31 18:24:15 +0000 UTC]

Wow, beautiful composition, Ash!
It's a beautiful myth too, I love stories like that.
He hair looks so smooth and it's vey kewl the way it turns into the crow (Raven). Nice shading on the skin as well!

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purplerose [2006-08-30 20:37:11 +0000 UTC]

Very nice work! I love the line weight variation as well as the color scheme.

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moorsparrow [2006-08-30 18:48:37 +0000 UTC]

I love this. It is soo beautiful. Definantly worth a fav!

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fearn In reply to moorsparrow [2006-08-30 20:09:31 +0000 UTC]

Thank you.

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ArtimasStudio [2006-08-30 13:03:53 +0000 UTC]

wow, very beautiful!! i love it very much!! The colours and details are really pretty!!

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fearn In reply to ArtimasStudio [2006-08-30 17:40:27 +0000 UTC]

thank you.

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ArtimasStudio In reply to fearn [2006-08-31 15:01:57 +0000 UTC]

welcome!

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wit-knee-jones [2006-08-29 22:37:34 +0000 UTC]

This is gorgeous. I love mythology, and now that i'm older, I enjoy learning about the less known myths like the one you listed here.

This is an amazing work; I'd love to see what you do with some Norse work as well.

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fearn In reply to wit-knee-jones [2006-08-29 23:37:34 +0000 UTC]

I've actually never read any Norse mythology. Only Greek, Native, Roman, Egyptian and some Celtic.

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wit-knee-jones In reply to fearn [2006-08-31 03:35:54 +0000 UTC]

Norse is cool. The Norse "twilight of the gods" or end of the world myth is especially interesting.

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brainleakage In reply to fearn [2006-08-30 04:23:39 +0000 UTC]

oh man, Norse has some UBER-AWESOME storyies and characters.... if you ever get the chance, check out a book at the OCAD library called "norse mythology" (duhhh....). it's this ratty little paperback but the stories are INCREADIBLE. i highly recommend....

and by the way, i LOVE the look of this piece. nice mix of graphic, solid colouring and shapes, and a more rendered, softer touch. good stuff here.

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fearn In reply to brainleakage [2006-08-30 17:38:43 +0000 UTC]

I'll be sure to check it out this year. Normally I sleep in the library.

Thanks a lot. I had a lot of fun doing this one.

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Silvemoor [2006-08-29 14:12:58 +0000 UTC]

Wow. I love this change from you normal style. It's nice to see that you can switch from slightly cartoonish to realism. Beautiful.

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fearn In reply to Silvemoor [2006-08-29 23:36:41 +0000 UTC]

Eh, it's not that realistic, but thank you., lol

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Yzabel [2006-08-29 06:51:31 +0000 UTC]

A nice story to share, for an even nicer picture. I quite dig out the pose, and how both figures are intertwining through her hair.

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fearn In reply to Yzabel [2006-08-29 23:36:18 +0000 UTC]

Thanks. I have this thing with hair.. lol

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Tizrak [2006-08-29 03:01:39 +0000 UTC]

Wow! I really, really like it! And thank you for sharing the story behind it as well.

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fearn In reply to Tizrak [2006-08-29 23:35:53 +0000 UTC]

I'm glad you like it. You're very welcome. It's one of my favourites.

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Tizrak In reply to fearn [2006-08-30 00:37:09 +0000 UTC]

If I had to sum it up in one word it would be 'elegant'. Not a line is wasted.

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fearn In reply to Tizrak [2006-08-30 01:24:59 +0000 UTC]

Thank you very much.

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hokuto [2006-08-29 01:38:10 +0000 UTC]

... she is GORGEOUS. o.o That lovely hair and design... Most beautiful work.

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fearn In reply to hokuto [2006-08-29 23:34:10 +0000 UTC]

Thank you.

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pearwood [2006-08-29 01:30:09 +0000 UTC]

Very nicely done.
Steve

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fearn In reply to pearwood [2006-08-29 23:35:26 +0000 UTC]

Thanks.

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