Dog and human from Raven's perspective: An interpretation of Raven myths of Alaskan Athabascans

Abstract

Raven appears as an important character in many Alaskan Athabascan myths. He is depicted as a powerful shaman who transforms the world through magic. In this paper, I analyze an often-neglected motif of Alaskan Athabascan Raven stories: Raven as Dog-eaters. I use mythological texts and ethnographic data collected in prior studies and from my fieldwork in the community of Nikolai, Alaska. In some Alaskan Athabascan myths, Raven has a strong appetite for dog meat and assists his neighbors who slaughter their dogs for him. This motif seems to describe a sacrificial practice whereby Raven, as a transformer, receives gifts of food in exchange for providing spiritual services and protection. However, in real life, Northern Athabascans do not practice typical animal sacrifice involving domestic animals. In addition, they do not regard dogs as being suitable for human consumption. This raises several questions. What is the significance of dogs in Alaskan Athabascan societies? Why is Raven thought to be fond of dog meat in traditional Alaskan Athabascan stories? How can we explain this motif of “Dog as Raven's Delicacy” through an ethnography of human–dog–raven relations in Alaskan Athabascan societies? This paper addresses these questions from the perspectives of comparative mythology, ethology and the storytelling strategy.