WANDERERS. 263 



If the Scandinavians were originally - of Asiatic 

 origin, the record of the raven having been used 

 by Noah no doubt must have been handed down 

 to them. We have no authority for this theory, 

 beyond the bare probability to which slight his- 

 torical fragments point. In past times the bird 

 no doubt owed his life in some measure to the 

 belief that ancient members of his race fed the 

 prophet Elijah. Where the Bible formed the only 

 literature of the household and it was read and 

 acted on in a literal manner it is no wonder that 

 this bird went free. Some of the quiet women of 

 our coast their types are now only seen in paintings 

 when they spoke were listened to with respect, 

 for they would wrestle in spirit, as they called it, 

 with the head of the house until he was full of it, 

 and gave in. If it had "been shown to them," 

 as they would say, that a certain thing should 

 not be done, as a rule it was left alone by the 

 men-folk. 



The last ravens' nest which was harried, to my 

 knowledge, was upset by some one hired for the 

 job, and not by the person one might have expected 

 to do it. If it was supposed that ill-luck would 



