Heroes and Heroines: Tlingit-Haida Legend [Paperback]

Mary Giraudo Beck (Author), Nancy DeWitt (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2003

Author Mary L. Beck recounts nine traditional Native American legends from the Northwest Coast.

Product Details

• Paperback: 113 pages
• Publisher: Alaska Northwest Books; Later printing edition (June 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0882403346
• ISBN-13: 978-0882403342
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #151,843 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Can't Say enough about this book, April 27, 2000

By 

J. E. Nelson (Plainfield, Illinois) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Heroes and Heroines: Tlingit-Haida Legend (Paperback)

Just like Beck's "Shamans & Kushtakas" this book is a great reference on Tlingit & Haida mythology. She does an excellent job in both books passing on the legends of old into the 21st century. I am a Haida indian and I think she did a wonderful job

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful selection of tales from Tlingit-Haida culture., March 24, 2004

By 

Monika "equestrienne_23" (Davis, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Heroes and Heroines: Tlingit-Haida Legend (Paperback)

Having grown up in Alaska, I've had much exposure to Native Alaskan culture and have always loved reading or hearing their folklore. This particular book is a great collection of Tlingit-Haida legends, each of which is a sort of "how things came to be this way" story. They explain why a certain clan took a particular crest, or how a legendary hero came to fame, etc. What I found especially interesting is the comparison with folklore from other cultures. Each story is accompanied by a short introduction in which the author shows us the parallels between these tales and similar ones in Greek, Roman, and Egyptian mythology. The stories are set down in clear, simple language, but are still vivid and engrossing. My one criticism of the book would be that it's too short. There are only nine legends included, and this makes for only a small sampling of Tlingit-Haida lore. I would have loved to see more. However, I will not knock any point off my rating for this. The fact that I wish it had gone on longer only attests to its overall quality. This is a terrific book, easy to read, and I'd highly recommend it to anyone interested in native folklore.

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant Tales Told Beautifully, December 10, 2009

By 

Shakespearemom (Bainbridge, GA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Heroes and Heroines: Tlingit-Haida Legend (Paperback)

What an amazing book! I picked this up while traveling around Alaska, and I found it compelling enough to develop a class on mythology for the coming semester, using this book as one of the texts. The stories are entertaining and meaningful, and extremely readable. I know that my students are going to learn a great deal, but they will also enjoy every minute of it, for the storytelling within this text is truly beautiful. I wish I could find more books like it!

The illustrations are also beautiful. The book is one of the best folklore explorations I have read in years.