Image of the Week: The Council of Animals
© D. Yael Bernhard
This illustration is from my fourth picture book, How Snowshoe Hare Rescued the Sun: A Tale of the Arctic (Holiday House, 1993). Like many tales of the far north, this one tells of the polar darkness that lasts for approximately 40 days, when the sun does not rise above the horizon. The story hails from the Yuit people of northern Siberia, who share much in common with their Inuit relatives across the Bering Sea in Alaska. It's a stark and simple tale with strong shamanic underpinnings, brimming with animal powers that speak to the human condition. As written in the author's note, "To people who have hunted for thousands of years, animals easily embody both the wisdom and folly of humans. And on such a desolate landscape, the distinctive character of each animal stands out." The hunters of the Arctic both revered and communed with the animals they killed – a contradiction that evades our idealized notions of native cultures and modern practice of buying anonymous slabs of meat in supermarkets.
As the story goes, when the animals of the tundra wake up to a world of darkness, they stumble about in confusion. Like three different tribes, the animals of the land, birds of the air, and beasts of the sea gather together for a great council. Wise Snowy Owl gathers the group together, pleading for cooperation in bringing back the Sun. They don't have to look far to find it. The greedy demons who live under the earth have stolen the Sun for themselves and hidden it in their bone-filled lair. "Whoooo," asks Snowy Owl, "will rescue the Sun?"
The biggest and strongest of the animals, Polar Bear, boasts that he is the most capable. He sets off toward the demons' cave, but he is soon waylaid by his equally strong nose and hungry belly. My illustration shows him wallowing in a patch of berries. Grey Wolf, the fastest and most cunning of the animals, volunteers next, but he too fails to rescue the Sun, as he is drawn off course by the temptation of a cozy wolf den. Only the humblest of all creatures, Snowshoe Hare, who utters not a word and seeks no glory, succeeds in rescuing the Sun, quietly slipping through a crack in the earth and kicking the Sun out of the demons' cave with his strong hind legs. A wild chase ensues, but in the end humility, perseverance, and bravery triumph over strength, speed, and size. Just as the demons are about to devour him, Snowshoe Hare turns and faces them, then kicks the Sun up into the sky. The light is restored, and spring soon comes to the tundra.
Long before this book was born, I had a love affair with Inuit art. Its bold simplicity is stark and striking. With little regard for ordinary reality, its subjects are transformed into unique designs that seem infused with spiritual power. I steeped myself in Inuit prints, masks, and carvings, one time even copying an entire coffee table book from the library. As I worked on this picture book, I tried to emulate the style of Inuit art. The illustrations have little detail, like the Arctic landscape itself. The demons are based on the traditional finger puppets made by the Inuit people as storytelling props – their main recreation through the long dark winters. There's little color in the animal characters other than black, white, and grey, so I chose background colors that enhance the restricted palette (and textured them a bit like northern lights) then added more color in borders and side panels that hold the story's text.
Here in the Northeast the light is already returning. Day by day, the sun gains strength. In reflecting on the deeper meaning of this simple folktale, we would do well to take its message to heart: when the world goes dark, we all need to cooperate in banishing greed and restoring the life-giving energy that is shared by all. Did the people of Siberia know how prescient their story would be for modern readers? Considering how their shamans are able to commune with animal spirits and travel other realities, I don't doubt it.
How Snowshoe Hare Rescued the Sun has long been out of print, but copies may be found in libraries and from used book sellers.
A good week to all!
D Yael Bernhard