Rainbow Crow | A Lenape Legend

The Lenape legend of Rainbow Crow tells the tale of a large, strong, and brave crow who makes a courageous sacrifice to help his friends. The crow was beautiful with multi-coloured feathers that looked like a rainbow. He also had a wonderfully sweet singing voice. One day, snow begins to fall in the forest. Rainbow Crow and his animal friends had never seen snow before and several became quite scared.

Over time, smaller animals began to disappear under the growing pile of snow. They decided that someone needed to travel to The Great Sky Spirit to ask him to stop the snow. Rainbow Crow offered to fly towards The Great Sky Spirit to help save his friends. The Great Sky Spirit offered him a flame perched on the tip of a small twig and told him that it would help to stop the snow.

Rainbow Crow’s flight back took three days and the flame on the twig burned and burned. By the time he returned, his colourful feathers had turned black and his voice was scratchy from breathing in the smoke.

The snow stopped but Rainbow Crow was very sad about how he had changed; he did not feel beautiful anymore. His friends, though, were very supportive and thankful for his sacrifice. Even though Rainbow Crow was still sad, The Great Sky Spirit told him to look closely at his feathers and he would see tiny rainbows in his black feathers as a thank-you for what he had given for his friends.