The Algonquin legends of New England; or, Myths and folk lore of the Micmac, Passamaquoddy, Penobscot tribes

Table of Contents......Page 2 Charles Godfrey Leland......Page 5 PREFACE.......Page 7 AUTHORITIES.......Page 8 INTRODUCTION......Page 13 Of Glooskap's Birth, and of his Brother Malsum the Wolf.......Page 17 How Glooskap made the Elves and Fairies, and then Man of an Ash Tree, and last of all, Beasts, and of his Coming at the Last Day.......Page 18 Of the Great Deeds which Glooskap did for Men; how he named the Animals, and who they were that formed his Family.......Page 23 How Win-pe the Sorcerer, having stolen Glooskap's Family, was by him pursued, and how, Glooskap for a Merry Jest cheated the Whale. Of the Song of the Clams, and how the Whale smoked a Pipe.......Page 24 Of the Dreadful Deeds of the Evil Pitcher, who was both Man and Woman, and how she fell in love with Glooskap, and, being scorned, became his Enemy. Of the Toads and Porcupines, and the Awful Battle of the Giants.......Page 26 How the Story of Glooskap and Pook-jin-skwess, the Evil Pitcher, is told by the Passamaquoddy Indians. [Footnote: In this story Glooskap is called Pogumk, the Black Cat or Fisher, that is, a species of wild cat, while Martin is a N'mockswess, sable. There seems to be no settled idea as to what was the totem or innate animal nature of the lord of men and beasts. I have a series of pictures scraped on birch-bark illustrating these myths, executed by a Passamaquoddy, in which Glooskap and the adopted grandmother in the stone canoe are represented as wood-chucks, or ground-hogs. (Mon-in-kwess, P.)]......Page 29 How Glooskap made his Uncle Mikchich the Turtle into a Great Man, and got him a Wife. [Footnote: This legend of the tortoise is carefully compiled from six different versions: the narration of Tomah Josephs, a Passamaquoddy; the Anglo-Indian manuscript, already cited; two accounts in the Rand manuscript; the author quoted without credit in The Maritime Provinces; and one by Mrs. W. Wallace Brown. As the totem of the Tortoise was of the highest rank among the Algonquins, this account of its origin is of corresponding interest. Having employed an old Indian to carve the handle of a war or scalping knife for me, such as was used by his Passamaquoddy ancestors, he carved on it a tortoise. It was especially the totem of the Lenni-Lenape, called by the Passamaquoddies Lel-le-mabe, fithe people.fl] Of Turtles' Eggs, and how Glooskap vanquished a Sorcerer by smoking Tobacco.......Page 31 How Glooskap sailed through the great Cavern of Darkness.......Page 35 Of the Great Works which Glooskap made in the Land.......Page 36 The Story of Glooskap as told in a few Words by a Woman of the Penobscots.......Page 37 How Glooskap, leaving the World, all the Animals mourned for him, and how, ere he departed, he gave Gifts to Men.......Page 38 How Glooskap had a great Frolic with Kitpooseagunow, a Mighty Giant who caught a Whale.......Page 40 How Glooskap made a Magician of a Young Man, who aided another to win a Wife and do Wonderful Deeds.......Page 44 Of other Men who went to Glooskap for Gifts.......Page 48 Of Glooskap and the Three Other Seekers.......Page 50 Of Glooskap and the Sinful Serpent.......Page 52 The Tale of Glooskap as told by another Indian. Showing how the Toad and Porcupine lost their Noses.......Page 53 How Glooskap changed Certain Saucy Indians into Rattlesnakes......Page 54 How Glooskap bound Wuchowsen, the Great Wind-Bird, and made all the Waters in all the World Stagnant.......Page 55 How Glooskcap conquered the Great Bull-Frog, and in what Manner all the Pollywogs, Crabs, Leeches, and other Water Creatures were created.......Page 56 How the Lord of Men and Beasts strove with the Mighty Wasis, and was shamefully defeated.......Page 59 How the great Glooskap fought the Giant Sorcerers at Saco, and turned them into Fish.......Page 60 How Glooskap went to England and France, and was the first to make America known to the Europeans.......Page 61 How Glooskap is making Arrows, and preparing for a Great Battle. The Twilight of the Indian Gods.......Page 63 How Glooskap found the Summer.......Page 64 THE MERRY TALES OF LOX, THE MISCHIEF MAKER,......Page 67 Of the Wolverine and the Wolves, or how Master Lox Froze to Death.......Page 78 How Master Lox played a Trick on Mrs. Bear, who lost her eyesight and had her eyes opened.......Page 80 How Master Lox as a Raccoon killed the Bear and the Black Cats and performed other Notable Feats of Skill, all to his Great Discredit.......Page 82 How Lox deceived the Ducks, cheated the Chief, and beguiled the Bear.......Page 84 The Mischief Maker. A Tradition of the Origin of the Mythology of the Senecas. A Lox Legend.......Page 87 THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF MASTER RABBIT......Page 93 II. How Mahtigwess, the Rabbit dined with the Woodpecker Girls, and was again humbled by trying to rival them.......Page 94 IV. Relating how the Rabbit became Wise by being Original, and of the Terrible Tricks which he by Magic played Loup-Cervier, the Wicked Wild Cat.......Page 95 V. How Master Rabbit went to a Wedding and won the Bride.......Page 99 VII. The Young Man who was Saved by a Rabbit and a Fox.......Page 100 THE CHENOO LEGENDS.......Page 102 The Story of the Great Chenoo, as told by the Passamaquoddies.......Page 107 The Girl-Chenoo.......Page 109 THUNDER STORIES......Page 110 How a hunter visited the Thunder Spirits who dwell in Mount Katahdin.......Page 111 The Thunder and Lightning Men.......Page 112 AT-O-SIS, THE SERPENT......Page 114 Of the Woman who loved a Serpent who lived in a Lake.......Page 116 The Mother of Serpents.......Page 117 Origin of the Black Snakes.......Page 118 THE PARTRIDGE......Page 119 The Story of a Partridge and his Wonderful Wigwam.......Page 123 The Mournful Mystery of the Partridge-Witch; setting forth how a Young Man died from Love.......Page 124 How one of the Partridge's Wives became a Sheldrake Duck, and why her Feet and Feathers are Red.......Page 126 THE INVISIBLE ONE.......Page 127 STORY OF THE THREE STRONG MEN.......Page 130 THE WEEWILLMEKQ'.......Page 135 II. Muggahmaht'adem, the Dance of Old Age, or the Magic of the Weewillmekq'. [Footnote: This mysterious being is called Wee-wil-li-ah-mek in Penobscot The correct pronounciation is very nearly Wee-wil-'l-mekqu' for both Penobscot and Passamaquoddy, but this would be a difficult utterence for any one who has never listened to the Algonquin soft gutturals.......Page 137 III. Another Version of the Dance of Old Age.......Page 138 TALES OF MAGIC.......Page 140 Tumilkoontaoo, or the Broken Wing.......Page 148 Fish-Hawk and Scapegrace.......Page 150 The Giant Magicians.......Page 152 Table of Contents 2 The Algonquin Legends of New England 5 Charles Godfrey Leland 5 PREFACE. 7 AUTHORITIES. 8 INTRODUCTION 13 THE ALGONQUIN LEGENDS OF NEW ENGLAND. 17 GLOOSKAP THE DIVINITY. 17 Of Glooskap's Birth, and of his Brother Malsum the Wolf. 17 How Glooskap made the Elves and Fairies, and then Man of an Ash Tree, and last of all, Beasts, and of his Coming at the Last Day. 18 Of the Great Deeds which Glooskap did for Men; how he named the Animals, and who they were that formed his Family. 23 How Win-pe the Sorcerer, having stolen Glooskap's Family, was by him pursued, and how, Glooskap for a Merry Jest cheated the Whale. Of the Song of the Clams, and how the Whale smoked a Pipe. 24 Of the Dreadful Deeds of the Evil Pitcher, who was both Man and Woman, and how she fell in love with Glooskap, and, being scorned, became his Enemy. Of the Toads and Porcupines, and the Awful Battle of the Giants. 26 How the Story of Glooskap and Pook-jin-skwess, the Evil Pitcher, is told by the Passamaquoddy Indians. [Footnote: In this story Glooskap is called Pogumk, the Black Cat or Fisher, that is, a species of wild cat, while Martin is a N'mockswess, sable. There seems to be no settled idea as to what was the totem or innate animal nature of the lord of men and beasts. I have a series of pictures scraped on birch-bark illustrating these myths, executed by a Passamaquoddy, in which Glooskap and the adopted grandmother in the stone canoe are represented as wood-chucks, or ground-hogs. (Mon-in-kwess, P.)] 29 How Glooskap became friendly to the Loons, and made them his Messengers. 31 How Glooskap made his Uncle Mikchich the Turtle into a Great Man, and got him a Wife. [Footnote: This legend of the tortoise is carefully compiled from six different versions: the narration of Tomah Josephs, a Passamaquoddy; the Anglo-Indian manuscript, already cited; two accounts in the Rand manuscript; the author quoted without credit in The Maritime Provinces; and one by Mrs. W. Wallace Brown. As the totem of the Tortoise was of the highest rank among the Algonquins, this account of its origin is of corresponding interest. Having employed an old Indian to carve the handle of a war or scalping knife for me, such as was used by his Passamaquoddy ancestors, he carved on it a tortoise. It was especially the totem of the Lenni-Lenape, called by the Passamaquoddies Lel-le-mabe, 铿乼he people.铿俔 Of Turtles' Eggs, and how Glooskap vanquished a Sorcerer by smoking Tobacco. 31 How Glooskap sailed through the great Cavern of Darkness. 35 Of the Great Works which Glooskap made in the Land. 36 The Story of Glooskap as told in a few Words by a Woman of the Penobscots. 37 How Glooskap, leaving the World, all the Animals mourned for him, and how, ere he departed, he gave Gifts to Men. 38 How Glooskap had a great Frolic with Kitpooseagunow, a Mighty Giant who caught a Whale. 40 How Glooskap made a Magician of a Young Man, who aided another to win a Wife and do Wonderful Deeds. 44 How a Certain Wicked Witch sought to cajole the Great and Good Glooskap, and of her Punishment. 48 Of other Men who went to Glooskap for Gifts. 48 Of Glooskap and the Three Other Seekers. 50 Of Glooskap and the Sinful Serpent. 52 The Tale of Glooskap as told by another Indian. Showing how the Toad and Porcupine lost their Noses. 53 How Glooskap changed Certain Saucy Indians into Rattlesnakes 54 How Glooskap bound Wuchowsen, the Great Wind-Bird, and made all the Waters in all the World Stagnant. 55 How Glooskcap conquered the Great Bull-Frog, and in what Manner all the Pollywogs, Crabs, Leeches, and other Water Creatures were created. 56 How the Lord of Men and Beasts strove with the Mighty Wasis, and was shamefully defeated. 59 How the great Glooskap fought the Giant Sorcerers at Saco, and turned them into Fish. 60 How Glooskap went to England and France, and was the first to make America known to the Europeans. 61 How Glooskap is making Arrows, and preparing for a Great Battle. The Twilight of the Indian Gods. 63 How Glooskap found the Summer. 64 THE MERRY TALES OF LOX, THE MISCHIEF MAKER, 67 Of the Wolverine and the Wolves, or how Master Lox Froze to Death. 78 How Master Lox played a Trick on Mrs. Bear, who lost her eyesight and had her eyes opened. 80 How Lox came to Grief by trying to catch a Salmon. 82 How Master Lox as a Raccoon killed the Bear and the Black Cats and performed other Notable Feats of Skill, all to his Great Discredit. 82 How Lox deceived the Ducks, cheated the Chief, and beguiled the Bear. 84 The Mischief Maker. A Tradition of the Origin of the Mythology of the Senecas. A Lox Legend. 87 How Lox told a Lie. 93 THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF MASTER RABBIT 93 II. How Mahtigwess, the Rabbit dined with the Woodpecker Girls, and was again humbled by trying to rival them. 94 III. Of the Adventure with Mooin, the Bear; it being the Third and Last Time that Master Rabbit made a Fool of himself. 95 IV. Relating how the Rabbit became Wise by being Original, and of the Terrible Tricks which he by Magic played Loup-Cervier, the Wicked Wild Cat. 95 V. How Master Rabbit went to a Wedding and won the Bride. 99 VI. How Master Rabbit gave himself Airs. 100 VII. The Young Man who was Saved by a Rabbit and a Fox. 100 THE CHENOO LEGENDS. 102 The Story of the Great Chenoo, as told by the Passamaquoddies. 107 The Girl-Chenoo. 109 THUNDER STORIES 110 How a hunter visited the Thunder Spirits who dwell in Mount Katahdin. 111 The Thunder and Lightning Men. 112 Of the Woman who married the Thunder, and of their Boy. 114 AT-O-SIS, THE SERPENT 114 Of the Woman who loved a Serpent who lived in a Lake. 116 The Mother of Serpents. 117 Origin of the Black Snakes. 118 THE PARTRIDGE 119 The Story of a Partridge and his Wonderful Wigwam. 123 How the Partridge built Good Canoes for all the Birds, and a Bad One for Himself. 124 The Mournful Mystery of the Partridge-Witch; setting forth how a Young Man died from Love. 124 How one of the Partridge's Wives became a Sheldrake Duck, and why her Feet and Feathers are Red. 126 THE INVISIBLE ONE. 127 STORY OF THE THREE STRONG MEN. 130 THE WEEWILLMEKQ'. 135 II. Muggahmaht'adem, the Dance of Old Age, or the Magic of the Weewillmekq'. [Footnote: This mysterious being is called Wee-wil-li-ah-mek in Penobscot The correct pronounciation is very nearly Wee-wil-'l-mekqu' for both Penobscot and Passamaquoddy, but this would be a difficult utterence for any one who has never listened to the Algonquin soft gutturals. 137 III. Another Version of the Dance of Old Age. 138 TALES OF MAGIC. 140 Tumilkoontaoo, or the Broken Wing. 148 Fish-Hawk and Scapegrace. 150 The Giant Magicians. 152