A cannibal named Wolverene deceives hunters using a stuffed moose as bait, hiding in a hollow tree to ambush them. A wise man, guided by his fog spirit, uncovers the ruse, retrieves Wolverene’s weapons, and fatally wounds him. He then confronts and kills Wolverene’s wife and daughter, ensuring Wolverene cannot revive. Some versions suggest this led to wolverenes becoming scavengers of corpses.
Source:
Tahltan Tales
by James A. Teit
The American Folklore Society
Journal of American Folklore
Vol.32, No.124, pp.198-250
April-June, 1917
Vol.34, No.133, pp.223-253
July-September, 1921
Vol.34, No.134, pp.335-356
October-December, 1921
► Themes of the story
Trickster: Wolverene employs cunning tactics, such as the stuffed moose decoy and hiding within the stump, to deceive and ambush hunters.
Divine Intervention: The wise man’s connection to his fog manitou aids him in uncovering Wolverene’s deception, suggesting the influence of a spiritual guide in mortal affairs.
Revenge and Justice: The wise man’s actions to confront and eliminate Wolverene and his family serve as retribution for the harm Wolverene caused to many hunters, restoring balance and justice to the community.
► From the same Region or People
Learn more about Tahltan people
Wolverene was a cannibal, and killed many men. Near Wolverene’s house, not far from a lake, on an open flat, was a large hollow tree, broken off about half way up, and weather-beaten. Wolverene was in the habit of hiding in the stump and watching for hunters. He used a stuffed moose as a decoy. He set the moose up on the open ground in a natural position; and hunters, seeing it, thought it was a live moose, and came to stalk it. When they came close, he pulled the effigy underground with a string leading to the stump; and then, as the hunter looked around on the open ground for tracks, Wolverene shot him with arrows from the stump. A wise man who had fog for his manitou, made up his mind to investigate, and told the people he was going to hunt in the direction in which so many hunters had disappeared. The man came to the lake, and saw what he thought was a moose across the lake feeding in an open place.
► Continue reading…
He watched a long time, and noticed that, although the moose appeared to be feeding, it was always stationary. This made him suspicious. He looked about, and saw not far from there a high stump. He saw something white bob up from time to time and disappear at the top of the tree. It looked like the head of a bald-headed eagle. Now the man called fog to come. He went around the lake, and, on closer view, thought the moose looked more like a stuffed than a live animal. He made the fog denser, and, approaching close to the moose, saw that it was the stuffed skin of a moose. Now he went to the stump, and saw that it was hollow right through to the top. Inside the base he discovered a bow and many arrows, of which he at once took possession. Wolverene was up at the top of the tree peering through the fog, and had left his bow and arrows at the bottom. The man looking up through the hollow stump could see him. He called up, “Who are you?” Wolverene was very much surprised to hear a man speaking below him, for this was the first time a man had approached without his knowing it. He knew the man must have taken his weapons, and thus rendered him helpless. He called out to the man, “Spare me!” but the man answered, “No, I cannot, you have killed too many people.” He shot several arrows into Wolverene, and mortally wounded him. The man saw a trail leading away from the stump, and followed it. He came to Wolverene’s house, and saw human bones scattered all around. He saw Wolverene’s wife and daughter inside, and Wolverene lying as if dead. The woman said to her husband, “You say you are killed. When I call you, you will come to life.” Wolverene’s wife took hold of the man, and held him tight. As soon as she did this, Wolverene became alive and approached them. The man was stronger than the woman, and threw her off. As soon as he did this. Wolverene fell dead, saying, “I thought you held him firmly; now I am dying again. I did not think you would let him go.” Each time the woman seized the man, her husband revived; and when he threw her off, he expired. The man then killed the woman and her daughter, and cut Wolverene’s body into small pieces, which he threw into the lake so that he could not come to life again. Some informants say that he transformed these people into wolverenes. Because these people were cannibals, wolverenes eat corpses at the present day.
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