An elderly man living alone with his young wife survives an assassination attempt by a young hunter who desires his wife. The old man kills the hunter in self-defense and flees, seeking refuge among strangers. Unbeknownst to him, these strangers are the hunter’s relatives. Upon learning of his deed, they exact revenge by killing the old man.
Source:
The Beaver Indians
by Pliny Earle Goddard
The American Museum of Natural History – Anthropological Papers
Volume X, Part 4
New York, 1912
► Themes of the story
Love and Betrayal: The young man’s proposal to the old man’s wife and her implicit acceptance represent betrayal within a relationship.
Revenge and Justice: The old man’s act of killing the young man in self-defense leads to his own death at the hands of the young man’s relatives, highlighting cycles of retribution.
Tragic Flaw: The old man’s decision to share his story with strangers, who turn out to be the young man’s relatives, leads to his demise.
► From the same Region or People
Learn more about the Dane-zaa people
There was one old man who camped by himself, living on rabbits which he was taking in snares. He had a wife who was a young girl. A young man who was living with some strange Indians was out hunting and came to the woman. He told her that he would kill the old man when he was out looking after his snares. “If I kill him I will marry you,” he told her. When the old man went out to look after his snares the young man went in the same direction. He watched for him behind some willows which were covered with snow. A rabbit had been snared and was hanging high up on the spring pole. When the old man stretched up to pull it down with a wooden hook he carried, the young man shot him. The old man jumped up and the arrow went under him.
► Continue reading…
The old man rushed after the young man who tried in vain to run away. He caught him and killed him.
Because the young man had many relatives the old man ran off. He came to some people who were living far away whom he did not know. They were the relatives of the young man he had killed. He was telling them his experiences when they broke in on him saying, “You are telling us about our youngest brother whom you have killed. We were wondering who killed him and it turns out to be you.” They killed the old man, although he was very pitiful.
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