An Indian hunter endures a thawing winter’s slush and angrily blames the North Man. He meets the supernatural Snow Man, then spends spring and summer storing wood and animal grease. When the next winter’s cold arrives, he relies on his provisions and outlasts the Snow Man, who concedes defeat and restores balanced winters thereafter. The tale explains why winters aren’t extreme.
Source:
Some Naskapi Myths
from Little Whale River
by Frank G. Speck
The American Folklore Society
Journal of American Folklore
Vol.28, No.107, pp. 70-77
January-March, 1915
► Themes of the story
Origin of Things: The story explains why winters become balanced rather than too extreme.
Supernatural Beings: The Snow Man is a mystical figure who directly interacts with the hunter.
Conflict with Nature: The hunter struggles against harsh, unpredictable winter conditions.
► From the same Region or People
Learn more about the Naskapi people
An Indian was travelling in the winter-time; and the snow was soft and slushy, as the weather had grown warm. He was wading through the slush on his journey. The walking was so bad that he grew angrier as he proceeded. At last he came to a lake, and found that it was covered with water on the ice, and he had to wade through it. As he got wetter, he grew still angrier; and he exclaimed at last, “Why does the North Man do this? Why doesn’t he send good winter weather?”
At last he came to a portage at the other end of the lake. As he started on the portage, he saw a man all in white standing before him. At first he did not know who it could be; but as he came closer, he discovered that it was a Snow Man.
► Continue reading…
He had been feeling very angry as he came along, and the Snow Man saw how cross he looked. When the hunter came close, the Snow Man said, “What is the matter?” Then the hunter replied, “Such terrible slush and melting weather! The North Man is no good.” Then the Snow Man said, “I can’t do anything for you now; but some time I will try to help you.” — “All right,” said the hunter. The Snow Man disappeared, and the hunter went on with his journey.
The spring came, and warm weather. The lake melted and broke up. Then the hunter thought to himself, “I wonder what the Snow Man meant when he said he would help me!” He began to hunt, and saved the grease from the animals he killed, and put it all in bladders. He made a big camp and cut lots of wood, and kept piling up wood and storing grease all summer and fall, for he thought the Snow Man had meant something serious by what he had said.
When fall was over, the weather began to grow cold, and the snow season commenced. It snowed and snowed, and drifted in great masses around his camp and over the wigwam. So the winter went on colder and colder, until one day the Snow Man came to the camp. He found the hunter sitting by his fire. “How do you find the weather now?” said the Snow Man. “All right,” replied the hunter. The Snow Man staid, and the cold increased and the snow drifted higher. The hunter kept putting wood on the fire, and pouring grease on it, to make it burn stronger. By and by the Snow Man again asked the hunter, “How do you like the weather now?” — “All right,” answered the hunter, as before. He had really had enough cold weather, but he would not give in. He stood the cold well, because he had plenty of provisions, wood, and grease. He used these and piled wood on his fire, making the wigwam hotter and hotter.
At last the Snow Man could stand it no longer, for he was commencing to melt. Soon he had to go away. But before he went, he told the hunter, “You are a stronger man than I am. You have conquered me, and now I will leave.” After that he departed, and the cold began to moderate. The winter continued not so cold, but just as it should be, — not too cold nor too warm. It was a good winter, and since then the winters have not been so extreme.
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