Tag: 13. Revenge and Justice

Retribution or restoration of order

Story of a cannibal

When a father hunting beaver is ambushed and killed by the cannibal Djec’actodji’ne’hwan, his young sons witness the threat but are forbidden to speak. Their mother, sensing danger, gathers relatives and follows the ominous fire to find the hunter roasting alive. They set snares, trap the monster, and avenge their kin by killing and burning him. In the end, they recover and bury the father’s body, restoring justice.

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


Good vs. Evil: The tale centers on the moral struggle between the innocent family and the malevolent cannibal.

Revenge and Justice: The relatives pursue and punish the cannibal to avenge the slain hunter.

Mythical Creatures: The cannibal (“lai’tigo”) functions as a supernatural monster preying on humans.

► From the same Region or People

Learn more about the Naskapi people

From Lake Waswanipi Band of Cree

There was once a man who had two sons, little boys, whom he left in camp when he went off to hunt beaver. He had not been gone long before Djec’actodji’ne’hwan [translated by the narrator, who spoke very little English, as “cap”] came to the camp and saw the little boys. “Where has your father gone?” he asked them. One of them told him that their father had gone to hunt beaver. Then Djec’actodji’ne-‘hwan told them not to tell anybody that he had been there. Said he, “I am going to hunt up your father and kill him tonight. I will build a big fire to cook his beavers. But you must not tell anybody.” And he went away. When night came, the little boys’ mother came and asked them if anybody had been there. “Yes, Djec’actodji’ne’hwan,” they replied. Then she asked them what he had said. And they told her he had said he would kill their father and make a big fire to cook his beavers, and that he had told them not to tell anybody.

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So the woman got her relatives together, and they set out to hunt for the father. Soon they came to where they could see a big fire; and they saw a big body laid out straight beside the fire, and Djec’actodji’ne’hwan cutting big slices off its side and roasting them in the fire. When they drew nearer, they saw that it was the hunter who was being eaten. Then the mother began crying; but one of the men told her not to cry. He said, “We will kill the cannibal (lai’tigo) who has killed your husband.” And they got snares and set them about. Then Djec’actodji’ne’hwan got caught in the snares, and the men beat him to death with axes. Then they threw him into the fire and burned him all up; and they buried the hunter’s body. One arm was already eaten off.

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The giant carried off by the eagle

A hundred-foot Beaver lived on a lakeside rock, hunted by a giant man who feared a monstrous eagle. After the giant killed the Beaver and carried it away, the eagle intercepted him, fed his prize to its young, and trapped him in its lofty nest. The giant tricked and killed the eagle, hid inside its carcass, and plunged safely to earth, later returning home unharmed.

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


Quest: The story centers on the giant’s perilous journey to hunt the colossal beaver.

Supernatural Beings: The narrative highlights struggles against two formidable natural creatures: the giant beaver and the monstrous eagle.

Revenge and Justice: After the eagle feeds his prize to its young, the giant avenges himself by killing the bird.

► From the same Region or People

Learn more about the Naskapi people

There was once a giant Beaver who had his house on the top of a great big rock on the shore of a lake. This Beaver was about one hundred feet long, and his cabin was very large. Near him lived a giant man who used to hunt the Beaver, but lived in fear of a monster Eagle who was watching all the time to carry him off. This Eagle was so large that he could pick up the giant as easily as an ordinary eagle could carry off a rat, even though the giant was taller than the largest tree, and broad to suit his height.

At last the giant’s family grew so hungry, that he was compelled to go and hunt: so he took his ice-chisel and went to chisel for the giant Beaver. [The ice-chisel is made by attaching a bone, or nowadays a metal blade, to a pole of sufficient length.]

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He drove the Beaver from his nest, and at last cornered him and killed him. Then he packed him on his back and started for home. On the way the Eagle saw him coming, swooped down, and picked up both the hunter and his beaver as easily as he would two rabbits. Far up on a rocky mountain he flew with them to where he had his nest, thousands of feet above the valley. His nest was very large and had young eagles in it. When he got there, he began picking the beaver to pieces to feed it to his young eagles. Now, he kept the giant safe in the nest until the beaver was all gone.

In a few days there was nothing left of the beaver, and the Eagle got ready to kill the giant hunter. He rose high in the air, and swooped down to strike the giant with his wings and claws. Then the giant took his chisel and held it blade up, with the hind end braced against the ledge, so that when the Eagle swooped he would strike upon it. There it held fast; so that every time the Eagle swooped to strike the giant, he struck upon the chisel and cut his breast. After several trials the Eagle fell over dead into the nest.

Now, the giant was free from his captor, but could not get down from the nest on the cliff. He killed the young eagles. At last an idea came to him as to how to save himself. He cut the Eagle open down the breast and crawled inside. The idea came to him to shove off the cliff, and that the Eagle’s wings and body would break his fall. So he pushed off, and down they went a mile through the air. He landed heavily, but was not hurt. He looked around to see where he was, and soon started for home. He had a long way to go, the Eagle had carried him so far.

In the mean time, when the giant’s family found that he did not return the day he went for beaver, they started out to track him. They trailed him to where he had killed the Beaver, and farther, soon coming to a place where his tracks ended suddenly, as though he had been picked up. Here they gave up and went back to their camp. Said one of the old men, “Our son must have been carried away by some creature. We must help him all we can by our thoughts.” So they waited and “wished” for his safe return. At last, after a few days, the giant arrived, and told his adventures; but the old man said, “It was not your cunning or strength that saved you, but the strength of our thoughts.”

Running and expanding this site requires resources: from maintaining our digital platform to sourcing and curating new content. With your help, we can grow our collection, improve accessibility, and bring these incredible narratives to an even wider audience. Your sponsorship enables us to keep the world’s stories alive and thriving. ♦ Visit our Support page

Ayas’i

Ayas’i, a cunning chief, is deceived by his younger wife into believing his eldest son assaulted her. Exiling him to an island, the boy endures trials—assisted by a gull, a catfish, and a fox—overcoming sky-hooks, monster dogs, and deadly women. Returning home, he reveals the truth, punishes his father by turning him into a frog, and restores his mother as the robin, explaining their origins.

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


Family Dynamics: The tale centers on jealousy, step-mother rivalry, and the fraught father-son relationship.

Revenge and Justice: After surviving exile, the son exacts retribution on his deceitful father and vindicates his mother.

Origin of Things: The narrative explains how the robin and the frog came to be, grounding a cultural origin‐myth.

► From the same Region or People

Learn more about the Naskapi people

Ayas’i was a great chief and trickster. He was an old man and had two wives, — an older one, his first wife; and a younger one, his second. By the older one he had a grown-up son, and several younger ones by the other wife. Now, the young woman was very jealous of the older wife, because she thought that Ayas’i would give the chieftainship to his son by his first wife; in other words, to his oldest son. She tried in different ways to invent stories against the son to poison Ayas’i’s mind against him. She kept telling Ayas’i that the oldest son was trying to seduce her. Although Ayas’i liked his oldest son, he came at last to believe the younger woman’s stories, and began to suspect the boy. But the stories he heard were not proved. The boy was very quiet and well-behaved.

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One day the young woman was out in the bush and saw a partridge, and then she thought of a plan to trap the boy. She hurried back to the camp, and told the son to come and shoot the bird for her. “Oh, no!” said he, “there are plenty of younger boys here. Get some of them to go and kill the partridge.” But she coaxed him to come, saying that he was so much more able. At last he consented, and went with her and killed the partridge. Then the young wife pulled up her dresses, took the dying bird, and made it scratch her between the legs until she was lacerated around her lower parts. Then she went back to the camp. That night Ayas’i lay beside her and desired to cohabit. “No, no!” she said, “I’m too sore. I’m all cut up from my struggles with your oldest son.” Ayas’i was surprised. Then she showed him the scratches and wounds, and told him how he had struggled with her in the woods and raped her. So Ayas’i grew bitter against the boy.

The next day a big canoe crowd arrived at the camp, as Ayas’i was a great man and often had visitors from far away. He got the crowd together, and said to them, “Now, tomorrow we will all go to the islands and collect eggs for a great feast for my son, as he wants eggs from the islands.” Ayas’i was a great chief, so whatever he said had to be done. The next morning he told his son, “You must come too.” — “No,” said the son, “I don’t want any eggs, anyway.” But Ayas’i made him go too. So he got his canoe; and they embarked, and paddled toward a big island, Ayas’i at the stern, and the son paddling at the bow. When they saw a big island, the son asked, “Is that the island?” — “Yes,” said Ayas’i. Then he blew his breath and blew the island farther ahead. The son could not see his father blowing, and wondered why the island could not be approached.

At last, however, they reached the island when Ayas’i thought they were far enough from home. “Now, go ashore and gather eggs,” said Ayas’i. His son began gathering eggs near the shore. “Now go farther up. There are some fine eggs over yon rise. Don’t stop so near the shore,” said Ayas’i. Every time the son would look behind to see how far he was from the shore, Ayas’i would send him farther inland. Then, when the boy was some distance in, Ayas’i jumped into the canoe and paddled away home. The son called after him, “Father, father, you are leaving me!” — “Well, you have been making a wife of your step-mother,” cried Ayas’i; and away he went, leaving his son behind. So the boy was left on the island, and wandered about, crying.

One day the boy met a Gull. “O grandchild! what are you doing here alone?” asked the Gull. “My father left me,” said the boy. “You won’t ever see the mainland again,” said the Gull; “but I’ll try to take you myself. Get on my back, and I will try.” So the boy got on his back, and the Gull tried to fly up. But the boy was too heavy, and the Gull had to turn back. “But go over to the other end of the island, and there you will find your grandfather [merely a term used in addressing older people]. Maybe he can help you,” said the Gull.

So the boy wandered on, crying, and soon came to the other end of the island. There he saw a big Catfish (?). “What are you doing here?” said the Catfish. “My father left me,” said the boy. “What do you want?” said the Catfish. “To get ashore to the mainland,” said the boy. “Well,” said the Catfish, “maybe I can take you over. Is it clear?” (The great Catfish was afraid of the thunder.) — “Yes,” said the boy. “Are there no clouds?” asked the Fish. “No,” said the boy. “Are you sure? Well, then take a stone in your hand and get on my back. Hold on tight to my horns (the Catfish had two horns on his head); and when you find me going too slowly, hammer with the stone, and I’ll hurry faster, especially if it begins to look cloudy. Are you sure there are no clouds? Well, hold on tight, now!” And with this they started like the wind. Every little while the boy would hit the Fish a rap with the stone, and he would go still faster. Soon it began clouding up. “Is it clouding up yet?” asked the Fish. “No,” answered the boy, even though he heard thunder. “What’s that I hear? Is it thunder?” asked the Fish. “Oh, no!” cried the boy, and hit him harder with the stone.

Just then they reached the mainland; and the boy just had time to jump ashore, when a thunder-bolt came and smashed the Fish to pieces. But the boy got safely ashore, and began wandering about until at last he came to a small wigwam. He walked up and lifted the door-cover. There inside he saw a Fox sitting before a small kettle over the fire. When the Fox saw him, she said, “Well, grandchild, what are you doing here?” — “My father left me,” the boy told her. Said the Fox, “I don’t think you will ever succeed in getting home, as your father is very tricky and strong. Nevertheless I will try to help you.”

In the mean time the boy’s mother, the first wife of Ayas’i, felt very bad over the loss of her son. She cried all the time. She would go away in the woods by herself all day and cry; and every night, when she came home, Ayas’i would meet her outside the door and throw embers from the fire on her and burn her. So this went on day after day.

Now, the Fox agreed to help the boy. She transformed herself into a person and guided him along the trail. Soon they came to a place where a lot of hooks (like fish-hooks) were hanging down from the sky. There was no way of getting past without being impaled. Then the Fox turned herself into a small animal, and went up into the sky where the hooks were hung, and jerked them up. She told the boy to jump by when she jerked them up; and he did so, and got safely by.

As they went along farther, they soon came to a place where two monster-dogs were guarding the path. It was very narrow, and there were a lot of rocks. The Fox turned herself into a weasel, and turned the boy into another small animal. Then she wriggled in and out among the rocks, and the dogs began barking fiercely. “I’m barking at Ayas’i’s son!” cried the dogs. The Fox in her weasel form popped up here and there among the rocks until the dogs were frantic. They barked so much, that their master got angry at them, and came out and killed them for making such a noise about nothing; for every time he looked to see what caused them to bark, he could not see anything. When the dogs were dead, the Fox led the boy through safely. Now, these obstacles were all put along the trail by Ayas’i to prevent his son from getting back.

As the boy and his guide, the Fox, passed on, they soon came to a place where there was a flint stone, rounded on the end, and three-cornered on its sides. Then the Fox-Woman said, “Carry that stone with you, you may need it.” So the boy took the stone. Soon they came to a wigwam where lived two women who guarded the way. These women had sharp teeth set in their vulva, with which they killed anybody who cohabited with them. This every one had to do before he could pass them. The Fox-Woman told the boy that he would have to cohabit with these women, but to use the stone. So that night, when they intended to kill him, he used the long stone on them, and broke all the teeth in their vulvas. Then he cohabited with them, and afterward passed safely on. So they started on again.

In the mean time the boy’s mother continued her mourning. When she went into the woods, she would hear the little birds singing about her where she lay down. Their song would say, “Mother, I’m coming back.” When she first heard it, she thought it was her son returning, and she would look up to meet him; but when she saw it was only little birds, she would cry all the harder. Then, when she would go back to camp at night, Ayas’i would burn her again. At last she became so down-hearted that she would pay no attention to the birds, who said, “Mother, I’m coming back.”

At last one day the boy, after passing all the trials, did come back; and the Fox-Woman guided him to where his mother lay crying. When he saw her, he cried, “Mother, I’m coming!” but she would not look up, thinking it was only the birds mocking her grief. Then the boy went up to her, and she saw him. He beheld her face, all burnt and scorched. “What has caused your face to be burnt?” he asked. “Your father did it. He says my son will never come back,” she replied. “Well,” said the son, “Go to camp, and tell Ayas’i that I am back.”

So they went along back to the camp. When Ayas’i heard the woman coming again, he jumped up to get coals of fire to throw on her, as usual. “Your son will never come back!” he cried. “Yes, he is back now!” Ayas’i was so surprised that he dropped the fire; and when he looked, there stood his son. So the son said to his father, “You have been cruel to me and to my mother, all for nothing. You left me on an island, and I am back. Now I will be cruel to you. You shall creep all the days of your life.” So he turned Ayas’i into a frog. He then said to his mother, “You shall be the best-looking bird in the world. People will never kill you. You shall be the robin.” And he turned his mother into a robin, the handsomest bird in the world. That is the origin of the frog and the robin. That is the end.

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The wolverene and the rock

The wolverene unexpectedly taunts a rock into chasing him by rolling, only to be trapped and injured when the rock crushes him. Calling his animal kin fails, so he summons lightning to shatter the rock, stripping his own pelt. He then seeks his sisters, the frog and mouse, to mend his torn coat; the mouse succeeds, teaching the origin of his protective fur’s design.

Source: 
Ethnology of the Ungava District, 
Hudson Bay Territory 
by Lucien M. Turner 
Smithsonian Institution 
Bureau of American Ethnology 
Annual Report 11, 1889-1890 
Washington, 1894

► Themes of the story


Origin of Things: Explains the origin of the wolverene’s distinctive, patched coat after it’s torn and resewn.

Trickster: The wolverene uses cunning to provoke the inert rock into chasing him.

Revenge and Justice: The rock punishes the wolverene for tormenting it, and lightning avenges both.

► From the same Region or People

Learn more about the Naskapi people

A wolverene was out walking on the hillside and came upon a large rock. The animal inquired of the rock, “Was that you who was walking just now?” The rock replied, “No, I can not move; hence I cannot walk.” The wolverene retorted that he had seen it walking. The rock quickly informed the wolverene that he uttered a falsehood. The wolverene remarked, “You need not speak in that manner for I have seen you walking.” The wolverene ran off a little distance and taunted the rock, challenging it to catch him. The wolverene then approached the rock and having struck it with his paw, said, “See if you can catch me.” The rock answered, “I can not run but I can roll.” The wolverene began to laugh and said, “That is what I want.” The wolverene ran away and the rock rolled after him, keeping just at his heels.

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The animal finally began to tire and commenced to jump over sticks and stones until at last the rock was touching his heels. At last the wolverene tripped over a stick and fell. The rock rolled over on him and ceased to move when it came upon the hind parts of the wolverene. The animal screamed, “Get off, go away, you are hurting me; you are breaking my bones.” The rock remained motionless and replied, “You tormented me and had me run after you, so now I shall not stir until, some one takes me off.”

The wolverene replied, “I have many brothers and I shall call them.” He called to the wolves and the foxes to come and remove the rock. These animals soon came up to where the rock was lying on the wolverene and they asked him, “How came you to get under the rock?” The wolverene replied, “I challenged the rock to catch me and it rolled on me.” The wolves and foxes then told him that it served him right to be under the rock. They endeavored, after a time, to displace the rock but could not move it in the least. The wolverene then said, “Well, if you cannot get me out I shall call my other brother, the lightning and thunder.” So he began to call for the lightning to come to his aid. In a few moments a huge dark cloud came rushing from the southwest, and as it hurried up it made so much noise that it frightened the wolves and foxes, but they asked the lightning to take off the coat of the wolverene but not to harm his flesh. They then ran away. The lightning darted back to gather force and struck the rock, knocking it into small pieces and also completely stripped the skin from the back of the wolverene, tearing the skin into small pieces. The wolverene stood naked, but soon began to pick up the pieces of his coat and told the lightning, “You need not have torn my coat when you had only the rock to strike.”

The wolverene gathered up his pieces of coat and said he would go to his sister, the frog, to have her sew them together. He repaired to the swamp where his sister dwelt and asked her to sew them. She did so. The wolverene took it up and told her she had not put it together properly and struck her on the head and knocked her flying into the water. Ho took up the coat and went to his younger sister, the mouse. He directed her to sew his coat as it should be done. The mouse began to sew the pieces together and when it was done the wolverene carefully examined every seam and said, “You have sewed it very well; you will live in the tall green grass in the summer and in grass houses in the winter.” The wolverene put on his coat and went away.

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The rabbit and the frog

A timid rabbit befriends an injured frog and carries him to his home. The cunning frog parades tales of hunting prowess and repeatedly tricks the rabbit—first by allowing beavers to escape, then punishing his greed by feeding him frozen deer lungs. Believing he’s harmed the frog, the rabbit regrets his actions, only to be served a final trick as retribution for his earlier selfishness.

Source: 
Ethnology of the Ungava District, 
Hudson Bay Territory 
by Lucien M. Turner 
Smithsonian Institution 
Bureau of American Ethnology 
Annual Report 11, 1889-1890 
Washington, 1894

► Themes of the story


Trickster: The frog embodies the trickster archetype by using clever schemes to outwit and teach lessons to the rabbit.

Revenge and Justice: The frog’s final trick of feeding the rabbit frozen deer lungs serves as poetic justice for the rabbit’s earlier greed.

Moral Lessons: The tale warns against gluttony, naiveté, and misplaced trust by illustrating the consequences of selfish behavior.

► From the same Region or People

Learn more about the Naskapi people

One day a rabbit was wandering among the hillsides, and at a short distance from him he observed a tent belonging to some Indians. Being timid he crept up to the side of the tent and peeped through a small hole, and saw inside of it a frog sitting near the fire. The rabbit seeing no danger accosted the frog thus: “Brother, what are you doing?” The frog replied: I am playing with the ashes. My brothers have gone off hunting and I am here as I have a very sore leg and can not go far.” The rabbit rejoined, “come with me and I will keep you?” The frog answered, “I can not walk as my leg is too sore.” The rabbit offered to carry the frog on his back. The rabbit took the frog and giving him a toss threw him on his back and said: “This is the way I will carry you.”

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So they started for the home of the rabbit, where, upon arriving, the rabbit placed the frog inside of the tent while the former went out to look for something to eat. While seeking food the rabbit suddenly spied a smoke curling from among the willows which grew along the branch of the creek. He became frightened and started to run homeward exclaiming. “I have forgotten my crooked knife and I must go quickly to get it.” (This part, or what the rabbit says to himself, is sung as a song; with an attempt at imitation of the rabbit’s voice.) The rabbit ran hurriedly home and sprang into the tent, whereupon the frog observing the fright of the other inquired, “Brother, what is the matter that you are so excited?” The rabbit answered, “I saw a large smoke.” “Where is it?” inquired the frog. The rabbit replied, “It is from among the willows along the creek that runs near by.” The frog began to laugh at the foolish fear of the rabbit and answered him that the smoke proceeded from the lodge of a family of beavers, and taunted the rabbit for being afraid of such a timid creature as a beaver when they are good to eat, adding that his own (frogs) brothers often carried him to the beavers’ houses to kill them when they were out of food; although his brothers could never kill any of them.

The rabbit was pleased to hear the frog was such a great hunter, and gladly offered to carry the frog to the lodge of the beavers that some food could be procured. The frog accepted the offer and was carried to the creek bank. The rabbit then built a dam of stakes across the stream and below the lodges in order that the beavers should not escape. The frog then directed the rabbit to break into the top of the lodge so that the frog might get at the beavers to kill them. While the rabbit was breaking into the lodge of the beavers, the frog purposely loosened some of the stakes of the weir below in order to allow the beavers to escape, hoping that the rabbit would become angry at him for so doing. When the rabbit saw what mischief the frog had done, he took the frog and roughly shoved him under the ice into the water. This did not harm the frog as it could live under water as well as on land, but the rabbit did not know that, so he believed he had drowned his brother the frog. The rabbit then returned to his home, regretting he had acted so harshly and began to cry for his brother. The frog in the meanwhile, killed all of the beavers and tied them together on a string, then slowly crawled to the rabbit’s home with his burden on his back. The frog crept up to the tent but was afraid to enter so he began to play with the door flap of the tent to make a noise to attract the attention of the rabbit within. Finally he cried out to the rabbit, “Brother, give me a piece of fire for I am very cold.” The rabbit did not recognize the tired, weak voice of his brother frog, and, afraid lest it be some enemy endeavoring to entice him from his home, picked up a piece of dead coal which had no fire on it and flung it outside. The frog then said, “Brother, there is no fire on this piece and I can not cook my beavers with it. “ The rabbit then ran out quickly and tenderly carried the frog inside, and immediately the latter began to moan and appear to suffer so much that the rabbit inquired what was the matter and asked if the beavers had bitten him. The frog said, “No, it was you who gave me such a hard push that you have hurt me in the side.” The rabbit assured the frog that the injury was unintentionally caused. The frog then directed the rabbit to prepare and cook the beavers. The rabbit went out to fetch them but he began to eat and did not stop until they were all devoured. After having finished eating them, the rabbit went for a walk. Ere long he noticed a huge smoke curling from the farther end of a valley and becoming greatly frightened he exclaimed, “I have forgotten my crooked knife and I must go quickly to get it.” He dashed into his door in a terrible state of mind. The frog coolly inquired, “What is the matter that you are so scared? “ The rabbit said, “I have seen a great smoke at the farther end of the valley through which the creek runs.” The frog laughed loudly at his fear and said, “They are deer; my brothers often had me to kill them, as they could not kill any, when we had no meat.” The rabbit was delighted at that so he offered to carry the frog toward the place. The frog directed the rabbit to make a snowshoe for the one foot of the frog. The rabbit soon had it made and gave it to his brother. The frog then said, “Carry me up towards the smoke.” The rabbit slung the frog on his back and away they went in the direction of the deer. The frog then told the rabbit to stand in one place and not to move while he (the frog) would work at the deer, and when he had finished he would call him up to the place.

The frog killed all the deer in a very short time, skinned them, and stuck the head and neck of one of the deer into the snow so that it would be looking toward the place whence the rabbit would come. The frog then took the lungs of one of the deer and put it out to freeze. The cold turned the lungs white as tallow. The frog shouted for his brother rabbit to come quickly. When the rabbit came bounding near he saw the eyes of the deer’s head staring at him in a queer manner; he was so much alarmed that he exclaimed to the frog, “Brother, he sees me.” The frog smiled and said, “I have killed him; he is dead; come on; I have a nice piece of fat saved for you.” (It was the frozen lungs of the deer.) So he gave the rabbit a large piece and told him to eat it all and quickly, as it was better when frozen and fresh from the deer’s back. The rabbit greedily swallowed large portions and did not observe the deception. After a time they built a lodge or tent for the night. Some few hours after the tent was made the frozen deer lungs which the rabbit had eaten began to thaw and it made the rabbit so violently ill that he vomited continually the entire night. The frog had served him this trick as a punishment for having eaten all of the beaver meat two days before.

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Omishus

A skilled hunter discovers his wife’s affair with a tree-spirit and slays them both, unleashing her vengeful head. His two sons flee as it pursues them, only to stall it with magical tokens and a swan’s aid. The head drowns, becomes a sturgeon, and later feeds them. Their treacherous grandfather then tries to sacrifice their father to gulls, snakes, and eagles, but each plot backfires until the young man escapes home.

Source: 
Notes on the Eastern Cree 
and Northern Saulteaux 
by Alanson Skinner 
The American Museum 
of Natural History
Anthropological Papers
Volume IX, Part 1
New York, 1911

► Themes of the story


Origin of Things: This tale explains why the sturgeon has fleshy cheeks, attributing it to the mother’s head turning into that fish after drowning.

Love and Betrayal: The wife’s secret liaison with the tree-spirit constitutes a central act of marital betrayal.

Revenge and Justice: The husband metes out violent retribution on both his unfaithful wife and her supernatural paramour.

► From the same Region or People

Learn more about the Salteaux people

The Northern Saulteaux form the most isolated band of the Ojibway. They occupy the region north of Lake Superior and east of Lake Winnipeg. They call themselves “Otcipweo”. The number of the Northern Saulteaux on the Government annuity rolls (for 1911) is: Lac Seul, 800; Fort Hope, [eighty died during the La Grippe epidemic of 1908-9] 550; Martens Falls, 112; English River, 65, making a total of 1527.

Myth obtained at Martens Falls Post on the Albany River.

There was once a man and his wife who had two children. They were both boys. The man was a great hunter and used to kill a good many deer. Often, when he came home from the chase he would find his children had been crying all day. He asked his wife, “What are our children crying about?” The woman replied, “When I leave them in the tent while I go to get firewood, they always start to cry.” But the man did not believe it and made up his mind that he would watch his wife and find out what she did to the little ones in his absence.

One day, he pretended to set out but he did not go very far. Then he returned. After he was gone, the woman dressed herself, combed her hair, and went out of the wigwam carrying her ax. The woman went over to a big tree. She pounded on the tree with the ax. Immediately, a man came out of the tree.

He took the woman in his arms, et longe cum ea concubit [and slept with her a long time] so that she did not go home to her children, for totem diem concubuit [because they slept together for the entire day]. After the man saw what his wife was doing he went away. He killed a deer, and returned to his lodge.

He told his wife to get the deer and bring it home. After she had gone, he put on her dress and took up her ax and went out. He went to the famous tree and pounded on it. The man came out again and he killed him, and cut off his head.

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He took a little blood. Then he started to cook the man’s blood mixed with deer’s blood.

After a time, his wife came home with the carcass of the deer he had killed. He gave her some of the man’s blood and vension to eat. After she had finished her meal, he inquired. “How did that blood taste?” She replied, “This is deer’s blood.” “No, that is your paramour’s blood you have been eating,” replied the husband! Then he killed her too.

He cut off her head, and went away, deserting his children. The younger child began to cry and continued to weep. Then he went to his mother’s body trying to get nourishment from her dead breasts. While he was doing this, the woman’s head began to move and her eyes opened. This frightened the children terribly and they ran away. As they ran, they heard something following. It was their mother’s head rolling after them. The head nearly caught up to them. Then the oldest boy threw a needle on the trail behind them. The head came to this and stopped for a while, so the children got a long start. At last, the head, all smeared with blood, caught up to them again. Then the oldest lad threw away his comb behind them.

“Let this be a high mountain,” cried the child. Sure enough, a great mountain sprang up and crossed the trail. At last, the children came to a river, where they saw swans swimming. They wished to get across and begged the swans to save them as there was a Windigo (Cannibal) chasing them. A swan came over and took the boys across. He told them not to sit near his neck as they rode across for he had a scab there. After he had ferried the children over the swan continued to swim about the river.

At length, the head came to the river, and began to roll backward and forward along the shore seeking to get over. The head saw the swan and called out, “Take me across the river.” The swan said, “No.” Then the head said, “Those are my children that went across the river.” Then the swan said, “No, the children said that a Windigo was following them.” So the head repeated, “Those are my children, take me across, and when you have done so, licet mecum coire.” The swan replied, “Quo modo tecum coeam, cum corpus tibi absit?” Caput dixit, “Per foramen magnum.” [“How can I have intercourse with you, when you have no body?” The head said, “Through the large hole.”]

The swan agreed and started to take the head across. He told the head not to touch his neck on account of the scab, and started to ferry it across. The head started to rub the swan’s neck and this hurt him, he spread his wings and shook them until the head fell into the river and was drowned.

Although the river was very broad, the two children threw stones across from the other side. The little chap began to cry again, so the eldest brother found a nice round stone and gave it to him. They threw their stones at it. One of them hit it and it sank out of sight. While they were playing they saw a sturgeon leap out of the water. It seems the head had been turned into a sturgeon. That is why the sturgeon has fleshy cheeks unlike other fish.

While they were playing at the edge of the water, they saw someone approaching in a canoe. He came ashore and stood in the canoe looking at the boys for a little while. Then the man wished one of the stones would fall in his canoe. The next stone did fall in his canoe. It was the nice round stone which the oldest boy had given to the little one when he cried. The oldest one cried out to the man, “Bring us that stone, so that my little brother may have it to keep him from crying.” The man told the oldest brother to come over and get the stone himself. The boy came to get the stone, and the man tripped him with his paddle so that he fell in his canoe. Then, the old man whose name was Omishus, pounded on the bottom of his canoe with his paddle, and off it went without paddling.

The youngest boy began to cry because he had been left behind, but Omishus left him to his fate. Then Omishus came to his tent. He pulled his canoe ashore and turned it over. Then he went into his lodge. He had two daughters who were waiting for him. He said to the oldest one, “I have brought a man with me, you had better go and see him.” So the girl went out to see the young man. She looked under the canoe, but as soon as she saw him, she decided that he was too homely, and she wouldn’t marry him. When she returned to the wigwam, Omishus asked her, “What do you think of my guest?” “He is too ugly,” replied the girl. Then Omishus told his youngest daughter that she had better go and see his captive. “He was good looking when I took him in the canoe,” said he, “he has been crying a great deal, that is what makes him ugly.” The youngest daughter went down and washed away the tear marks from the young man’s face, dressed him up, and married him.

The young man stayed with Omishus for a long time and his wife became the mother of two children. One day, the young man said to his father-in-law, “I wonder where we could get some gulls’ eggs?” The old man replied that he would show him a fine place. They took their bows and arrows and off they started in the canoe. At last, they came to the place where the gulls were on an island. “There are the gulls,” cried the young man. “Well,” said Omishus, “go over across where the big ones are.” The young man at once took his bow and arrows and started over to get some eggs.

As soon as the young man was well ashore, the old man pounded on the canoe bottom with his paddle and off it went. “Here you are, gulls,” he cried, “I give you my son-in-law to eat.” The deserted son-in-law saw a very large gull flying towards him. It approached the young man meaning to kill him, but he cried out, “I’m not the right kind of food for gulls, fly over the old man’s canoe.”

The old man was lying back in his magic canoe looking at the sky, pounding on the canoe bottom all the time. “When you are directly over the old man, void your excrement full in his face,” cried the young chap. The old man jumped and cried, “Phew! that’s the kind of smell the excrement of the gulls has after they have eaten my son-in-law.”

Then the young man killed the great gull and cut off its head. He took it home with some gulls’ eggs. He gave each of his children an egg and he told them, “When your grandfather arrives, go down to meet him and eat your eggs at the same time.” At length, the old man came. The two children went down to meet him, eating their eggs, as they were told. When the old man saw them eating the eggs, he asked, “Where did you get those eggs?” “Our father brought them to us,” said they. “Poor children,” said the old man, “the gulls have long ago eaten up your father.”

When the old man had landed he went straight to his camp and there sat his son-in-law inside the wigwam with the head of the big gull beside him. The wicked old man was surprised, for the gull was the embodiment of one of his dreams. The oldest girl was now frightened and wished she had married her brother-in-law and cast many looks at him. The old man observed this, and said to her, “Why are you looking at your brother-in-law so hard? Go and sit by his side.” Now, the young man had two wives.

The young man said, one day, “I wonder where I could get a sturgeon to make glue?” “I’ll show you,” said the old man, so off they went together. “There is a sturgeon,” cried the young man. The old man said, “No, that is not a good one. He has not got good isinglass. We will go farther on.” At last, they came to a place where there were plenty of sturgeon. The old man said to his son-in-law, “You stand on the gunwales of the canoe with your bow and arrow to look for sturgeon.” At length, they came to very deep water, and the old man pounded hard on his canoe. The canoe jumped ahead so quickly that the young man was thrown into the water. Then the old man cried out to the great snakes that live in the water, “I feed you my little son.” The young man sank to the bottom and there he saw a great snake coming after him. “I am not the right food for snakes,” said he. “Take me ashore.” The snake had horns. The young man took hold of them and the snake ferried him ashore. “If you hear the thunder,” said the snake, “tell me.” The snake soon heard the thunder and he asked the young man about it, but the young man replied, “I see no clouds.” At length, it thundered very close to them, and the snake heard it certainly and saw the lightning as well. This made the snake drop his burden and turn back. He splashed the water away up as he fled. The young man struggled ashore and reached home. He first killed some sturgeon. When he got home he told his wives to cook some of the meat.

Then he told his children to go down to the water’s edge and meet their grandfather. “Eat some of the sturgeon meat before him,” he said. After a while, their grandfather came back. The two children went down to meet him, eating some of the sturgeon meat as they were told. When the old man saw them eating the sturgeon he asked, “Where did you get that sturgeon meat?” “Our father brought it to us,” said they. “Poor children, the great horned water snakes have long ago eaten up your father.” When the old man had landed he went straight to his camp, and there sat the young man inside the wigwam. The wicked old man was surprised for the horned water snake had been the embodiment of one of his dreams.

One day, the young man asked his father-in-law where they could get an eagle. They went off together. “There is an eagle,” cried the young man. “No, come farther on,” said the old man, “I know where there is a big nest.” At last the old man pointed out a nest, and left the young man there while he went over to it. The young man climbed the tree. When he was there the old man called out to the eaglets, “I feed you my son-in-law,” and went away. The young man asked the two eaglets that were in the nest what their names were. He asked the female first, “Owatci,” said she. The male bird said, “I am a tree as straight as you are when you stretch yourself.” So he killed them both, and took them home. Then the last of the old man’s dreams had failed. The young man had the eaglets cooked and gave one of each to his children. He told his children to go down to the water’s edge and meet their grandfather. “Eat the eaglets before him,” he said.

After a while their grandfather came back. The two children went down to meet him, eating the eaglets, as they were told. When the old man saw them eating the eaglets he asked, “Where did you get those eaglets?” “Our father brought them to us,” said they. “Poor children, the eagles have long ago eaten your father.” When the old man had landed he went straight to his camp and there sat the young man inside the wigwam. The wicked old man was surprised for the eaglets had been the embodiment of one of his dreams. “I wonder,” said the young man one day in the winter, “where we can kill a caribou?” “I know,” said the old man, “we will go tomorrow, I’ll go with you.” So off they went. They had to camp over night in a swamp. The old man told his son-in-law that the name of the swamp was (scorched-up-swamp, Jiteomuskeg). The young man, when he heard this thought, “Surely you want to burn my moccasins?”

Then they went to bed. The fire nearly went out, but the old man got up and took his son-in-law’s moccasins and leggings and burned them. Then the old man went back to bed and cried out, “Phoo! Your moccasins are burning.” Then the young man laughed, “Those were your own moccasins you burnt. I changed mine for yours when you slept, and I saw you when you put them in the fire.”

In the morning, the young man dressed himself and left Omishus and went home. He took his father-in-law’s canoe because one of his wives could make it go as well as her father. After they crossed the sea, they left the canoe tied to a tree near the shore. The old man started to heat a stone in the fire. When it was hot he tried to roll it through the snow to melt a path for his bare legs. It did not succeed. Then he rubbed charcoal on his legs. “I dreamt about caribou long ago, and I ought to be able to walk as they do on the snow without any trouble,” said he. At last he reached the sea. Then he was very angry because his canoe was gone. He started to shout, “My canoe, my canoe, my canoe!” His canoe heard and began to pull and move back and forth to get away. Then his son-in-law said to his wife, “You had better let the canoe go.” She did and it went off to the old man and they never saw him again.

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The cannibals

Two cannibals prey upon helpless families by luring them into feasting and slaughtering them, but their scheme backfires when one man conjures a snow shelter to elude capture. Later, two brothers, forewarned by powerful medicine, trick the cannibals into a wrestling match on thin ice and drown them, delivering justice and freeing their people.

Source: 
Notes on the Eastern Cree 
and Northern Saulteaux 
by Alanson Skinner 
The American Museum 
of Natural History
Anthropological Papers
Volume IX, Part 1
New York, 1911

► Themes of the story


Good vs. Evil: The clear moral conflict between the evil cannibals and their innocent victims drives the story’s tension.

Revenge and Justice: The starving families ultimately turn the tables and slay the cannibals to avenge past atrocities.

Magic and Enchantment: The first victim’s use of powerful snow and weather conjuring showcases supernatural aid in escaping doom.

► From the same Region or People

Learn more about the Cree people

Albany Cree

Once there was an old man and his son who used to go about killing and eating people. At last, they came to one family who was very poor and was starving. Then the young man said, “Father, I’ll stay here and go off and hunt for the people. We will fatten them up and kill them.” His father said it was well. The young man hunted for three days and all the deer’s meat he got he gave to those people. He stayed with them for a week.

One day, he went off and found his father. He told him he had seen a big tent full of people which he had not entered. His father said, “We will go tomorrow morning to see them.” The young man told the people he was living with that they were to eat heartily and grow fat. “We will come once a week to see you and how you are getting along.”

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They went away then, the father and son, and camped close to the big tent. They did not approach it until night when everyone was asleep. Then they killed half of the people and ate them. The rest escaped. The two cannibals stayed at the same place. The man they left kept on eating and drying the meat they gave him. Once a week the old cannibal visited him and saw that he and his wife and children were growing fat.

Now the man became afraid. He continued to dry meat as before, but he dug a hole under the snow for he knew that the cannibals were fattening him in order to kill him. The next week, the old man came. “You are getting fat now,” he said. “Next week my son and I will visit you again.” “All night, I’ll be here,” said the man and all that week he collected dry meat and wood and snow to make water. Then he barricaded the door with brush. He took in his drum and sang and thumped all night praying for bad weather. The very first morning a heavy snow-storm fell covering his fort completely. The next night the man conjured again for rain to make a hard crust over the snow. It came, and then he conjured for more snow drifts. Again, the snow fell and he was covered over as hard as a rock where he was hidden. The time for the next visit of the cannibals was now at hand. When they came they could not find him.

The old cannibal dug a hole in the snow to seek them for he knew from his medicine that they must be near by. He could not find them although he and his son were right over their victims. Then the cannibal people left the place and went off in the opposite direction. The Indians stayed in the snow until the spring thaws released them. The cannibals soon found another family where there were two grown-up sons whose medicine was very strong. These two sons knew before the cannibals came that they were approaching and one hid on the river bank and the other m the brush. Sure enough, the two cannibals came in the night along the river. “There are strangers coming,” he called out. At once the cannibal and his son fell on the snow and lay there hidden intending to make an unexpected attack late that night. They were surprised for they did not think anyone was waiting for them. Then the other brother went out and both went to see the two cannibals. They said to the strangers, “You are just in time to help us chisel beaver.” Then the old man said, “I am too old to chisel beaver but my son can go with you, I’ll stay in the tent.” So then the three went to a lake. There were no beaver there at all. They all sat on the edge of the lake.

The youngest brother said, “Let us make a big hole in the ice in the middle of the lake. Then we will have a wrestling match, and whoever gets worsted, will be thrown into the hole and drowned. They had no axes or anything but a sharpened caribou leg bone tied on a stick for a chisel. The two brothers began to chisel and the cannibal sat and looked on. “Make it big, narrow and long, just the length of a man, so that when you throw a man, he’ll just go in,” said he. The two Indians did as they were told. Then the two brothers said slyly to each other, “Who’ll try him first?” “I will,” said the youngest. “You can’t master him,” said the older. “I will try any way,” said the younger. “We are all ready now,” said they to the cannibal at last. The young cannibal jumped up. The younger brother tried twice to throw the cannibal but could not put him in the hole. “Let me try,” said the older. So they threw the cannibal in the hole and the younger brother struck him with his ice chisel as he went down and he was killed. Then they went back. They had a war club. The old man was sitting with his legs crossed. They struck his legs and broke them with a single blow. Then they said, “We have killed your son.” Then they killed him too.

Running and expanding this site requires resources: from maintaining our digital platform to sourcing and curating new content. With your help, we can grow our collection, improve accessibility, and bring these incredible narratives to an even wider audience. Your sponsorship enables us to keep the world’s stories alive and thriving. ♦ Visit our Support page

Kanweo and the cannibals

Two brothers—Kanweo and his sibling—encounter a tribe of cannibal giants. After escaping an initial ambush, Kanweo leads his people in a spirit-guided raid that routs the enemy. When the cannibals later kill his brother, Kanweo pretends friendship, lures them to a beaver lodge, and exacts revenge. Sparing only the innocents, he secures justice and returns home to restore peace.

Source: 
Notes on the Eastern Cree 
and Northern Saulteaux 
by Alanson Skinner 
The American Museum 
of Natural History
Anthropological Papers
Volume IX, Part 1
New York, 1911

► Themes of the story


Good vs. Evil: The battle between Kanweo’s people and the cannibal tribe frames a classic moral struggle.

Revenge and Justice: After his brother is killed, Kanweo’s actions are motivated by avenging that wrong and restoring order.

Cunning and Deception: Kanweo feigns friendship at the beaver lodge to lure and overcome his unsuspecting foes.

► From the same Region or People

Learn more about the Cree people

Collected at Rupert’s House

There were once two brothers. They lived well, but not upon people. Nearby was a tribe called Witigo (Cannibal). These people hunted in the ordinary manner but when they could, they killed and ate men. Once, in the summer, when the two brothers were traveling about together, they came upon the Cannibals first and were able to escape. Kanweo thought he would return and get the things he used for war, and prepare for battle. He returned and told his people they would have to get ready to fight or all be killed. Kanweo began to conjure, and asked if he would be victorious if he went to war with the Cannibals. The spirits replied that if he had a mind to go he would be victorious. Kanweo at once got his people together. The Cannibals always lived together. The people at once began to get their war spears and “sword arrows” [a “sword arrow” is one having a pointed pile, or head, set in the shaft] etc., together and started out.

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Kanweo prepared to attack the Cannibals slyly not intending to let them know before he tackled them. There was a big hill there, just at the back of the place where the Cannibals were staying. Kanweo told his men to go up on top of this hill to watch first. He told his men, “We will watch to see when they are not ready and then we will attack them.”

The next day the Cannibals began to build sweat houses and he said, “Now is the time to go down upon them slyly.” None of the Cannibals had anything ready. Kanweo and his men ran down and began to spear them as they ran out of the sweat houses. Some of the Cannibals burned themselves on the hot stones. It was a dreadful fight. Some of them escaped. Of course, he did not kill the women and children. The great warrior, Kanweo, was driven back towards the water where the giants (the Cannibals were very large, they say) were attempting to escape by canoes. There were two or three attacking him, but he backed away and fell into a canoe. He thought he was finished, but he managed to get up and killed all those who were attacking him.

There was one old man, who was a chief, and his sons, among the cannibals. He was not killed and was escaping with his children in the canoe. Kanweo saw him and ran right out in the water to him and gripped the head of the canoe but the water was too deep and he could not hold it. His own canoe was hidden a long way off.

All the women and children of the Cannibals escaped. Whether there were any of Kanweo’s party killed is not known, but a great many of the Cannibal giants were killed. The Kanweo stopped and went back to his place again. He lived there with his brother and they went about as usual.

One winter, his brother went off to hunt in another direction. The brothers came upon the Cannibals again and they killed him when they came on him unawares. They took his wife and children alive.

Next summer, where the brothers had appointed to meet, there was no sign of the brother and Kanweo learned from other Indians what had happened to his brother. Kanweo thought to have his revenge on account of his brother but he didn’t know where the Cannibals were. Some time after that he thought to himself he would try and find out. It was winter and he was living alone with his family. One day he was off hunting. Before he went off that morning he told his wife he was sure to meet somebody that day. He put on his oldest and worst clothes and made himself very miserable looking. Right enough, he went off that day. He was looking for beaver, trying to find where the beaver were. He took nothing with him except his chisel to bore the ice. He came to a place where there were beaver, where the beaver were lodging. He came to a beaver house and cuttings near by. He looked at the house and then went down to see if he could find the dam where they had shut up the creek.

As he was going along down the creek he saw someone coming up stream. He knew now this was the man he was expecting to see. This was the old man who had escaped from him two or three years before in the battle with the Cannibals. The old man was looking for beaver too, and had only his chisel with him. This was the same man who had killed his brother. Kanweo pretended he did not see the Cannibal and the Cannibal who saw Kanweo did likewise. They drew together, the Cannibal thinking he would knock Kanweo down and kill him before Kanweo saw him. Kanweo knew what the Cannibal was about to do and when he approached pushed him away, saying, “Don’t you see me? Look out where you are going.” The Cannibal lied, and said, “Oh, I did not see you.” Then they began to talk like friends.

Kanweo told the old man he was looking for beaver, and the old man said he was doing the same. They had just met you see, at the dam, and Kanweo asked the old man, “Where are you thinking of going?” The old man replied that he thought of going where the beaver were. Kanweo told the old man that they would come there and chisel the beaver together the next day. The Cannibal said that he had three sons who would come along with him too. The great warrior Kanweo told the old man to tell his sons to cut sticks to stake in the river and when they were to carry the sticks down to the river they were not to wear their snowshoes but beat the path with their feet. After they had planned what they were going to do, they separated, and each went back to his own place.

When Kanweo came home, he had some dry beaver outside his tent and he took four in with him and told his wife to cook them. He said, “We must try to finish all that beaver tonight.” He was making a feast so that he might be prosperous to kill his enemy. “We must try to finish these before daylight,” he told her after they were cooked.

He told his family that he had met someone and they had planned to chisel beaver together. He told them they might come, but not with him. They began to feast. He told them if they managed to finish the feast they might be able to overcome the enemy.

Next morning, he got out his war tools, his spear, etc., and went off, his family following behind. He told them to make camp at a certain place that he would mark which was not close to where he was going to have the battle. Kanweo went there first, before the rest, where the beaver were. He marked the creek where they were going to stake it in. Then he saw the old man coming with his sons. When the sons saw him they said to their father, “We are sure that man must be the one called Kanweo who used to fight with us.” They were afraid, for they knew he had something against them as they had killed his brother and held his wife a prisoner.

Kanweo was in charge of the beaver. He told the young men where to go to cut the sticks. He told them to leave their snowshoes down by the creek and beat the path in their moccasins, so they would not make much noise. Then he said to the old man, “We’ll chisel the ice, make a trench right across the ice to put down the sticks.” Kanweo had a chisel with a blade at each end, that he could turn as he liked to see which chisel was sharpest. The old man was chiseling and Kanweo told him to make the hole big in one place in the middle of the river where they were to set the net. Kanweo would turn his chisel now and again to see which end was sharper.

Every time Kanweo would turn his chisel the old man was afraid and would jump. “You seem to be afraid,” said Kanweo, “every time I turn my chisel.” “Oh, no,” said the old man, “I’m not afraid, but I very nearly slipped.” At last, they had the hole big enough, and Kanweo told the old man to skim the ice out of the hole. The old man sat down on his knees to do this and Kanweo knew that the hole was big enough. All at once, when the old man was not thinking, Kanweo stabbed him in the back, with his chisel and threw him under the water. The old man managed, however, to give a shout as he was going under, and the young men, who were cutting sticks heard it. The old man struggled beneath the ice for a moment, and very nearly burst the ice through it was so thick. When Kanweo saw the old man was killed, he took his bow and arrow.

The young men came running to the creek when they heard their father call. Kanweo took his bow and arrow and shot at the young men when they tried to escape. He killed two when they were putting on their snowshoes, but the third got his snowshoes on. Kanweo, however, managed to shoot him before he got very far. The family of Kanweo soon came up and soon after came the Cannibal’s family. When they heard that the old man was dead, they began to cry, but Kanweo did not harm them. At last, the old man’s wife came up, but when she saw the others crying, she refused to believe her husband was dead, for she did not believe any one could overcome him.

Kanweo told her to come and see the old man’s body which Kanweo had pulled to the hole they had made. He was not on the ice but his head was out of the water. Kanweo used his body as one of the stakes to shut up the creek. Then the old woman believed and became angry. She attempted to make an end of Kanweo. She got her big ax off the sled and was going to kill him with that. Of course, Kanweo knocked her ax away, and he took her ax from her and knocked her down. He told her she had to die, and with the same ax with which she wanted to strike him he struck her and killed her.

Kanweo’s sister-in-law was there, a prisoner, and she wanted to come and live with him. She didn’t want to stay with them any more. Kanweo would not allow her to come. “I’ve heard,” he said, “you helped them kill your husband. I don’t want to have anything more to do with you.” He let the other go and she had to return with them. That is the end of this story.

Running and expanding this site requires resources: from maintaining our digital platform to sourcing and curating new content. With your help, we can grow our collection, improve accessibility, and bring these incredible narratives to an even wider audience. Your sponsorship enables us to keep the world’s stories alive and thriving. ♦ Visit our Support page

The virgin birth

A chief’s daughter secretly bears a child by a young boy, prompting the tribe’s paternity-test ritual: the infant is passed among suitors to see whom it urinates on. A deceitful suitor is unmasked when the true father’s bond triggers the correct result. Ostracized for a time, the young couple thrives on hunting, leading the struggling villagers to return and beseech them for meat.

Source: 
Notes on the Eastern Cree 
and Northern Saulteaux 
by Alanson Skinner 
The American Museum 
of Natural History
Anthropological Papers
Volume IX, Part 1
New York, 1911

► Themes of the story


Family Dynamics: It centers on the relationships between the chief’s daughter, her suitors, and her young secret lover.

Revenge and Justice: The community exposes the liar and establishes rightful parenthood through their customary trial.

Community and Isolation: After the trial, the true parents are shunned until the young father’s hunting success forces the villagers to return and plead for aid.

► From the same Region or People

Learn more about the Cree people

Narrated by Joe Iserhoff.

Once, in the old days, there was a very beautiful girl who was a chief’s daughter. All the young men loved her et cum ea coire volebant [and they wanted to have sex with her]. In those days, it was customary for quisquan cum virgine coiiseet [who will sleep with a virgin] to also marry her. But she would have nothing to do with them.

In the village, there was a certain young boy who also loved her but he was so young that everybody laughed at him. However, during the winter he watched the girl, et quondocumque mincture exiret eodem loco minxit [and whenever he felt the need to urinate, he did it always at her place].

After a time, the girl became pregnant from this cause, and gave birth to a child.

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The chief called all the young men together and when they had gathered in the wigwam he announced that he would pass the child about and when the father took the child in his arms infantum in patrem mincturum [the child will urinate on his father]. This was done.

There was a certain young man in the village who loved the girl and he filled his mouth with spittle. When the child was passed to him he permitted it to run out all over him and cried, “I am the child’s father, you can see in me minxit [he urinated on me].” But some in the crowd saw what he had done and they called out, “You lie,” so he was disappointed. The child was passed on and when it reached its father verum in ilium minxit [he really peed on him].

Then the young boy took his wife and settled down. The rest of the people were angry (jealous) at him, and moved away, leaving him alone. He went hunting and was very successful. The rest of the people were not, however, and they nearly starved. At length, they heard he had meat and returned and begged for some.

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Mishi Shigak, Big Skunk

Big Skunk eats a toad, uses his potent flatus to destroy obstacles as he pursues starving animals who flee to Beaver’s camp. Beaver’s flatulence mars his generosity, so the animals depart. Big Skunk is finally captured and slain by Wolverine and the beasts, his gas salting the sea. Wolverine returns home but is deceived and murdered by his wolf brothers-in-law, who also kill his family.

Source: 
Notes on the Eastern Cree 
and Northern Saulteaux 
by Alanson Skinner 
The American Museum 
of Natural History
Anthropological Papers
Volume IX, Part 1
New York, 1911

► Themes of the story


Origin of Things: The tale explains why the sea is salty, attributing it to Big Skunk’s flatus.

Revenge and Justice: The animals band together to capture and punish Big Skunk for his relentless pursuit.

Cunning and Deception: The wolves deceitfully murder Wolverine after feigning familial goodwill.

► From the same Region or People

Learn more about the Cree people

Albany version

Big Skunk went hunting one day but he found no game to kill except a toad. He told his wife to cook the toad, and after he had eaten it he went to bed and had a sleep.

He dreamed that someone had seen his tracks so next morning, when he got up, he told his wife to go and get what was left of the toad, and when he had finished it, he went back over his trail of the day before. Sure enough, he saw that someone had come out from under the snow and had seen his trail and followed it. It was Weasel.

There were a lot of animals of all kinds camping near by and they were starving. They were very much afraid of Big Skunk, so when they learned that Weasel had seen his trail they all fled away from him.

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As the animals were fleeing, they came to Beaver’s camp. They all went in and begged for food. Beaver always has plenty of food in his camp and he wished to feed the poor animals. He had big bundles of all kinds of meat so he started to pull one out. It was so heavy that the strain made him break wind. This made Otter snicker. The other animals were very much frightened at this because they feared Beaver would be offended and not give them anything to eat. Beaver tried to lift the bundle a second time and again he broke wind. This time Otter simply could not help bursting out laughing, and it made Beaver so angry that, just as they feared, he refused to give them anything to eat. It was just as well, however, for had the animals taken any of Beaver’s meat, they would ever afterwards have been obliged to live on bark and grass as Beaver does. All the animals left Beaver’s camp.

As soon as Big Skunk found Weasel’s track he began to pursue him. He knew he was with the other animals. As he went along he thought he would see if his rump was powerful enough to kill game. He backed around and aiming at a stump, blew it all to pieces with his discharge. Then he took up the trail again. After a while, he came to a steep mountain, and backing up to it he blew it all to pieces. “Now, that is all right,” he said, “I can kill them all now.”

He went off until he came to a camping ground and found the animals had all fled. One old otter (not the one who laughed at Beaver) was all tired out and too feeble to flee from him. When this otter saw Big Skunk coming it pretended to be dead. When Big Skunk came up he began to examine it all over to see how it had been killed, but he could not find any marks on its body. At last, he thrust his finger up Otter’s aboral aperture. “Well, that is the place the bullet went in,” said Big Skunk. “When I come back I will pick him up,” he said and covered Otter with brush.

The animals continued to flee before Big Skunk. They tried to pick out a hilly road to tire him out. At last they came on Wolverene who was chiseling beaver. The animals were starving, they had been fleeing from Big Skunk for several days and had had no food. Wolverene sent the animals to his camp to get food. “If Big Skunk comes, I’ll shout,” said he to them.

Shortly after, Big Skunk did come up. “I’m entirely played out now,” said Big Skunk to Wolverene. “I have followed those animals over a good many mountains and hills. “Well,” said Wolverene, “you shouldn’t run about so much. You should stay in one place.” “Do you wish to make me angry?” said Big Skunk. Then he turned about and discharged his flatus at Wolverene. Then Wolverene bit Big Skunk’s anus and closed it with his mouth. He held on so that Skunk could not fire. He shouted to all the animals for help and they all ran out. Then Otter took his tail and stabbed Big Skunk with it as though it had been a spear, right through the body.

Lynx got a bad cramp when he was running to the spot so that he could not move, but one of the animals returned and cured Lynx so he recovered and coming up grabbed Big Skunk by the neck and finished him.

Then Wolverene could not open his eyes, for Big Skunk had discharged full in his face. “Make a hole in the ice,” said Wolverene to the beasts, “so I can wash my eyes.” “Don’t wash yourself at the lake,” said they, “go out to the sea and wash there. It will be salty if you do.” So Wolverene started off for the sea. When Wolverene struck against a tree, he could not see anything, he would say, “Who are you?” “I am Black Spruce,” “I am Tamarack,” or “I am White Spruce,” whatever they were, those trees told him truly. At last, he ran into a stump, “Who are you?” he said. “I am a stump, lying on the shore.” Then he struck something else. “Who are you?” “I am the ice.” Soon he fell in the water and washed himself clean. That is why the water of the sea (James and Hudson’s Bay) is salt. It is Big Skunk’s flatus that made it so. Then, when Wolverene could see, he came ashore. As he started for home, he sang a song which he made to himself.

“Niki ki poti yepaw mishi Shigak.”
“I closed Big Skunk’s anus for him.”

As Wolverene was returning, three wolves heard him singing. They were his brothers-in-law, for he had married a wolf. They planned to hide and scare him. “Hello brother,” they cried, “what are you singing about?” Wolverene was afraid and climbed into a tree. “Are you single?” asked the wolves. “Yes,” lied Wolverene. After a while he consented to come down.

It was winter. When it was night they sent Wolverene ahead to find a suitable place to camp. Wolverene wanted to camp in the thick forest. The wolves at once claimed that he had deceived them since only a married man would wish to camp in the thick forest. Then they camped in the open in a hole in the snow. Wolverene nearly froze. He was so cold that he wept. He begged the wolves to cover him with their tails. They covered him with their tails from opposite directions and at last he went to sleep. Before they went to bed they made a, fire. Wolverene lighted it with a flint and steel. Then the wolves jeered, “No single man ever carried a flint and steel. This is the way we make fire,” said the wolves. They piled up the wood and leaped over it, and it blazed up.

Next morning, they found a deer track and followed it. They noticed something in the snow, and at last they found a deer-killing implement. They came to a lake and killed the deer there. Then they divided it into four equal parts of flesh, and marrow bones. They ate the deer flesh, and in the evening they began to split the bones for the marrow. When the wolves were to split their bones, they told Wolverene to close his eyes or a splinter would fly in them and blind him. Wolverene did as he was bidden and the wolves took up a bone and struck him over the head with it. Wolverene cried out, and the wolves replied that he must have been looking.

Wolverene then told the wolves to close their eyes while he split his marrow bones. He took up a bone and struck one of the wolves over the head and killed him. This made the other two very angry. Wolverene tried to explain that his victim must have been looking but the wolves told him he must leave them. He went off the next morning. The wolves gave him the power of lighting the fire by jumping over it, but told him to use it only after having hunted.

The next day Wolverene tried his power at mid-day, although he had not hunted. He only got smoke. Finally, he succeeded in getting fire. At night, he again succeeded in making fire so he threw away his flint and steel. The next day he tried to light his fire this way but could not succeed. Then he tried to find his flint and steel but he could not. He nearly froze. He walked four days before he met his family.

His brothers-in-law (the two wolves) and his mother-in-law were there before him. Their tents were close together. Wolverene began to hunt. He killed a lot of beaver but the wolves couldn’t kill anything. One day, the wolves tracked a moose. They asked Wolverene to help them but he said he did not want to eat moose, he wanted to eat beaver. The wolves drove the moose on to the lake where Wolverene was chiseling beaver and it passed him as it fled. When the wolves came up, they asked Wolverene for their quarry. Wolverene replied, “If his tail had been long enough, you would have seen it.” So the wolves hurried up and caught and killed the moose.

Wolverene wanted some moose meat. He had been so stingy with his beavers that he was afraid the wolves would not give him any. He could see the moose fat hung on a pole in front of the wolves’ lodge. The wolves knew that he would beg for some, so they had frozen the inner stomach of the moose into a club to kill him when he should ask for it. Wolverene went home and loaded his sled with beaver meat. He intended to make his mother-in-law a present and then ask for some moose meat. He put large beaver tails on the front of his sled so that his mother-in-law would find them at once. When he arrived at her lodge she asked him why he was bringing them meat when they had plenty and had not done so before, when they were starving. However, she gave him some fat, and told him to close his eves while he ate it. The wolves hit him with the “bowl” of the frozen inner stomach. [This seems to refer to the fact that the inner stomach of the moose and caribou is sometimes used as a cooking utensil by the Eastern Cree.] Wolverene cried out in pain, but they hit him again and killed him. Then they took the frozen fat from his mouth, for they said it was getting dirty and was too good to waste. The wolves then killed his two little ones and speared his wife to death.

Running and expanding this site requires resources: from maintaining our digital platform to sourcing and curating new content. With your help, we can grow our collection, improve accessibility, and bring these incredible narratives to an even wider audience. Your sponsorship enables us to keep the world’s stories alive and thriving. ♦ Visit our Support page