Native Legends

Native Legends and Stories

Star People - White Buffalo Calf Women

Native American Mythology & Legends
Native American Legends

While a Great Spirit constitutes the basis of Indian Spirituality, the tribes believe in multiple Spiritual Beings, which are surrounded by Legends.

The Algonquin legends of New England include the folklore and myths of the Micmac, Passamaquoddy, Wabanaki, and Penobscot tribes, as well as Cree and others.

Characters of the Algonquin legends:Glooskap (also spelled Nanabosho, Glooskabe, Gluskabe, Wisakedjak, Nanabozho, Wenaboozhoo, Nanabush, Manabush, Gluskabe, Wisaka, and several other ways) - A giant, also known as a transformer, the principal folk hero of Algonquin legends. He is featured in about two thirds of their legends.

His name literally means Liar, because it is said that when he left earth he promised to return but has never done so.Manabozho is the hero's name in the Anishinabe tribes, Glooscap is his name among the Wabanaki tribes, and Wisaka/Wisakejak are his names among the Cree and Central Algonquian tribes.

There are a few cultural differences between the three heroes (for example, Nanabosho is associated with rabbits while the other two are not; Glooscap and Nanabosho were raised by important grandmother figures, while Wisakedjak is usually described as a loner.) However, they are generally very similar figures, and many of the same stories are told in different Algonquian tribes with only the identity of the protagonist differing.

Nanabosho, Glooscap, and Wisakejak all play the role of trickster in some Algonquian stories, but are more important as teachers and benefactors of humans. Even their silliest escapades are seen as teaching the people how to behave. Unlike tricksters in some tribes, Algonquian culture heroes do not model evil or highly socially inappropriate behavior.

They are not necessarily taken seriously at all times, but are nonetheless beloved and respected figures. Pronunciations vary widely from tribe to tribe. In Minnesota Ojibwe, Wenaboozhoo is pronounced way-nah-boo-zhoo; in Mi'kmaq, Glooscap is pronounced gloo-scopp, and in Plains Cree, Wisakejak is pronounced wiss-ah-kay-jock.

Gitche Manitou - This name and its many linguistic variants mean "Great Spirit," and is used to refer to the Creator (God) in the Algonquian tribes. Gitche-Manitou is a divine spirit with no human form or attributes (including gender) and is rarely personified in Algonquian folklore. The name is pronounced similar to gih-chee muh-nih-doo in Ojibwe, but varies widely from tribe to tribe.

Chipiapoos or Moqwaio: Manabozho's brother, who was killed by evil water spirits and became the ruler of the land of the dead. He is sometimes associated with wolves. His Potawatomi name is pronounced similar to chee-bee-ah-boose, and his Menominee name is pronounced similar to muh-hwow.

Horned Serpent (Mishiginebig, Kichiginebig, etc): An underwater horned serpent, common to the legends of most Algonquian tribes. Its name literally means Great Serpent, and it is said to lurk in lakes and eat humans.

Nokomis - The wise old grandmother of Nanabosho (and sometimes Glooscap), who raised the hero.

Thunderbird (Animikii, Binesi, and Jigwe): Thunderbird, a giant mythological bird common to the northern and western tribes. Thunder is caused by the beating of their immense wings. Although thunderbirds are very powerful beings, they rarely bother humans, and were treated with reverence by Algonquian people.

Water Panther (Mishibizhiw, Nampeshiu) - A powerful mythological creature of Algonquian Indian stories, something like a cross between a cougar and a dragon. It is a dangerous monster who lives in deep water and causes men and women to drown.

Windigo or Chenoo - An evil man-eating spirit. Windigos play the roles of monsters and bogeymen in some legends; in others, Algonquian people who commit sins (especially selfishness, gluttony, or cannibalism) are turned into a Windigo as punishment.

Pukwudgies (Bagwajinini): Mythological little people of the forests. Their nature varies considerably in the folklore of different tribes. In Anishinabe folklore, pukwudgies are mischievious but generally good-natured beings.

In the Wabanaki tribes, pukwudgies are dangerous and must be treated with caution and respect. In the Wampanoag tribe, pukwudgies are unruly gremlins who can be malicious and deadly. Their name means "wild man" and is pronounced similar to buh-gwuh-jih-nih-nee in Ojibwe.

Wintermaker (also known as Biboon): The spirit of the North Wind, who brings winter to the land.

Algonquin Legends:

Article Index:The Bear’s Child
In the Old Times, there once lived a boy called Sigo, whose father had died when he was a baby. Sigo was too young to hunt and provide food for the wigwam, so his mother was obliged to take another husband, a jealous spiteful man who soon came to dislike his small stepson, for he thought the mother cared more for the child than for himself. He thought of a plan to be rid of the boy.

Native American Mythology & Legends
Native American Legends

Various Tribes Legends and Myths:
The Ark On Superstition Mountains
Totem carving in Alaska
Besieged By Starvation
The Division of Two Tribes
The Flood At Santa Fe
The Hidden City of Death Valley
Legend Of Crazy Woman’s Fork
Legends of Indian Territory
Little People of Wyoming & the Pedro Mountain Mummy
The Lost Trail
Native American Legends of Arizona
Navajo Skinwalkers – Witches of the Southwest
Pale Faced Lightning
Blackfoot Legend of the Peacepipe
The Queen Of Death Valley
Riders of the Desert
Sacrifice of the Toltec
The Salt Witch of the Nebraska Plains
Storied Waters of Oregon
Ta-Vwots Conquers the Sun
Teihiihan – The Little Cannibals of the Plains
The Thunderbird of Native Americans
Tamanous Of Tacoma
The Voyager Of Whulge
The Yellowstone Tragedy
Thunderbird Totem Pole
Wendigo – Flesheater of the Forests
By Tribe:
Apache Myths & Legends
Blackfoot Myths & Legends
Cherokee Myths & Legends
Sioux Myths & Legends
Zuni Myths & Legends
Mythology & Sacred Concepts:

Native American Legends

While a Great Spirit constitutes the basis of Indian Spirituality, the tribes believe in multiple Spiritual Beings, which are surrounded by Legends. In accordance with their views of nature and spirit, they constantly appeal to these powers, at every step of their lives. They hear the great Spirit in every wind; see him in every cloud; fear him in sounds, and adore him in every place that inspires awe. While cultures and customs varied among the tribes, they all believed that the universe was bound together by spirits of natural life, including animals, water, plants, the sky, and the Earth itself.

Native American culture struggled to survive after the white man invaded their lives. Living through forced moves, war, starvation, diseases, and assimilation, these strong and spiritual people managed to keep their many legends and stories alive. Passed down through the generations, these many tales speak of timeless messages of peace, life, death, and harmony with nature.

The sacred beliefs of many tribes are largely formulated and expressed in sayings and narratives having some resemblance to the legends of European peoples. There are available large collections of these tales and myths from the Blackfoot, Crow, Nez Perce, Assiniboine, Gros Ventre, Arapaho, Arikara, Pawnee, Omaha, Northern Shoshone, and others. In these, much interesting information can be found. Though each tribe has its own beliefs and sacred myths, many have much in common.

The Deluge by Gustave Dore, 1866

A deluge or flood myth is almost universal in the Plains tribes as well as with the Woodland Indians. Almost everywhere it takes the form of having the submerged earth restored by a more or less human being who sends down a diving bird or animal to obtain a little mud or sand. Of other tales with common threads are the “Twin-heroes” – the Woman who married a star and bore a Hero,” and the “Woman who married a Dog.” A star-born hero is found in myths of the Crow, Pawnee, Dakota, Arapaho, Kiowa, Gros Ventre, and Blackfoot. Indian mythologies often contain large groups of tales reciting the adventures of a distinguished mythical hero with supernatural attributes, who transforms and in some instances creates the world, who rights great wrongs, and corrects great evils, yet who often stoops to trivial and vulgar pranks. Among the Blackfoot, for instance, he appears under the name of Napiw, also called “Old Man.” He is distinctly human in form and name. The Gros Ventre, Cheyenne, Arapaho, Hidatsa, and Mandan seem to have a similar character in their mythology.

The “Old Man” also appears in the mythologies of the adjoining culture areas, such as the area between the Plains and the Pacific Ocean. Some tales appear similar but are attributed to an animal character with the name and attributes of a coyote. Under this name, he appears among the Crow, Nez Perce, and Shoshone, on the western fringe of the Plains, but rarely among the Pawnee, Arikara, and Dakota and practically never among the tribes designating him as human. Among the Assiniboine, Dakota, and Omaha, this hero is given a spider-like character called Unktomi.

In addition to heroes, many animal tales are to be found, which often explain the structural peculiarities of animals as due to some accident. For example, the Blackfoot trickster, while in a rage tried to pull the lynx asunder, causing it to have a long body and awkward legs. In other cases, the tales narrate an anecdote about origin or life itself. In some tales, the ending includes how some aspect of life was “ordered to be,” explaining a natural phenomenon or mythical belief.

There are also tales in which supernatural beings appear in the form of well-known animals and assist or grant favors to humans. In the mythology of the Plains tribes, the buffalo is a favorite character and is seldom encountered in the mythology from other areas. The bear, beaver, elk, eagle, owl, and snake are also frequently referred to, but also occur in the myths of Woodland and other tribes. Of imaginary creatures, the most conspicuous are the water monster and the Thunderbird. The former is usually an immense horned serpent who keeps under water and who fears the thunder. The thunder-bird is an eagle-like being who causes thunder.
Migration legends and those accounting for the origins and forms of tribal beliefs and institutions make up a large portion of the mythology, formulating a concept of the religion and philosophy of various groups.

Compiled by Kathy Weiser/Legends of America, updated November 2018.

“In ages past, our old ones were the storytellers. This was the way things were passed along to the generations that followed. For this reason the aged people made it a point to remember every detail so they could relate it at a later time. They were the word and picture carriers making history and spirtual values alive and important. In recent times we have made our old ones think they are not so important. We spoof their stories and make them feel foolish. The truth is that we are ignorant of what is precious and how to ‘a da li he li tse di — appreciate age. Rigidity can creep in and set even the young mind if there are no soft memories, no laughter, no times too deep for tears. Age is grace — a time too valuable to waste.”
— Joyce Sequichie Hifler from her book A Cherokee Feast of Days

Native Legends and Story Links

Wesakechak:
    Article on the Cree culture hero.
The Beginning of the Cree World:
    Cree creation myth.
World Parent Myths:
    Comparison of Huron, Inuit, and Cree creation myths.
Cree Flood Myth  Knisteneaux Flood:
    Cree legends about the flooding of the earth.
Wisakecahk:
    Two Cree legends about the trickster Wisakecahk.
Omushkego Stories:
    Audio files of Swampy Cree legends, in English and in Cree.
The Seagull and the Whiskey Jacks:
    Chapleau Cree story about the difference between seagulls and gray jays.
Why the Weasel Is Nervous:
    Cree legend of a trick Weasel played on Wesukechak.
Mudjikiwis:
    Epic legend about ten Cree brothers and their Thunder wives.
How The People Hunted The Moose:
    Cree legend about showing proper respect for the moose.
The Cannibal Rabbit:
    Cree legend about an evil man-eating rabbit.
Frog and Rabbit:
    When Rabbit and Frog were married.
How the Indians Obtained Dogs:
    Cree story of how dogs came to the people.
Grandmother's Creation Story:
    Cree legend about the animals interceding on behalf of humans.
    (This legend is mistakenly identified as "Creek" on the site.)
The Ghost Stallion:
    Cree legend about a man who was punished for his cruelty to animals.
Weesakaychak and the Ducks:
    Cree legends about Wisakecahk playing tricks and being tricked in return.
Why The Mouse Is So Silky:
    Swampy Cree legend about Wesukechak's reward to a mouse.
Elder Speak:
    Collection of oral history narrated by Dene and Cree elders.
Flying Wonder:
    Cree legend about a witch rejected by his human inlaws.
The Revenge of the Mountain Goats:
    Cree legend about a friendship between a hunter and a mountain goat spirit.
The Blind Hunter:
    Cree legend about a blind hunter whose sight was restored by loons.
The Legend of Ayas:
    Audio file of a James Bay Cree storyteller narrating the story of the Cree hero Ayas.
The Jealous Father:
    Another version of the Cree story of Ayas.
The Magic Gifts:
    Cree legend about a hunter who won powerful gifts from a mysterious stranger.
The Foundling Who Was Befriended By Wolves:
    Legend about a Cree man rescued by wolves after a murder attempt. Cree Indian FolkloreWesakechak:
    Article on the Cree culture hero.
The Beginning of the Cree World:
    Cree creation myth.
World Parent Myths:
    Comparison of Huron, Inuit, and Cree creation myths.
Cree Flood Myth  Knisteneaux Flood:
    Cree legends about the flooding of the earth.
Wisakecahk:
    Two Cree legends about the trickster Wisakecahk.
Omushkego Stories:
    Audio files of Swampy Cree legends, in English and in Cree.
The Seagull and the Whiskey Jacks:
    Chapleau Cree story about the difference between seagulls and gray jays.
Why the Weasel Is Nervous:
    Cree legend of a trick Weasel played on Wesukechak.
Mudjikiwis:
    Epic legend about ten Cree brothers and their Thunder wives.
How The People Hunted The Moose:
    Cree legend about showing proper respect for the moose.
The Cannibal Rabbit:
    Cree legend about an evil man-eating rabbit.
Frog and Rabbit:
    When Rabbit and Frog were married.
How the Indians Obtained Dogs:
    Cree story of how dogs came to the people.
Grandmother's Creation Story:
    Cree legend about the animals interceding on behalf of humans.
    (This legend is mistakenly identified as "Creek" on the site.)
The Ghost Stallion:
    Cree legend about a man who was punished for his cruelty to animals.
Weesakaychak and the Ducks:
    Cree legends about Wisakecahk playing tricks and being tricked in return.
Why The Mouse Is So Silky:
    Swampy Cree legend about Wesukechak's reward to a mouse.
Elder Speak:
    Collection of oral history narrated by Dene and Cree elders.
Flying Wonder:
    Cree legend about a witch rejected by his human inlaws.
The Revenge of the Mountain Goats:
    Cree legend about a friendship between a hunter and a mountain goat spirit.
The Blind Hunter:
    Cree legend about a blind hunter whose sight was restored by loons.
The Legend of Ayas:
    Audio file of a James Bay Cree storyteller narrating the story of the Cree hero Ayas.
The Jealous Father:
    Another version of the Cree story of Ayas.
The Magic Gifts:
    Cree legend about a hunter who won powerful gifts from a mysterious stranger.
The Foundling Who Was Befriended By Wolves:
    Legend about a Cree man rescued by wolves after a murder attempt.

http://www.native-languages.org/cree-legends.htm

Various Tribes Legends and Myths:

The Ark On Superstition Mountains
Totem carving in Alaska
Besieged By Starvation
The Division of Two Tribes
The Flood At Santa Fe
The Hidden City of Death Valley
Legend Of Crazy Woman’s Fork
Legends of Indian Territory
Little People of Wyoming & the Pedro Mountain Mummy
The Lost Trail
Native American Legends of Arizona
Navajo Skinwalkers – Witches of the Southwest
Pale Faced Lightning
Blackfoot Legend of the Peacepipe
The Queen Of Death Valley
Riders of the Desert
Sacrifice of the Toltec
The Salt Witch of the Nebraska Plains
Storied Waters of Oregon
Ta-Vwots Conquers the Sun
Teihiihan – The Little Cannibals of the Plains
The Thunderbird of Native Americans
Tamanous Of Tacoma
The Voyager Of Whulge
The Yellowstone Tragedy
Thunderbird Totem Pole
Wendigo – Flesheater of the Forests
By Tribe:
Apache Myths & Legends
Blackfoot Myths & Legends
Cherokee Myths & Legends
Sioux Myths & Legends
Zuni Myths & Legends
Mythology & Sacred Concepts:
Native American Legends
While a Great Spirit constitutes the basis of Indian theory, the tribes believe in multiple deities, which are surrounded by mythology. In accordance with their views of nature and spirit, they constantly appeal to these powers, at every step of their lives. They hear the great Spirit in every wind; see him in every cloud; fear him in sounds, and adore him in every place that inspires awe. While cultures and customs varied among the tribes, they all believed that the universe was bound together by spirits of natural life, including animals, water, plants, the sky, and the Earth itself.
Native American culture struggled to survive after the white man invaded their lives. Living through forced moves, war, starvation, diseases, and assimilation, these strong and spiritual people managed to keep their many legends and stories alive. Passed down through the generations, these many tales speak of timeless messages of peace, life, death, and harmony with nature.
The sacred beliefs of many tribes are largely formulated and expressed in sayings and narratives having some resemblance to the legends of European peoples. There are available large collections of these tales and myths from the Blackfoot, Crow, Nez Perce, Assiniboine, Gros Ventre, Arapaho, Arikara, Pawnee, Omaha, Northern Shoshone, and others. In these, much interesting information can be found. Though each tribe has its own beliefs and sacred myths, many have much in common.
The Deluge by Gustave Dore, 1866
A deluge or flood myth is almost universal in the Plains tribes as well as with the Woodland Indians. Almost everywhere it takes the form of having the submerged earth restored by a more or less human being who sends down a diving bird or animal to obtain a little mud or sand. Of other tales with common threads are the “Twin-heroes” – the Woman who married a star and bore a Hero,” and the “Woman who married a Dog.” A star-born hero is found in myths of the Crow, Pawnee, Dakota, Arapaho, Kiowa, Gros Ventre, and Blackfoot. Indian mythologies often contain large groups of tales reciting the adventures of a distinguished mythical hero with supernatural attributes, who transforms and in some instances creates the world, who rights great wrongs, and corrects great evils, yet who often stoops to trivial and vulgar pranks. Among the Blackfoot, for instance, he appears under the name of Napiw, also called “Old Man.” He is distinctly human in form and name. The Gros Ventre, Cheyenne, Arapaho, Hidatsa, and Mandan seem to have a similar character in their mythology.
The “Old Man” also appears in the mythologies of the adjoining culture areas, such as the area between the Plains and the Pacific Ocean. Some tales appear similar but are attributed to an animal character with the name and attributes of a coyote. Under this name, he appears among the Crow, Nez Perce, and Shoshone, on the western fringe of the Plains, but rarely among the Pawnee, Arikara, and Dakota and practically never among the tribes designating him as human. Among the Assiniboine, Dakota, and Omaha, this hero is given a spider-like character called Unktomi.
In addition to heroes, many animal tales are to be found, which often explain the structural peculiarities of animals as due to some accident. For example, the Blackfoot trickster, while in a rage tried to pull the lynx asunder, causing it to have a long body and awkward legs. In other cases, the tales narrate an anecdote about origin or life itself. In some tales, the ending includes how some aspect of life was “ordered to be,” explaining a natural phenomenon or mythical belief.
There are also tales in which supernatural beings appear in the form of well-known animals and assist or grant favors to humans. In the mythology of the Plains tribes, the buffalo is a favorite character and is seldom encountered in the mythology from other areas. The bear, beaver, elk, eagle, owl, and snake are also frequently referred to, but also occur in the myths of Woodland and other tribes. Of imaginary creatures, the most conspicuous are the water monster and the Thunderbird. The former is usually an immense horned serpent who keeps under water and who fears the thunder. The thunder-bird is an eagle-like being who causes thunder.
Migration legends and those accounting for the origins and forms of tribal beliefs and institutions make up a large portion of the mythology, formulating a concept of the religion and philosophy of various groups.
Compiled by Kathy Weiser/Legends of America, updated December 2019.
“In ages past, our old ones were the storytellers. This was the way things were passed along to the generations that followed. For this reason, the aged people made it a point to remember every detail so they could relate it at a later time. They were the word and picture carriers making history and spiritual values alive and important. In recent times we have made our old ones think they are not so important. We spoof their stories and make them feel foolish. The truth is that we are ignorant of what is precious and how to ‘a da li he li tse di — appreciate age. Rigidity can creep in and set even the young mind if there are no soft memories, no laughter, no times too deep for tears. Age is grace — a time too valuable to waste.”
— Joyce Sequichie Hifler from her book A Cherokee Feast of Days
Also See:
Native American Proverbs & Wisdom
Native American Rituals and Ceremonies
Native American Totems
The Role of Astronomy and Mythology In Native American Culture