Sacred Texts  Native American  Northeast 

The Algonquin Legends of New England

by Charles G. Leland

[1884]


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This is Charles Lelands' able retelling of the Algonquin mythology, particularly tales of the culture hero, Glooskap.


Title Page
Preface
Authorities
Contents
List of Illustrations
Introduction

Glooskap The Divinity

Of Glooskap's Birth, and of his Brother Malsum the Wolf
How Glooskap made the Elves and Fairies, and then Man of an Ash Tree, and last of all, Beasts, and of his Coming at the Last Day
Of the Great Deeds which Glooskap did for Men; how he named the Animals, and who they were that formed his Family.
How Win-pe the Sorcerer, having stolen Glooskap's Family, was by him pursued, and how Glooskap for a Merry Jest cheated the Whale. Of the Song of the Clams, and how the Whale smoked a Pipe
Of the Dreadful Deeds of the Evil Pitcher, who was both Man and Woman, and how she fell in love with Glooskap, and, being scorned, became his Enemy. Of the Toads and Porcupines, and the Awful Battle of the Giants
How the Story of Glooskap and Pook-jin-skwess, the Evil Pitcher, is told by the Passamaquoddy Indians
How Glooskap became friendly to the Loons, and made them his Messengers
How Glooskap made his Uncle Mikchich the Turtle into a Great Man, and got him a Wife. Of Turtles' Eggs, and how Glooskap vanquished a Sorcerer by smoking Tobacco.
How Glooskap sailed through the great Cavern of Darkness
Of the Great Works which Glooskap made in the Land
The Story of Glooskap as told in a few Words by a Woman of the Penobscots
How Glooskap, leaving the World, all the Animals mourned for him, and how, ere he departed, he gave Gifts to Men
How Glooskap had a great Frolic with Kitpooseagunow, a Mighty Giant who caught a Whale
How Glooskap made a Magician of a Young Man, who aided another to win a Wife and do Wonderful Deeds
How a Certain Wicked Witch sought to cajole the Great and Good Glooskap, and of her Punishment
Of other Men who went to Glooskap for Gifts
Of Glooskap and the Three Other Seekers
Of Glooskap and the Sinful Serpent
The Tale of Glooskap as told by another Indian. Showing how the Toad and Porcupine lost their Noses
How Glooskap changed Certain Saucy Indians into Rattlesnakes
How Glooskap bound Wuchowsen, the Great Wind-Bird, and made all the Waters in all the World Stagnant
How Glooskap conquered the Great Bull-Frog, and in what Manner all the Pollywogs, Crabs, Leeches, and other Water Creatures were created
How the Lord of Men and Beasts strove with the Mighty Wasis, and was shamefully defeated
How the great Glooskap fought the Giant Sorcerers at Saco, and turned them into Fish
How Glooskap went to England and France, and was the first to make America known to the Europeans.
How Glooskap is making Arrows, and preparing for a Great Battle. The Twilight of the Indian Gods.
How Glooskap found the Summer
The Legend of Glooskap

The Merry Tales of Lox, The Mischief Maker

Of the Surprising and Singular Adventures of two Water Fairies who were also Weasels, and how they each became the Bride of a Star. Including the Mysterious and Wonderful Works of Lox, the Great Indian Devil, who rose from the Dead
Of the Wolverine and the Wolves, or how Master Lox Froze to Death
How Master Lox played a Trick on Mrs. Bear, who lost her eyesight and had her eyes opened
How Lox came to Grief by trying to catch a Salmon
How Master Lox as a Raccoon killed the Pear and the Black Cats, and performed other Notable Feats of Skill, all to his Great Discredit
How Lox deceived the Ducks, cheated the Chief, and beguiled the Bear
The Mischief Maker. A Tradition of the Origin of the Mythology of the Senecas. A Lox Legend
How Lox told a Lie

The Amazing Adventures of Master Rabbit

I. How Master Rabbit sought to rival Keeoony, the Otter
II. How Mahtigwess, the Rabbit dined with the Woodpecker Girls, and was again humbled by trying to rival them
III. Of the Adventure with Mooin, the Bear; it being the Third and Last Time that Master Rabbit made a Fool of himself
IV. Relating how the Rabbit became Wise by being Original, and of the Terrible Tricks which he by Magic played Loup-Cervier, the Wicked Wild Cat
V. How Master Rabbit went to a Wedding and won the Bride
VI. How Master Rabbit gave himself Airs
VII. The Young Man who was Saved by a Rabbit and a Fox

The Chenoo Legends

I. The Chenoo, or the, Story of a Cannibal with an Icy Heart
The Story of the Great Chenoo, as told by the Passamaquoddies
The Girl-Chenoo

Thunder Stories

Of the Girl who married Mount Katahdin, and how all the Indians brought about their own Rain
How a Hunter visited the Thunder Spirits who dwell in Mount Katahdin
The Thunder and Lightning Men
Of the Woman who married the Thunder, and of their Boy

At-o-sis, the Serpent

How Two Girls were changed to Water-Snakes, and of Two Others that became Mermaids
Ne Hwas, the Mermaid
Of the Woman who loved a Serpent who lived in a Lake
The Mother of Serpents
Origin of the Black Snakes

The Partridge

The Adventures of the Great Hero Pulowech, or the Partridge
The Story of a Partridge and his Wonderful Wigwam
How the Partridge built Good Canoes for all the Birds, and a Bad One for Himself
The Mournful Mystery of the Partridge-Witch; setting forth how a Young Man died from Love
How one of the Partridge's Wives became a Sheldrake-Duck, and why her Feet and Feathers are Red

The Invisible One

The Invisible One

Story of the Three Strong Men

Story of the Three Strong Men

The Weewillmekq'

I. How a Woman Lost a Gun for Fear of the Weewillmekq'
II. Muggahmaht'adem, the Dance of Old Age, or the Magic of the Weewillmekq'
III. Another Version of the Dance of Old Age?

Tales of Magic

M'téoulin, or Indian Magic
Tumilkoontaoo, or the Broken Wing
Fish-Hawk and Scapegrace
The Giant Magicians