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Post by Storyteller on Sept 6, 2016 0:21:11 GMT
Creation Story of the Dawn Land
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Post by Storyteller on Sept 6, 2016 0:21:54 GMT
Gluscabi and the Wind Eagle
Long ago, Gluscabi lived with his grandmother, Woodchuck, in a small lodge beside the big water.
One day Gluscabi was walking around when he looked out and saw some ducks in the bay.
“I think it is time to go hunt some ducks,” he said. So he took his bow and arrows and got into his canoe. He began to paddle out into the bay and as he paddled he sang:
Ki yo wah ji neh Yo ho hey ho Ki yo wah ji neh Ki yo wah ji neh But a wind came up and it turned his canoe and blew him back to shore. Once again Gluscabi began to paddle out and this time he sang his song a little louder
KI YO WAH JI NEH YO HO HEY HO KI YO WAH JI NEH KI YO WAH JI NEH But again the wind came and blew him back to shore. Four times he tried to paddle out into the bay and four times he failed. He was not happy. He went back to the lodge of his grandmother and walked right in, even though there was a stick leaning across the door, which meant that the person inside was doing some work and did not want to be disturbed.
“Grandmother,” Gluscabi said, “What makes the wind blow?”
Grandmother Woodchuck looked up from her work. “Gluscabi,” she said, “Why do you want to know?”
Then Gluscabi answered her just as every child in the world does when they are asked such a question.
“Because,” he said.
Grandmother Woodchuck looked at him. “Ah, Gluscabi,” she said. “Whatever you ask such a questions I feel there is going to be trouble. And perhaps I should not tell you. Bit I know that you are so stubborn you will never stop asking until I answer you. So I shall tell you. Far from here, on top of the tallest mountain, a great bird stands. This bird is named Wuchowsen, and when he flaps his wings he makes the wind blow.”
“Eh-hey, Grandmother,” said Gluscabi, “I see. Now how would one find that place where the Wind Eagle stands?”
Again Grandmother Woodchuck lookes at Gluscabi. “Ah, Gluscabi,” she said, “Once again I feel that perhaps I should not tell you. But I know that you are very stubborn and would never stop asking. So, I will come to the place where Wuchowsen stands.”
“Thank you, Grandmother,” said Gluscabi. He stepped out of the lodge and faced into the wind and began to walk.
He walked across the fields and through the woods and the wind blew hard. He walked through the valleys and into the hills and the wind blew harder still. He came to the foothills and began to climb and the wind still blew harder. Now the foothills were becoming mountains and the wind was very strong. Soon there were no longer any trees and the wind was very, very strong. The wind was so strong that it bl;ew off Gluscabi moccasins. But he was stubborn and he kept walking, leaning into the wind. Now the wind was so strong that it blew off his shirt, but he kept on walking. Now the wind was so strong that it blew off all his clothes and he was naked, but he kept walking. Now the wind was so strong that it blew off all his hair, but Gluscabi still kept walking, facing the wind. The wind was so strong that it blew off his eyebrows, but still, he continued to walk. Now the wind was so strong that he could hardly stand. He had to pull himself along by grabbing hold of boulders. But there, on the peck ahead of him, he could see a great bird slowly flapping its wings. It was Wuchowsen, the Wind Eagle.
Gluscabi took a deep breath. “Grandfather!” he shouted.
The Wind Eagle stopped flapping his wings and looked around. “Who calls me Grandfather?” he said.
Gluscabi stood up. “It’s me, Grandfather. I just came up here to tell you that you do a very good job making the wind blow.”
The Wind Eagle puffed out his chest with pride. “You mean like this?” he said and flapped his wings even harder. The wind which he made was so strong that it lifted Gluscabi right off his feet, and he would have been blown right off the mountain had he not reached out and grabbed a boulder again.
“Grandfather!!!” Gluscabi shouted again.
The Wind Eagle stopped flapping his wings.” Yesss?” he said.
Gluscabi stood up and came closer to Wuchowsen. “You do a very good job of making the wind blow, Grandfather. This is so. But it seems to me that you could do even better job if you were on that peak over there.”
The Wind Eagle looked toward the other peak. “That may be so,” he said, “ but how would I get from here to there?”
Gluscabi smiled. “Grandfather,” he said, “I will carry you. Wait here.” Then Gluscabi ran back down the mountain until he came to a big basswood tree. He stripped off the outer bark and from the inner bark he braided a strong carrying strap which he took back up the mountain to the Wind Eagle. “Here, Grandfather,” he said. “Let me wrap this around you so I can lift you more easily.” Then he wrapped the carrying strap so tightly around Wuchoswsen that his wings were pulled in to his sides and he could hardly breathe. “Now Grandfather,” Gluscabi said, picking the Wind Eagle up, “I will take you to a better place.” He began to walk toward the other peak, but as he walked he came to a place where there was a large crevice, and as he steppes over it he let go of the carrying strap and the Wind Eagle slid down into the crevice, upside down, and was stuck.
“Now,” Gluscabi said, “It is time to hunt some ducks.”
He walked back down the mountain and there was no wind at all. He walked till he came to the tree line and still no wind blew. He walked down to the foothills and down to the hills and valleys and still there was no wind. He walked through the forest and through the fields, and the wind did not blow at all. He walked and walked until he came back to the lodge by the water, and by now his hair had grown back. He put on some fine new clothing and a new pair of moccasins and took his bow and arrows and went down to the bay and climbed into his boat to hunt ducks. He paddles out into the water and sang his canoeing song:
Ki yo wah ji neh Yo ho hey ho Ki yo wah ji neh Ki yo wah ji neh But the air was very hot and still and he began to sweat. The air was so still and hot that it wad hard to breathe. Soon the water began to grow dirty and smell bad and there was so much foam on the water he could hardly paddle. He was not pleased at all and returned to the shore and went straight to his grandmother’s lodge and walked in.
“Grandmother,” he said, “What is wrong? The air is hot and still and it making me sweat and it is hard to breathe. The water is dirty and covered with foam. I cannot hunt ducks at all like this.”
“Gluscabi,” she said, “What have you done now?”
And Gluscabi answered just as every child in the world answers when asked that question, “Oh, nothing,” he said.
“Gluscabi,” said Grandmother Woodchuck again, “Tell me what you have done.”
Then Gluscabi told her about going to visit the Wind Eagle and what he had done to stop the wind.
“Oh Gluscabi,” said Grandmother Woodchuck, “will you never learn? Tabaldak, The Owner, set the Wind Eagle on that mountain to make the wind because we need wind. The wind keeps the air cool and clean. The wind brings the clouds which gives up rain to wash the Earth. The wind moves the waters and keeps them fresh and sweet. Without the wind, life will not be good for us, for our children or our children’s children.”
Gluscabi nodded his head. “Kaamoji, Grandmother,” he said. “I understand.”
Then he went outside. He faced in the direction from which the wind had once came and began to walk. He walked through the fields and through the forest the valleys and up the hills and there was no wind and it was hard for him to breathe. He came to the foothills and began to climb and he was very hot and sweaty indeed. At last he came to the mountain where the Wind Eagle once stood and he went and looked down into the crevice. There was Wuchowsen, The Wind Eagle, wedged upside down.
“Uncle?” Gluscabi called.
The Wind Eagle looked up as best he could. “Who calls me uncle? He said.
“It is Gluscabi, Uncle. I’m up here. But what are you doing down there?”
“Oh, Gluscabi,” said the Wind Eagle, “a very ugly naked man with no hair told me that he would take me to the other peak so that I could do a better job of making the wind blow. He tied my wings and picked me up, but as he stepped over this crevice he dropped me in and I am stuck. And I am not comfortable here at all.”
“Ah, Grandfath…er, Uncle, I will get you out.”
Then Gluscabi climbed down into the crevice. He pulled the Wind Eagle free and placed him back on his mountain and untied his wings.
“Uncle,” Gluscabi said, “It is good that the wind should blow sometimes and other times it is good that it should be still.”
The Wind Eagle looked at Gluscabi and then nodded his head. “Grandson,” he said, “I hear what you say.”
So it is that sometimes there is wind and sometimes it is still to this very day. And so the story goes.
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Post by Storyteller on Sept 6, 2016 1:27:18 GMT
How Glooscap Found Summer
Once, in the land of the Wabanaki, it was winter all the time, with dark windy days and bitter nights and never a glimpse of the sun at all. It was a terrible time for the Indians, and for a while Glooscap was at his wits' end to know what to do.
You have heard how Glooscap came to earth from Skyland, how he defeated his wicked brother Malsum, and how he made the Indians and animals. Now when he did all this, the land was warm and pleasant, with trees in leaf and sun light sparkling on the running streams.
Then, soon after Glooscap departed for Blomidon, suddenly almost overnight, all was changed. It grew cold. The sun disappeared behind the clouds and snow fell from the darkened sky. The lakes grew stiff with ice, and in all the land there was not a flower nor a leaf to be seen. The snow kept the Indians from their hunting grounds, and soon they became weak and ill from hunger and cold. Their Great Chief, Glooscap, seeing all this from his lodge on Blomidon, knew at once that the cold was caused by a giant wizard named Winter, the Ice King. Knowing too that if the cold continued all his people would die, and loving besides to pit his strength against other giants, Glooscap strapped on his giant snowshoes and set out eagerly to find the Ice King.
Deep in the forest, Glooscap came to Winter's wigwam and saw the giant himself leaning in the doorway. The Ice King stood as tall as Glooscap, with long white hair and beard, and a cloak of hoarfrost edged with icicles.
"Winter, you ruffian!" thundered Glooscap, "Lift your icy hand from my people, or I shall drive you away!"
The Ice King laughed.
"We shall see, my brother. Come into my lodge and we will talk the matter over." And he showed Glooscap to the back of the wigwam, which is a place of honour for guests.
When Glooscap was seated, Winter gave him a pipe and began to tell stories. Now Glooscap loved stories, and could not help listening, thinking there was plenty of time to come to the main business. But the Ice King was playing a trick on him. All the while he told his marvellous tales, his servants Frost and Slumber were throwing a charm on Glooscap. The Great Chief began to feel very drowsy. His head felt heavy and his eyelids began to close. Aware at last of his danger, he tried to rise, but his limbs failed him. Suddenly he was fast asleep. Then Winter went away, exulting, to make the world colder than ever.
Glooscap slept for six months, but at last the charm fled, and he awoke. Angry that Winter had tricked him, he hurried to the lodge of a brother giant called Coolpujot and asked for his help in driving Winter away. Coolpujot was a very huge, very fat old man with no bones, not able to move by himself, but he had certain magic powers.
"I might make the world warm," he told the Great Chief, "but only for a little while. Afterwards, the Ice King's power would be greater than ever, and I should not be able to prevail against him again."
"Work the charm anyway," said Glooscap, for he knew that many of his people were already dead and others dying.
But the fat old giant sighed.
"I can only make the charm work by turning over, and you know I cannot move." So Glooscap called his servant Marten and together, with the aid of handspikes, they rolled the giant over on his other side. Suddenly the sun came out and it was warm again.
"Is there no way Winter can be permanently defeated?" demanded Glooscap.
"There is only one way," said Coolpujot hesitantly.
"Tell me!"
"Far to the south there lives a queen called Summer, who is said to be as strong as Winter, and of whom the Ice King is much afraid. But she may be hard to find."
"I'll find her!" cried Glooscap.
"And perhaps she will not come."
"She'll come!" said Glooscap firmly.
Now it was a very long way to the Southland and Glooscap knew he must get there and back quickly if he were to save the rest of his people. Winter's power would return in a few short months and never go away again.
Glooscap hurried to the edge of the land and sang the magic song which called Bootup the Whale from the ocean.
"What is your will, Master?" asked Bootup, who was one of Glooscap's most faithful servants.
"Take me to the Southland," replied Glooscap, "as quickly as possible." And leaping on Bootup's back, away he went over the waves at a tremendous speed.
The great whale swam and swam and swam, and each day the water grew warmer, and the air, blowing off sunny shores, smelled of spice and flowers. Soon the water became shallow and, in the sand below, the clams called out a warning, "Oh, Whale, keep out to sea, for the water here is shallow and you will go aground."
But Bootup did not understand the language of the clams, and when he asked Glooscap what they said, the Chief answered with a song:
"They tell you to hurry To hurry, hurry along Over the water As fast as you can!"
Then the whale went like lightning until, all at once, with a terrible shudder, he struck hard and fast
"I can never leave the land. I shall swim in the sea no more!" And big tears streamed down his face.
"Have no fear, my friend," sang Glooscap cheerfully. "You shall not suffer. You shall swim in the sea once more," and, being now on shore, he placed his bow against the whale's side and with a tremendous push, sent old Bootup off again into deep water. Then he tossed the happy whale his second-best pipe and a bag of Indian tobacco as a reward. Bootup, very pleased, lighted the pipe and, smoking it, swam away to sea. And that is why, to this day, when you see a whale spout, you may say, "There! See? Bootup is smoking his pipe!"
Glooscap now travelled on foot, the sun warm on his face, the forest green and leafy overhead, until he came to a grove of orange blossom where many fair maidens were dancing. In their midst danced one fairer than all the rest, a smiling maid with long golden hair and a crown of flowers, and Glooscap knew at once it was the Queen of Summer. Hiding a little way off, he touched his magic belt and began to sing a song so sweet and tender it made Summer turn her head and move away from her friends.
"Come back!" they cried, but Summer did not heed them. She heard only the voice of Glooscap and ran to him in the forest.
"Come with me to the Northland," said Glooscap. "Help me defeat the giant, Winter."
"I will come," said Summer, "but only for a while, for this land will be sad and cold without me. How shall I find my way back?"
Now Glooscap knew that with Summer beside him, they could travel swiftly through the forest and would not need Bootup. He took a large moose hide and cut it round and round into a single long cord.
"We will let this run out behind us," he said. "Then, by winding it up again, you will be able to find your way back."
As they ran through the forest, the snow melted before them and the ice disappeared, and soon they came to Glooscap's own land. But here the cold was stubborn and Summer's magic failed, for Coolpujot's charm had run out and Winter's power was great in his own land.
"We must meet Winter and defeat him in his own lodge!" cried Glooscap and, putting her behind him, he strode up to the Ice King's wigwam and called out the Indian greeting in a loud voice:
"Kwah-ee!"
Winter's servants Frost and Slumber saw Summer as she passed, and they fled, but to the Ice King, as he came to meet Glooscap, she was invisible.
Eager to defeat Glooscap again, Winter cordially invited him to enter his lodge, but no sooner were they seated than the Ice King noticed something strange. His cloak of frost was melting! He called out for his servants Frost and Slumber, but there was no reply. He heard water begin to trickle Heard a bird sing! He heard buds whispering and laughing as they pushed their way through the bark of a million tree branches. He jumped to his feet in dismay.
"What magic is this?" he cried, feeling his crown of ice drip down his cheeks and his spear shrink in his hand.
Glooscap, with a triumphant smile, stood aside and showed him Summer.
Then Winter knew his power was gone, and he wept.
Summer, who was kind, felt sorry for him.
"We do not want the old man to die," said she to Glooscap. "Is there no way to save him without danger to your people?"
The Great Chief nodded.
"There is a way--a way that will be good for my people too, for too much ease and pleasure leads to laziness." Then he turned to the Ice King and said, "Winter, you will move your lodge at once to the Far North and rule there all year without interruption. At the end of Autumn, when Coolpujot is rolled over, you may come back here and stay six months."
"Hurrah!" cried the giant.
"But at the end of six months," Glooscap went on, "Coolpujot will roll over again and Summer will come from her home in the south, to bring my people the warmth and joy that only she can bring." And, ever since then, Coolpujot is rolled over with hand-spikes each Spring and Fall by Glooscap's order, so that the giant Winter and the lovely Queen of Summer may rule the Wabanaki country in turn, between them. Kespeadooksit--the story ends.
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Post by Storyteller on Sept 6, 2016 12:47:09 GMT
First People and the First Corn
Long ago, Klos-kur-beh, the Great Teacher, lived in the land where no people lived. One day at noon, a young man came to him and called him "Mother's brother."
Standing before Klos-kur-beh, he said, "I was born of the foam of the waters. The wind blew, and the waves quickened into foam. The sun shone on the foam and warmed it, and the warmth made life, and the life was I. See--I am young and swift, and I have come to abide with you and to help in all that you do."
Again on a day at noon, a maiden came, stood before the two, and called them "my children." "My children, I have come to abide with you and have brought with me love. I will give it to you, and if you will love me and will grant my wish, all the world will love me, even the very beasts. Strength is mine, and I give it to whosoever may get me. Comfort also is mine, for though I am young, my strength shall be felt over all the earth. I was born of the beautiful plant of the earth. For the dew fell on the leaf, and the sun warmed the dew, and the warmth was life, and that life is I."
Then Klos-kur-beh lifted up his hands toward the sun and praised the Great Spirit. Afterward, the young man and the maiden became man and wife, and she became the first mother. Klos-kur-beh taught their children and did great works for them. When his works were finished, he went away to live in the Northland until it should be time for him to come again.
The people increased until they were numerous. When a famine came among them, the first mother grew more and more sorrowful. Every day at noon she left her husband's lodge and stayed away from him until the shadows were long. Her husband, who dearly loved her, was sad because of her sorrow. One day he followed her trail as far as the ford of the river, and there he waited for her to return.
When she came, she sang as she began to ford the river, and as long as her feet were in the water she seemed glad. The man saw something that trailed behind her right foot, like a long green blade. When she came out of the water, she stooped and cast off the blade. Then she appeared sorrowful.
The husband followed her home as the sun was setting, and he bade her come out and look at the beautiful sun. While they stood side by side, there came seven little children. They stood in front of the couple, looked into the woman's face, and spoke: "We are hungry, and the night will soon be here. Where is the food?"
Tears ran down the woman's face as she said, "Be quiet, little ones. In seven moons you shall be filled and shall hunger no more."
Her husband reached out, wiped away her tears, and asked, "My wife, what can I do to make you happy?"
"Nothing else," she said. "Nothing else will make me happy."
Then the husband went away to the Northland to ask Klos-kur-beh for counsel. With the rising of the seventh sun, he returned and said, "O wife, Klos-kur-beh has told me to do what you asked."
The woman was pleased and said, "When you have slain me, let two men take hold of my hair and draw my body all the way around a field. When they have come to the middle of it, let them bury my bones. Then they must come away. When seven months have passed, let them go again to the field and gather all that they find. Tell them to eat it. It is my flesh. You must save a part of it to put in the ground again. My bones you cannot eat, but you may burn them. The smoke will bring peace to you and your children."
The next day, when the sun was rising, the man slew his wife. Following her orders, two men drew her body over an open field until her flesh was worn away. In the middle of the field, they buried her bones.
When seven moons had passed by and the husband came again to that place, he saw it all filled with beautiful tall plants. He tasted the fruit of the plant and found it sweet. He called it Skar-mu- nal--"corn." And on the place where his wife's bones were buried, he saw a plant with broad leaves, bitter to the taste. He called it Utar-mur-wa-yeh-- "tobacco."
Then the people were glad in their hearts, and they came to the harvest. But when the fruits were all gathered, the man did not know how to divide them. So he sent to the great teacher, Klos- kur-beh, for counsel. When Klos-kur-beh came and saw the great harvest, he said, "Now have the first words of the first mother come to pass, for she said she was born of the leaf of the beautiful plant. She said also that her power should be felt over the whole world and that all men should love her.
"And now that she has gone into this substance, take care that the second seed of the first mother be always with you, for it is her flesh. Her bones also have been given for your good. Burn them, and the smoke will bring freshness to the mind. And since these things came from the goodness of a woman's heart, see that you hold her always in memory. Remember her when you eat. Remember her when the smoke of her bones rises before you. And because you are all brothers, divide among you her flesh and her bones. Let all share alike, for so will the love of the first mother have been fulfilled."
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