Abenaki mythology
Encyclopedia
The Abenaki people are an indigenous peoples of the Americas
located in the northeastern United States
and Eastern Canada
. Religious ceremonies are led by medicine keeper
s, called Medeoulin
or Mdawinno.
Tabaldak
, the creator god, made humans and then Gluskab
(several variants of whom were associated with different branches of the Abenaki, including Glooscap
, Glooskap, Gluskabe Klooskomba) and Malsumis
sprang from the dust on his hand. Gluskab and Malsumis both had the power to create a good world, but only Gluskab did so. Malsumis still seeks evil to this day.
Gluskab founded the Golden Age of the Earth by rendering the evil spirits of the Ancient Age smaller and safer, as well as teaching humanity how to hunt and fish, build shelter and all of the Abenaki's knowledge of art, invention and science. Gluskab's departure ended the Golden Age, though he is prophesied to return and renew it again.
Me-koom-wee-soo was Gluskab's assistant and wields an ivory bow. He has a fierce temper and gains weight as he gets more angry; eventually, it is said, he sinks into stone. Gluskab and Me-koom-wee-soo had an archery contest once; Me-koom-wee-soo fired an arrow into the top of Mt. Washington
, creating a pond, while Gluskab's arrow created a hole in the sky that was then called msatawa (the Evening Star).
Gluskab realized the strain hunters can cause on an ecosystem
. He asked a woodchuck spirit for help, and she gave him all the hairs off her belly, woven into a magical sac; which is why woodchucks have bald bellies. Gluskab then went to a mountain, where Tabaldak had placed a huge eagle
(P-mol-a) that made bad weather by flapping its wings. After binding it, Gluskab realized some wind was necessary and loosened them slightly. Gluskab saved the world from a frog
monster that swallowed all the planet's water. When Gluskab cut open the monster's belly, some animals jumped into the water and became fish
. Some modern Wabanaki believe that Gluskab is angry at white people for not obeying his rules.
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
located in the northeastern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Eastern Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Religious ceremonies are led by medicine keeper
Shamanism
Shamanism is an anthropological term referencing a range of beliefs and practices regarding communication with the spiritual world. To quote Eliade: "A first definition of this complex phenomenon, and perhaps the least hazardous, will be: shamanism = technique of ecstasy." Shamanism encompasses the...
s, called Medeoulin
Midewiwin
The Midewiwin or the Grand Medicine Society is a secretive religion of the aboriginal groups of the Maritimes, New England and Great Lakes regions in North America. Its practitioners are called Midew and the practices of Midewiwin referred to as Mide...
or Mdawinno.
Three ages
The history of the Abenaki people is divided into three time periods. In the first, the Ancient Age, humanity and animal-life are undifferentiated. In the second, the Golden Age, humans are still animals, but quantitatively different. In the third, the Present Age, animals and humanity are totally differentiated.Beings of the Ancient Age
- Atosis - a medeoulin who is a reptilian humanoid, forces people to find a stick so that he can cook them with it, was blinded by Moosbas
- AzebanAzebanAzeban is a lower-level trickster spirit in Abenaki mythology. The traditional homeland of the Abenaki is Wobanakik , what is now called Northern New England and Southern Quebec. Azeban is a Raccoon, the Abenaki trickster figure. Pronounced ah-zuh-bahn...
- "RaccoonRaccoonProcyon is a genus of nocturnal mammals, comprising three species commonly known as raccoons, in the family Procyonidae. The most familiar species, the common raccoon , is often known simply as "the" raccoon, as the two other raccoon species in the genus are native only to the tropics and are...
", a raccoon or wolverineWolverineThe wolverine, pronounced , Gulo gulo , also referred to as glutton, carcajou, skunk bear, or quickhatch, is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae . It is a stocky and muscular carnivore, more closely resembling a small bear than other mustelids...
trickster spirit - Kee-wakwKee-wakwAccording to the folklore of the Abenaki tribe of the north-eastern United States, a Kee-wakw was a giant cannibal, half-animal half-human creature that inhabited the forests and woodlands of the area of present-day New England during ancient times....
- a gigantic, forest-dwelling cannibal - Kisosen - "Sun-Bringer", the solar deitySolar deityA solar deity is a sky deity who represents the Sun, or an aspect of it, usually by its perceived power and strength. Solar deities and sun worship can be found throughout most of recorded history in various forms...
, an eagle whose wings opened to create the day, and closed to cause the nighttime - Kita-skog "Big Snake" or Pita-skog "Grand Snake" - a Horned Serpent who fights the Pa-don-gi-ak
- Kchi-awasos - "Big Bear", the bowl stars of the Big DipperBig DipperThe Plough, also known as the Big Dipper or the Saptarishi , is an asterism of seven stars that has been recognized as a distinct grouping in many cultures from time immemorial...
are the Great Bear, who is chased every night by three hunters; he is killed every fall and his blood drips to earth turning the leaves brown while the constellation turns upside down; it is righted, and he is reborn, every spring - MateguasJiibayaaboozKnown in the Ojibwe mythology as Jiibayaabooz or in the Abenaki mythology as Mateguas , this figure is a trickster spirit, and figures prominently in their storytelling, including the story of the world's creation...
(also Mat-gwas) - a rabbit spirit, first (one of magic) the rabbit, the very first medeoulin, legendary founder of the Midewiwin. - Metee-kolen-ol - a race of evil wizards with hearts of ice
- Nanom-keea-po-da - subterranean spirit who causes earthquakes
- Niben - "Summer", a woman whose stunning beauty forces Pe-ben to retreat to the north; she represents summer
- PamolaPamolaPamola is a legendary bird spirit that appears in Abenaki mythology. This spirit causes cold weather....
- a bird and night spirit who takes prisoners to Alomkik, near Mt. Katahdin and causes cold weather - Psônen "Snow-Bringer" - an eagle-spirit that makes snow by opening his wings
- Padôgiyik "Thunders" - seven white-skinned, golden-haired brothers, half-human and half-bird, former inhabitants of Lake ChamplainLake ChamplainLake Champlain is a natural, freshwater lake in North America, located mainly within the borders of the United States but partially situated across the Canada—United States border in the Canadian province of Quebec.The New York portion of the Champlain Valley includes the eastern portions of...
, war-like, thunder and lightning spirits. - Pebon "Winter" - a powerful sorcerer who puts his audience to sleep when he tells stories, spirit of winter
- Siguan "Spring" - a young male who loved the season of summer, and brought her to the north every spring
- TabaldakTabaldakTabaldak is the androgynous creator among the Abenaki and Algonquian people of northeastern North America. His name means "The Owner" who "created all living things but one". Tabaldak created people out of stones, but thought these people to be too cold. Next he tried wood, and out of these came...
"Owner" - the androgynous creator of existence - Wa-won-dee-a-megw "Snail" - a snail spirit that can live in trees, on land or in the water, as well as change size and appearance to look like a huge snake, alligator or scaly man; has horns which can be ground into a magical powder
- Wad-zoo-sen - the eagle that flaps his wings to create wind
- Wassan-mon-ganeehla-ak - a race of people who play games with a ball of light, causing the Aurora Borealis
Beings of the Golden Age
- Oodzee-hozo (Odzihózo) also known as Gluskab/Gluskabe (Gloos Ka Be) - ("the man who created himself") a man who lived before the invention of legs. He dragged his body around, creating mountainMountainImage:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
s, valleyValleyIn geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...
s and riverRiverA river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
s (in this early form, he is referred to as Bemee-geedzin-pobi-zeed), as well as Lake ChamplainLake ChamplainLake Champlain is a natural, freshwater lake in North America, located mainly within the borders of the United States but partially situated across the Canada—United States border in the Canadian province of Quebec.The New York portion of the Champlain Valley includes the eastern portions of...
, which is holy to the Abenaki. Odzihozo turned himself into a rock in the lake (Rock DunderRock DunderA tiny rock island extending just above the waters of Lake Champlain roughly due SW from the Burlington, Vermont ferry dock. The water level averages 95.5' ASL, and the rock protrudes only a few feet above that...
, roughly 1.4 miles (2.3 km) west of Burlington, VermontBurlington, VermontBurlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....
), which he is said to inhabit . - Tool-ba - foolish turtle spirit, uncle of Gluskab
- Pla-ween-noo - turtle spirit, mother of Gluskab, patron spirit of the Sokwakis
- Agaskw (also Nokemis) - ("woodchuck", also known as Nokemis, "my grandmother") is a very wise woodchuck-spirit of the Abenaki. She is the grandmother of Gluskab.
- Moos-bas - mink spirit, adopted son on Gluskab, powerful fletcher, sometimes fulfills wishes
- Mool-sem - one of Gluskab's dogs, the white one, could shrink or enlarge himself
- M-da-weelh-ak - a loon spirit in the form of a dog, Gluskab's messenger, one of his dogs, the black one, could shrink or enlarge himself
- A-senee-ki-wakw - a race of stone giants, the first people Gluskab created but then destroyed because they crushed other animals and injured the earth with their great size
Gluskab and Malsumis
Tabaldak
Tabaldak
Tabaldak is the androgynous creator among the Abenaki and Algonquian people of northeastern North America. His name means "The Owner" who "created all living things but one". Tabaldak created people out of stones, but thought these people to be too cold. Next he tried wood, and out of these came...
, the creator god, made humans and then Gluskab
Glooscap
Glooscap is a mythical culture hero, and "transformer" of the Wabanaki peoples...
(several variants of whom were associated with different branches of the Abenaki, including Glooscap
Glooscap
Glooscap is a mythical culture hero, and "transformer" of the Wabanaki peoples...
, Glooskap, Gluskabe Klooskomba) and Malsumis
Malsumis
Malsumis is a highly malevolent spirit or god in Abenaki mythology, an Algonquian people of northeastern North America.-General background:According to legend, after Tabaldak created humans, the dust from his hand created Gluskab and some versions say that he also created Gluskab's twin brother,...
sprang from the dust on his hand. Gluskab and Malsumis both had the power to create a good world, but only Gluskab did so. Malsumis still seeks evil to this day.
Gluskab founded the Golden Age of the Earth by rendering the evil spirits of the Ancient Age smaller and safer, as well as teaching humanity how to hunt and fish, build shelter and all of the Abenaki's knowledge of art, invention and science. Gluskab's departure ended the Golden Age, though he is prophesied to return and renew it again.
Me-koom-wee-soo was Gluskab's assistant and wields an ivory bow. He has a fierce temper and gains weight as he gets more angry; eventually, it is said, he sinks into stone. Gluskab and Me-koom-wee-soo had an archery contest once; Me-koom-wee-soo fired an arrow into the top of Mt. Washington
Mount Washington (New Hampshire)
Mount Washington is the highest peak in the Northeastern United States at , famous for dangerously erratic weather. For 76 years, a weather observatory on the summit held the record for the highest wind gust directly measured at the Earth's surface, , on the afternoon of April 12, 1934...
, creating a pond, while Gluskab's arrow created a hole in the sky that was then called msatawa (the Evening Star).
Gluskab realized the strain hunters can cause on an ecosystem
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
. He asked a woodchuck spirit for help, and she gave him all the hairs off her belly, woven into a magical sac; which is why woodchucks have bald bellies. Gluskab then went to a mountain, where Tabaldak had placed a huge eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
(P-mol-a) that made bad weather by flapping its wings. After binding it, Gluskab realized some wind was necessary and loosened them slightly. Gluskab saved the world from a frog
Frog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
monster that swallowed all the planet's water. When Gluskab cut open the monster's belly, some animals jumped into the water and became fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
. Some modern Wabanaki believe that Gluskab is angry at white people for not obeying his rules.
Beings of the Present Age
- Alom-bag-winno-sis or Alom-begwi-no-sis - a mischievous, dwarfish race of men upsets canoeCanoeA canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
s, that can increase or decrease body size at will; they also own a pot which can transform a few kernels of maizeMaizeMaize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
into a huge quantity; seeing one supposedly foretells a death by drowningDrowningDrowning is death from asphyxia due to suffocation caused by water entering the lungs and preventing the absorption of oxygen leading to cerebral hypoxia.... - Ask-wee-da-eed - a fire-elemental, identified as a will o' the wispWill o' the wispA will-o'-the-wisp or ignis fatuus , also called a "will-o'-wisp", "jack-o'-lantern" , "hinkypunk", "corpse candle", "ghost-light", "spook-light", "fairy light", "friar's lantern", "hobby lantern", "ghost orb", or simply "wisp", is a ghostly light or lights sometimes seen at night or twilight over...
, that brings bad luck and death, also connected with cometCometA comet is an icy small Solar System body that, when close enough to the Sun, displays a visible coma and sometimes also a tail. These phenomena are both due to the effects of solar radiation and the solar wind upon the nucleus of the comet...
s and meteorMETEORMETEOR is a metric for the evaluation of machine translation output. The metric is based on the harmonic mean of unigram precision and recall, with recall weighted higher than precision...
s - Atsolowas - a trickster.
- Awa-hon-do z- insect spirits that bite humans
- Awes-kon-wa - a small, flying sprite, associated with the MohawkMohawk nationMohawk are the most easterly tribe of the Iroquois confederation. They call themselves Kanien'gehaga, people of the place of the flint...
tribe - Batsolowanagwes - a benign tricksterTricksterIn mythology, and in the study of folklore and religion, a trickster is a god, goddess, spirit, man, woman, or anthropomorphic animal who plays tricks or otherwise disobeys normal rules and conventional behavior. It is suggested by Hansen that the term "Trickster" was probably first used in this...
- Bedig-wajo (western Abenaki) or Ktaden (eastern Abenaki) - a culture heroCulture heroA culture hero is a mythological hero specific to some group who changes the world through invention or discovery...
- Chibaiskweda - marsh gas, supposedly caused by the ghost of an improperly buried corpse
- Do-gakw-ho-wad - small men who prop the jaws of animals open with sticks in order to avoid being eaten
- Dzee-dzee-bon-da - a monster, so ugly that even he is terrified of his own appearance
- Ko-gok - another monster
- Lo-lol - a frightening monster
- M-ska-gwe-demoos - a swamp-dwelling woman, dressed in moss with moss for hair; she cries alone in the forest and is potentially dangerous
- Maski-mon-gwe-zo-os - a toadToadA toad is any of a number of species of amphibians in the order Anura characterized by dry, leathery skin , short legs, and snoat-like parotoid glands...
creature, seduces men and children and kills them, appears either as a partridgePartridgePartridges are birds in the pheasant family, Phasianidae. They are a non-migratory Old World group.These are medium-sized birds, intermediate between the larger pheasants and the smaller quails. Partridges are native to Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East...
or a woman dressed in mossMossMosses are small, soft plants that are typically 1–10 cm tall, though some species are much larger. They commonly grow close together in clumps or mats in damp or shady locations. They do not have flowers or seeds, and their simple leaves cover the thin wiry stems...
, with a belt made of arborvitae barkBarkBark is the outermost layers of stems and roots of woody plants. Plants with bark include trees, woody vines and shrubs. Bark refers to all the tissues outside of the vascular cambium and is a nontechnical term. It overlays the wood and consists of the inner bark and the outer bark. The inner... - Meek-moos-ak - a pair of short twins who seduce women, who are then cursed to never desire marriage, kills hunters during the winter, possibly a personification of the Mi'kmaq tribe
- N-dam-keno-wet - a half-fish, half-human creature with a small face and long hair, molests bathing women
- P-skig-demo-os - a female creature, P-skig-demo-os slays men and children
- Pak-zin-skwa - an ugly, old woman
- Pim-skwa-wagen-owad - small, aquatic, pinching creatures
- Pok-wejee-men - small creatures, created from the bark of the ash treeAsh treeFraxinus is a genus flowering plants in the olive and lilac family, Oleaceae. It contains 45-65 species of usually medium to large trees, mostly deciduous though a few subtropical species are evergreen. The tree's common English name, ash, goes back to the Old English æsc, while the generic name...
- Tsa-tsamolee-as - the noisy, clownish fool
- Tsi-noo - a person whose heart is made of ice and has no soul; he eats the souls of others for sustenance and strength
- Wana-games-ak - river-dwelling creatures with faces so narrow, they are essentially two-dimensional, friendly creatures that warned the Abenaki of coming attacks