Tricksters in Indigenous Mythology

Transcription

1 Name: Ableegumooch Tribal affiliation: Mi'kmaq, Penobscot Alternate spellings: Aplíkmuj, Aplikmuj, Apli'kmuj Pronunciation: ah-blee-guh-mooch Also known as: Rabbit Type: Trickster, rabbit spirit Related figures in other tribes: Mahtigwess (Passamaquoddy) Ableegumooch is a light-hearted trickster animal of Mi'kmaq folktales. He usually appears in the literal form of a and spends his time tricking, robbing, and deceiving the other of the forest, especially his trickster rival Keoonik. Like modern cartoon characters, Ableegumooch and Keoonik sometimes kill themselves or each other with their tricks and then randomly return to. Ableegumooch is the main of many stories aimed at children. He often behaves foolishly or causes for others, but unlike animal tricksters in some other tribes, is not dangerous or malevolent, and is often said to be a friend of Glooskap. Ableegumooch and Keoonik are popular with storytellers and stories about the two of them have also been borrowed into the folklore of neighboring tribes such as the Maliseet and Penobscot. Source:

2 Coyote The is one of several North American animals whose name has Native American origins. The word "coyote" was originally a Spanish corruption of the Nahuatl (Aztec) word for the animal, coyotl. From there it was borrowed into English. Coyote is a major mythological figure for most Native American, especially those west of the Mississippi. Like real coyotes, mythological coyotes are usually notable for their crafty intelligence, stealth, and voracious appetite. However, American Indian coyote characters vary widely from tribe to. In some Native American coyote myths, Coyote is a revered culture hero who creates, teaches, and helps humans; in others, he is a sort of antihero who demonstrates the dangers of negative behaviors like greed, recklessness, and arrogance; in still others, he is a comic trickster character, whose lack of wisdom gets him into while his cleverness gets him back out. In some Native coyote stories, he is even some sort of combination of all three at once. Among the Pueblo tribes, the was believed to have hunting medicine. Zuni hunters kept stone effigies of coyotes as one of their six hunting fetishes, associating coyotes with the west and the color blue. Coyotes are also used as clan animals in some Native American cultures. Tribes with Coyote Clans include the Cahuilla tribe, the Mohave, the Hopi (whose Coyote Clan is called Isngyam or Ish-wungwa), the Zuni (whose Coyote Clan name is Suski-kwe,) and other Pueblo tribes of New Mexico. Some tribes, such as the Pomo, also had a Coyote Dance among their tribal traditions. Source:

3 Name: Napi Also spelled: Naapi, Na'pi, Nape, Napa, Napiw, Napiwa, Napioa, Na-pe, Na'pe Tribal affiliation: Blackfoot Pronunciation: nah-pee Also known as: Old Man, Old-Man Type: Culture hero, transformer, trickster, creator god Related figures in other tribes: Nanabosho (Ojibway), Gluskap (Wabanaki) Napi (commonly known as ) is the culture hero of the Blackfoot tribe. Napi is frequently portrayed as a trickster, a troublemaker, and a foolish being, but he is also a well-intentioned demigod responsible for shaping the world the Blackfeet live in, and would frequently help the people or teach them knowledge. Napi is assisted in these tasks by his wife, Old (Kipitaki or Kipitaakii in Blackfoot). In some Blackfoot Indian legends both Old and Old are associated with coyotes (some Blackfoot storytellers even call them "Old Man " and "Old Lady Coyote," as the Crow Indians do.) In other Blackfoot legends Napi and Kipitaki have no particular connection with coyotes and are instead described as the first man and woman made by the Creator, who in turn made the rest of humankind. Napi shares some similarities with other Algonquian heroes such as the Cree Wisakejak, Wabanaki Glooscap, and Anishinabe Nanabozho, and many of the same stories are told in different Algonquian tribes with only the identity of the protagonist differing. Source:

4 Raven In the mythology of many Northwest Indian tribes, is honored as a culture hero. He is a revered and benevolent transformer figure who helps the people and shapes their world for them, but at the same time, he is also a trickster character and many Raven stories have to do with his frivolous or poorly thought out behavior causing for him and the people around him. Raven is noted for negative traits such as gluttony, greed, and impatience as well as for his heroism and great deeds. Ravens are also used as clan animals in many cultures, particularly those of the Northwest Coast (such as the Haida, Tlingit, Tsimshian, Kwakiutl, Nisgaa- Gitksan, and Salishan tribes) and the northern Athabaskan tribes (such as the Tanaina.) Raven is an important clan crest on the Northwest Coast and can often be found carved on totem, bentwood boxes, and other traditional northwestern art. Other tribes with Raven Clans include the Menominee tribe. Source:

5 Name: Ableegumooch Tribal affiliation: Mi'kmaq, Penobscot Alternate spellings: Aplíkmuj, Aplikmuj, Apli'kmuj Pronunciation: ah-blee-guh-mooch Also known as: Rabbit Type: Trickster, rabbit spirit Related figures in other tribes: Mahtigwess (Passamaquoddy) Ableegumooch is a light-hearted trickster animal of Mi'kmaq folktales. He usually appears in the literal form of a rabbit and spends his time tricking, robbing, and deceiving the other animals of the forest, especially his trickster rival Keoonik. Like modern cartoon characters, Ableegumooch and Keoonik sometimes kill themselves or each other with their tricks and then randomly return to life. Ableegumooch is the main character of many stories aimed at children. He often behaves foolishly or causes trouble for others, but unlike animal tricksters in some other tribes, is not dangerous or malevolent, and is often said to be a friend of Glooskap. Ableegumooch and Keoonik are popular characters with storytellers and stories about the two of them have also been borrowed into the folklore of neighboring tribes such as the Maliseet and Penobscot. Source:

6 Coyote The coyote is one of several North American animals whose name has Native American origins. The word "coyote" was originally a Spanish corruption of the Nahuatl (Aztec) word for the animal, coyotl. From there it was borrowed into English. Coyote is a major mythological figure for most Native American tribes, especially those west of the Mississippi. Like real coyotes, mythological coyotes are usually notable for their crafty intelligence, stealth, and voracious appetite. However, American Indian coyote characters vary widely from tribe to tribe. In some Native American coyote myths, Coyote is a revered culture hero who creates, teaches, and helps humans; in others, he is a sort of antihero who demonstrates the dangers of negative behaviors like greed, recklessness, and arrogance; in still others, he is a comic trickster character, whose lack of wisdom gets him into trouble while his cleverness gets him back out. In some Native coyote stories, he is even some sort of combination of all three at once. Among the Pueblo tribes, the coyote was believed to have hunting medicine. Zuni hunters kept stone effigies of coyotes as one of their six hunting fetishes, associating coyotes with the west and the color blue. Coyotes are also used as clan animals in some Native American cultures. Tribes with Coyote Clans include the Cahuilla tribe, the Mohave, the Hopi (whose Coyote Clan is called Isngyam or Ish-wungwa), the Zuni (whose Coyote Clan name is Suski-kwe,) and other Pueblo tribes of New Mexico. Some tribes, such as the Pomo, also had a Coyote Dance among their tribal dance traditions. Source:

7 Name: Napi Also spelled: Naapi, Na'pi, Nape, Napa, Napiw, Napiwa, Napioa, Na-pe, Na'pe Tribal affiliation: Blackfoot Pronunciation: nah-pee Also known as: Old Man, Old-Man Type: Culture hero, transformer, trickster, creator god Related figures in other tribes: Nanabosho (Ojibway), Gluskap (Wabanaki) Napi (commonly known as Old Man) is the culture hero of the Blackfoot tribe. Napi is frequently portrayed as a trickster, a troublemaker, and a foolish being, but he is also a well-intentioned demigod responsible for shaping the world the Blackfeet live in, and would frequently help the people or teach them important knowledge. Napi is assisted in these tasks by his wife, Old Woman (Kipitaki or Kipitaakii in Blackfoot). In some Blackfoot Indian legends both Old Man and Old Woman are associated with coyotes (some Blackfoot storytellers even call them "Old Man Coyote" and "Old Lady Coyote," as the Crow Indians do.) In other Blackfoot legends Napi and Kipitaki have no particular connection with coyotes and are instead described as the first man and woman made by the Creator, who in turn made the rest of humankind. Napi shares some similarities with other Algonquian heroes such as the Cree Wisakejak, Wabanaki Glooscap, and Anishinabe Nanabozho, and many of the same stories are told in different Algonquian tribes with only the identity of the protagonist differing. Source:

8 Raven In the mythology of many Northwest Indian tribes, Raven is honored as a culture hero. He is a revered and benevolent transformer figure who helps the people and shapes their world for them, but at the same time, he is also a trickster character and many Raven stories have to do with his frivolous or poorly thought out behavior causing trouble for him and the people around him. Raven is noted for negative traits such as gluttony, greed, and impatience as well as for his heroism and great deeds. Ravens are also used as clan animals in many Native American cultures, particularly those of the Northwest Coast (such as the Haida, Tlingit, Tsimshian, Kwakiutl, Nisgaa-Gitksan, and Salishan tribes) and the northern Athabaskan tribes (such as the Tanaina.) Raven is an important clan crest on the Northwest Coast and can often be found carved on totem poles, bentwood boxes, and other traditional northwestern art. Other tribes with Raven Clans include the Menominee tribe. Source: