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indigenous spirits in my nations !

disclaimer: if you're a writer and/or roleplayer do NOT use for your native characters, especially if you're white. do not use this for your anthropology hyperfixation and/or special interest or for you to use as laughing stock about how our spiritualities and religions are clearly all fake and stupid anyway (/s), these stories are not “make-believe.”, they are an integral component of our indigenous worldviews. elders moreover, believe them to be true, therefore these stories are very important and mean a great deal to our peoples, and stories also have an undercurrent of truth and shouldn’t be easily dismissed as myth or superstition, and stories are important to indigenous storytellers because they connect the storyteller to their culture, ancestors and language, and according to the elders, you have to believe in them to see them, and our world and the world of these beings coexist and intermingle. this is not for you. this is for my own use as a semiconnected two spirit native who is also a witch & hopes to at least work with some of our spirits. nonnative witches especially white witches do not fucking play w/ me i'll& slaughter u if u try to work w/ any of these spirits because oftentimes even a lot of native people can't work with our own spirits because we're so often disconnected from our own culture so a random ass nonnative, even worse if it's a white settler, using this for their own benefit is a massive slap in the face to a lot of us so don't do it. our spiritualities & religions were literally banned and forbidden to practice for decades on risk of imprisonment or even straight up murder. be fucking decent and respectful. also, keep in mind that the mi'kmaq, wolastoqiyik & abenaki lore all heavily overlap & are extremely similar, although there are some that are exclusively from a specific nation especially in the case of the abenaki & that's because they're all under the wabanaki confederacy or people of the dawnland consisting of the mi'kmaq, wolastoqiyik, passamaquoddy, penobscot & abenaki nations, while the metis people takes inspiration from other nations, predominantly anishinaabe / ojibwe, nehiyawak / cree & western european folklore, and thus are a syncretistic mix of indigenous, notably woodlands algonquian & plains algonquian, particularly anishinaabe / ojibwe, nehiyawak / cree, and western european, particularly catholic rural french canadian / quebecois / canadien / canayen and scottish / highland traditions and supernatural beings seamlessly blending and fusing together into one storytelling tradition that is now distinctly and uniquely metis that often have different meanings and endings than their cree, ojibwe and quebecois antecedents, and metis creation stories closely follow the oral narratives in the anishinaabe and nêhinawêwin (swampy cree), nêhiyawêwin (plains cree), and nîhithawîwin (woodland cree) languages while adding rural catholic french themes, whereas the huron-wendat are more similar to the iroquois / haudenosaunee peoples because they were extremely similar. these are divided into the categories of my nations: mi'kmaq, wolastoqiyik, abenaki, metis, & huron-wendat.

mi'kmaq.

Gluskap: Gluskap is the benevolent culture hero & demigod figure of the Mi'kmaq tribe & the overall Wabanaki Confederacy, who taught the people the arts of civilization and protected them from danger. Has many spelling variants. The correct Mi'kmaw pronunciation is klue-skopp. Gluskap shares some similarities with other Algonquian heroes such as the Anishinabe Nanabozho, Blackfoot Napi and Cree Wesakaychak, and many of the same stories are told in different Algonquian tribes with only the identity of the protagonist differing. His story was told so much in so many different communities that his origins and things on his life differ and vary a lot. In some legends, Gluskap created the Wabanaki tribes himself, while in others, it was the Great Spirit who created them and Gluskap stepped in to teach them the arts of civilization. In any case, Gluskap is always portrayed as a virtuous hero and a good caretaker, teacher of the Wabanaki people and protector from evil. Sometimes he plays the role of a transformer, changing monsters into harmless animals and adapting the landscape to be more favorable to the people. Gluskap sometimes also plays the role of a trickster, but only in the mischievous/humorous sense, never the antagonistic/culturally inappropriate sense. Gluskap does not commit crimes or chase women (in fact, he is a confirmed bachelor in most legends.) Gluskap foretold a time the white men would come and destroy the Mi'kmaq. In many traditions, Gluskap leaves the land of the Wabanaki at the end of the mythic age, promising to return one day if they have need of him and presently awaits the day to appear to the Mi'kmaq people when they are most in need. On a personal note, Christian missionaries attempted to basically conflate Jesus with Gluskap as Mi'kmaw religious beliefs are now highly syncretic due to evangelization, and other non-Christian supernatural beings also live on in tandem with Christian beliefs.

Kisúlkw: This means "Creator" in the Mi'kmaw language, and is the Mi'kmaw name for God, who is sometimes also referred to as Kjikinap or Kji-Niskam. Kisulkw is a divine spirit with no human form or attributes (including gender) and is not personified in traditional Mi'kmaw folklore. Most people in the modern day refer to Kisu'lkw and God as one and the same. Pronounced similar to kih-soolk. Also called Kci Niwesq in Wolastoq / Maliseet & Gchi Niwawskw or Tabaldak in Abenaki, the androgynous creator of the Abenaki & Algonquian peoples of Northeastern North America, Their name means "The Owner" who "created all living things but one". Tabaldak created people out of stones, but thought these people's hearts were too cold. They broke up these stones and left them scattered over the Abenaki land. Next they tried wood, and out of these came the Abenaki people. As in other Algonquian tribes, the Great Spirit, the Creator, is abstract, benevolent, does not directly interact with humans, and is rarely if ever personified in Wabanaki mythos. Originally, Kisulk'w / Kci Niwesq / Tabaldak did not even have a gender (although with the introduction of Christianity, English and its gender-specific pronouns, Creator began to be referred to as "he.") It is Kisul'kw who created the world, though some details of making the world as we know it today were delegated to the culture hero Gluskap. Kisu'kw (or one of its many variant spellings) was used as a translation for "God" in early translations of the Bible into Wabanaki languages, and indeed most Wabanaki people today consider the Great Spirit and the Christian God to be one and the same.

Nákúset: The Sun, who was the first being created by Kisúlkw and the one who carried out most divine plans. Often personified as an old man in Micmac myths, and frequently referred to as Niskam ("grandfather.") Nákúset is pronounced nah-goo-set, and Niskam is pronounced niss-kahm. Alternate spellings: Naku'set, Niskam. Also referred to as Grandfather Sun.

Nukumi: Gluskap's wise old grandmother. Pronounced noo-goo-mee. Traditionally, nukumi just means "grandmother" in Mi'kmaw. Some legends say she was created from stone. She's called Grandmother Woodchuck or Nuhkomoss Munimqehs or Agaskw / Nokemis or Nokomis in Wolastoqiyik & Abenaki and Ojibwe folklore respectively and takes the form of a very wise woodchuck as Gluskap's grandmother; Golden Age.

Apistanewj: Marten, Gluskap's adopted brother, helper, and right-hand animal. Pronounced ah-bist-ah-newch. Marten Spirit, but can shapeshift to a human form. Similar to Gichi Ojiig, literally meaning the Great Fisher, a type of weasel, in Ojibwe culture, and was the right-hand man of Nanabozho the culture hero of the Ojibwe and in some tellings is the adopted elder brother of Nanabozho and after bringing summer to the world, Great Fisher became the constellation commonly known as the Big Dipper; according to some tellings his son Little Fisher also became the Little Dipper.

Migjigj: Turtle, Gluskap's bumbling uncle. Pronounced mick-cheech. Turtle Spirit.

Kwimu (Loon): Gluskap's faithful friend, companion, messenger, and talebringer. Pronounced kwee-moo. Kwimu is something of a spy (always observing the people and reporting his findings to Gluskap,) but since Gluskap is such a benevolent figure, Kwimu is viewed positively nonetheless. The Abenaki variant of the name Medawisla literally means "spirit bird" or "magic bird," because of his associations with Gluskap. The loud, eerie cries of the loon were often said to be Kwimu's reports to Gluskap about the activities of men. In Abenaki folklore, it also took the form of a black dog that could shrink or enlarge himself in the Golden Age. Predominantly a Loon Spirit.

Put'p (Whale): Another animal spirit that serves and is friends with Gluskap, by carrying him across the ocean & illustrating Gluskap's giant stature and as repayment he gives Put'p his pipe which is the origin of the spray of whale blowholes. Pronounced boo-dup. Male in legends, female in others, often genderneutral most of the time. Whale Spirit.

Luks / Lox / Ki'kwaju: An evil spirit that seeks to destroy Gluskap. He is usually associated with the wolverine or badger. His name rhymes with "dukes.". Lox is a malevolent wolverine spirit of the northern Wabanaki tribes. The French word for wolverine, carcajou, was even borrowed from this Mi'kmaq word. Skicinuwi-Wahant and W'skidcinwi Wahant are Maliseet-Passamaquoddy translations of "Indian Devil," which was a common name for Lox among English speakers. Lox usually demonstrates inappropriate social behavior like gluttony, rudeness, impatience, and a bad temper, but in some stories he also plays the role of a deadly monster for humans to beware of. After the introduction of Christianity to the Wabanaki tribes, Lox became identified with Satan, and some fusion French-Indian stories have been recorded in which Lox tries to steal people's souls. Wolverine/Badger Spirit.

Apli'kmuj & Kiwnik: Rabbit & Otter, two lighthearted trickster animal figures from Mi'kmaq folktales who trick, rob, play pranks on each other and deceiving the other animals in the forest, especially each other as rivals. Like modern cartoon characters, they often behave foolishly and cause trouble for others, sometimes kill themselves or each other with their tricks and then randomly return to life, but unlike animal tricksters in other tribes, they are not dangerous or malevolent. Apli'kmuj is often the main character of many stories aimed at children and is often seen as a friend of Glooskap. Also referred to as Mahtoqehs (mah-tuh-gwass) in Wolastoq. They 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. Pronounced ah-blee-guh-mooch and cue-nick. Trickster Spirits. (On a personal note, they seem harmless to work with.)

Muin: Bear, one of the most prominent animal spirits of Mi'kmaq mythology. He is portrayed as powerful and honorable with impressive magical powers but somewhat gullible. He frequently serves as the "straight man," victim, or butt of the joke for weaker but cleverer tricksters like Rabbit, Wolverine, or Raccoon. In other stories, Muin fares better than these animals due to his superior moral qualities. In some Wabanaki folklore, muinskw or "bear woman" are featured the same way, except that they're fiercely maternal & lost or abandoned children in Wabanaki folklore are frequently adopted by muinskw. Pronounced moo-in. Bear Spirit.

Lusifee / Apuk'sigen / Tqoqwej: Wildcat, an aggressive, malevolent, greedy and dangerous animal in Mi'kmaq & overall Wabanaki folklore. Sometimes he is conflated with Luks. Some Wabanaki people believe Lucifee is actually the same character as Luks, a malevolent wolverine character of traditional legends, and that the name "Lucivee" is an English or French corruption of the Algonquian name Luks. Other people think "Lucifee" may have come from the name Lucifer, and that the character may have been a personification of the devil influenced by European folk stories, but the likeliest source of his name is probably the French-Canadian word for "lynx," "loup-cervier" (pronounced similar to loo-sir-vee-yay, which could easily be corrupted to loo-sih-fee.) Lynx did not live in large portions of Mi'kmaq and Maliseet territory (in particular, there have never been lynx in Nova Scotia as far as I know,) so it's quite possible that tribes in those areas could have ended up borrowing stories about this animal from French-speaking voyageurs. (On a personal note this is wild & for the sake of my sanity I'm calling him the actual name of what "Lynx" is in Mi'kmaw & that's Apuk'sigen or Tqoqwej which literally translates to Wildcat or Bobcat, mostly bc the French ruined. pretty much everything. lmao)

Pulowech (Partridge): An epic hero in Mi'kmaq myths. The most famous stories in his hero cycle as a bird warrior involve him winning a water-fairy wife and then avenging her murder by evil wizards. Possibly originally a clan hero of the Mi'kmaq Bird or Feather clans. Pronounced puh-lah-wetch. (On a personal note jfc I was. not expecting that. that's so wild. LMAO)

Jenu: Gigantic monstrous evil cannibal man eating ice giants, comparable to the W/nd/go of the Anishinabe & Algonquian. Jenu were once human beings who either committed terrible crimes such as cannibalism or withholding food from a starving person without feeling remorse or became possessed by evil spirits and corrupted by dark magic, cursed to eat human flesh, causing them to only ever feel hunger as that's all they're able to feel and their hearts to turn to ice. They grow bigger the hungrier and angrier they get often towering over the tallest tree, possessing sharp fangs that stand out due to having chewed their own lips off, and become excruciatingly emaciated and warm forcing them to live in the snow, and rarely you could find two of these creatures fighting each other, which if this happened, one should put something in their ears to avoid hearing their roars since their cries were dangerous and their scream will kill anyone who hears it. Pronounced cheh-noo or jeh-noo. Also called C.henoo or W.intiku from the Anishinaabe name. Called K.ewahqu in Wolastoq, while in some Abenaki legends they're called T.sinoo, they inhabited the forests and woodlands of the area in ancient times eating the souls of others for sustenance and strength because they had no souls, while in others the stone giants (Asinikiwakw) were not transformed humans but primordial man-eating stone giant monsters, the first people Gluskap created but then destroyed because they crushed other animals and injured the earth with their great size and they were then defeated by the culture hero Gluskap. There are a few ways to kill a Jenu, usually requiring doing so more than once and even after it's dead people will avoid the spot where it died. Some versions say the only way to ensure they are truly dead is to chop up their bodies into multiple pieces. There is no way of destroying the Jenu except by destroying their icy heart, either by tricking them into eating salt or forcing them into eating so much that they throw it up. In a few legends a human has been successfully rescued from the frozen heart of a Jenu like a girl tricking a Jenu into believing it was her grandfather only to allow it to do things for her and her brothers until it got into a sweat lodge so the old man coughed up its icy heart, the last bits of the icy heart was chopped to bits with a hatchet, melted and the old man came from it so a girl's kindness saved the jenu by literally melting its heart, while in another story, when a woman rejected a man's advances, this caused the man to seek revenge and turn her into a jenu out of vengeance and scorned pride which had her force her family to fire seven arrows into her heart to end the curse, a jenu can be turned back into a human being, this is very rare, though, but usually once a person has been transformed into a Jenu, their only escape is death and usually die as a jenu. (which. for the sake of my& sanity i'll& be referring to them as ice cannibals but personally? yikes.)

Kukwes: Man-eating ogres. They are greedy, hairy and have bear-like heads. Pronounced kook-wess. They're described as being taller than the highest pine trees, which would make them at least 150 to 200 feet tall. Kukwes are usually described as around 20-30 feet tall to even 40-60 feet tall (large enough to carry children in a sack, & catching whales the way humans catch fish; & on a personal note... jfc. lol)

Mikumwessuk: These are little people like sprites, dwarves or fairies. They are generally benevolent forest spirits but can be dangerous if they are disrespected. Pronounced mee-kum-oo-wess-uk. Called Mihkomuwehsok in Wolastoq; some Maliseet traditions provide the Mikumwesuk with an origin story: they are the descendants of a tiny hero called Mikumwesu, who was the brother and companion of the culture hero Gluskap. Nature spirits. Essentially, a type of fair folk.

Wiklatmu'j: Another race of dwarves from Mi'kmaq legends. They're rock spirits (sometimes called Stone Dwarves in English) who live in mountain caves or rocky places in the woods. Wiklatmu'j have formidable magical powers but are benign creatures who do not generally harm humans, though they are fond of playing harmless but annoying tricks on people and may destroy the property of disrespectful people or curse them with bad luck. They are small, but do big work. They live and dress like the old-time Mi'kmaq and they speak Mi'kmaq. They live on Quebec's Gaspe Peninsula, on Tracadegash Mountain, and on Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Island. They have small arms and legs and big bodies like bullfrogs. Like other supernatural beings, they can help, for instances, by giving a man furs, or warning him of coming evil, or harm, by performing bad tricks around the house and barn. The Wiklatmu'j are only as tall as a three-year-old child, but are as swift as lightening. They are strong and sound like birds when talking to each other. They dress light, go barefoot, and smoke a pipe. The only apparent difference between the male and female, except, of course, biological difference, is their hair. They live in the woods, write on stone, eat meat, berries and fish, and like to dance, sing and play. One thing you don't do is disrespect the Wiklatmu'j. They are strong and they can take you down no matter how big you are. Pronounced wih-guh-lah-tuh-mooch. (On a personal note... don't fuck w/ the wiklatmu'j. if i were to work with them i'd probably have to speak mi'kmaw, i honestly don't know if they'd speak english. lmao)

Sabawaelnu: Another race of nature sprites, these are Mi'kmaw water spirits, and like European mermaids and merfolk in other folklore, they have human upper bodies and fish tails. They have power over storms, but do not harm people who show them proper respect, and Mi'kmaq people who learn to interpret their songs correctly can predict the weather. They are benevolent toward fishermen and travelers, and, if treated well, will protect them from dangerous weather. However, if they are treated disrespectfully, they use their powers over the weather to raise great storms, which they control through incantations, to punish their aggressors. Both male and female sabawaelnu are said to appear to humans, and both genders participate in the singing rituals they use to influence weather patterns. Referred to the Ojibwe as Nibiinaabe. Their name in Mi'kmawi'simk literally means "water people." Pronounced sah-buh-wahn-ill-noo. They are sometimes also known as the Halfway People. (On a personal note it's cool to know that we have our own merfolk.)

Skite'kmuj: The ghost of an evil sorcerer, or a ghostwitch, an undead monster of the Wabanaki tribes who returns to life by night to kill and devour humans. Usually a skite'kmuj is said to have been created upon the death of an evil sorcerer who refuses to stay dead. During the day, a skite'kmuj appears to be an ordinary corpse resting in its grave but begins rising from the dead at night from its earth remains and haunts the area it was buried to kill, attack, eat and throw curses at any unlucky humans who come across them. It can only be permanently destroyed by fire, but this is a difficult task, since they are powerful spellcasters. Can also mean a ghost or spirit of someone who died. Pronounced skuh-deh-guh-mooch. (On a personal note, the Milky Way is the path to Skite'kmuj'ewawti or Spirit Road & that's just utterly gorgeous.)

Kinap: A mortal hero gifted with uncanny physical strength and other powers. In many legends, a Kinap's power manifests as a child, and he either becomes a child-hero or dies young by using too much of his strength too early. In other legends, an adult Kinap features as a mortal hero slaying a terrible monster or leading the other Mi'kmaw men into battle. The feminine form is Kinap'skw. Pronounced kih-nopp.

Jipijka'm: An underwater horned serpent that was common to most Algonquian peoples, said to lurk in lakes and eat humans and have magical powers and a great healer, though those searching of healing should be careful, it can be dangerous and in the case of the Mi'kmaq, occasionally rising out of the water and taking a human as a spouse. They live in the World Below The Water. Pronounced ji-bich-kaam. Since it has only one horn according to most Mi'kmaq stories, it is sometimes called the Unicorn Serpent in English. Its horn is usually described as red and yellow and has powerful magical qualities. They're also called Atosis / Tatoskok in Abenaki & Kci-Athusoss in Wolastoq with both languages' translations literally meaning Great Serpent. In one legend, Atosis had once been a human man but became a snake later, and in another a mdawinno who was a reptilian humanoid who forced people to find a stick so it could cook them with it, only to be blinded by Moosbas. He fights the hero Gluskap but never manages to kill him. In one of the stories, Atosis captures Gluskap's brother, Marten. Gluskap tells Marten how to trick Atosis, and they defeat him together. In another story, a woman has fallen in love with the snake, and she lures her husbands, one after the other, to the water for the snake to eat. In another, the woman falls in love with the snake but does not kill her husband or harm anyone. Maine writer Christopher Packard numbers Champ, the cryptid of Lake Champlain among Atosis. It's said that the Tatoskok fight the Thunderers or the Seven Thunders, the storm spirits.

Kaqtukaq: Mi'kmaq storm spirits, who cause thunder and lightning, they are fierce warriors and thunder is caused by the sound of their battles, while lightning flashes from their eyes. Pronounced similar to kakh-too-kakh. They usually appear as men with bird's wings, and in some stories their clan intermarries with Native people. Also referred to as kaqtukwewe'sm or the Thunderer, storm spirits who live in the sky and command thunder and lightning. They're also called the Seven Thunders in Abenaki folklore, with some legends saying that they're seven supernatural warrior brothers and others saying that there's a whole tribe of them, like other Wabanaki weather spirits, the Seven Thunders are associated with birds, but usually appear in human form (generally as white skinned men half bird half human creatures with with bird's wings, sometimes with long golden hair) and are former inhabitants of Lake Champlain and are seemingly at war with the Horned Serpent since the Ancient Age.

Kulu'k: A legendary giant bird of prey, said to eat humans and be large enough to carry off a moose in its talons. The Kulu'k take the power-shapes of Giant Birds living in The World Above The Sky. They sometimes prey on humans, yet they are the beings who fly between Earth World and the World Above the Sky. They are strong spirit-helpers and often show themselves to people who need guidance. Pronounced kuh-loo.

Skusi'skwaq: Weasel women, two sisters, who married the stars as their husbands; their skins are very white like every weasel person's fur is in the winter.

Oochigeaskw: Heroine of a French-Wabanaki fusion myth loosely based on the French Cinderella folktale. This is a more modern story, not a traditional one, and so no Mi'kmaq or Maliseet speakers knew what the native name of the heroine originally was, but they guess that perhaps it was Wijikiskw, which is pronounced wudge-ih-geesk and means "scabby woman" or "scarred woman" in Mi'kmaw. There are a number of versions of this story but in most of them the plot is similar to the "Cinderella" story: Oochigeas is neglected by her father and tormented by her sisters, but in the end is chosen over her sisters by the "prince" (in this case an invisible medicine person named Team, possibly even the culture hero Glooskap himself in disguise) and becomes his wife. She may also symbolize the First Woman. She lived in the trees and dressed in leaves. Some refer to her as the Mi'kmaw Cinderella, dressed in her Birch Bark dress and ready for a magical interaction. As is typical of Wabanaki folktales, Oochigeas must pass several tests of her character in order to achieve her objective, demonstrating her courage, honesty, and respect. Also referred to as Burnt Face Girl. Pronounced woodge-ig-eesk-w.

Winpe: The name of a giant magician in Mi'kmaw folklore, an enemy of Gluskap. He captured Nukumi and Gluskap's adopted brother Marten. In some versions of the story, Winpe is an evil, brutish villain who is killed by Gluskap, while in others, he is boisterous but honorable and is defeated by Gluskap in a series of tests of magical power. Winpe ruled over the cold Northern Sea in the Arctic and had his lodge on a rocky island guarded by icebergs. Winpe was a powerful giant, cheerful but quick- tempered, who delighted in games and tests of magic. In one version of the Winpe legend, he was even the originator of the game of lacrosse, which Gluskap took from him and shared with the people, Gluskap shared many good gifts to his people--the forests, the streams, the fish and the animals--but no gift was cherished more than the game he brought back to them from Winpe's island, the game the Indians called tokhonon, the game the white man was one day to copy and call lacrosse.

wolastoqiyik / maliseet.

Mikumwesu: In some Maliseet legends, this is the older brother of Kluskap, something exclusive to the Wolastoqiyik folklore, a tiny man who accompanies the hero on his adventures and is the progenitor of the Mikumwesuk race of little people. Pronounced mee-kum-weh-soo. In some Maliseet and Passamaquoddy traditions, Mikumwesu is a monster-slaying dwarf who is the older brother of Gluskap and the progenitor of the race of little people known as Mikumwesuk. Mikumwesu is heroic, good-natured, and loyal; he is noted as being an excellent shot with a bow, and like his brother, has great magical powers. (Personally? Iconic.)

Wonakomehsok: Forest gnomes, one of several races of legendary little people in Wabanaki folklore, wonakomehsok are rock dwarves/river-elves who make their homes in rocky riverbanks. Wonakomehsok are nature spirits who are generally friendly to the Wabanaki people but may sometimes capsize canoes, tear fishing nets, or cause other mischief and increase and decrease body size at will. They have narrow faces, which some stories describe as being so thin they cannot be seen except in profile. When clay or silt deposits along the riverbank resemble people or animals, they are said to be sculptures made by the wonakomehsok, and bring good luck to the person who finds them. Rocks by the side of a river with geometric markings on them are considered to mark the home of a wonakomehsok family and are best left undisturbed. In Abenaki folklore, they're river-dwelling creatures with faces so narrow, they are essentially two-dimensional, and are friendly creatures that warned the Abenaki of coming attacks, they also own a pot which can transform a few kernels of maize into a huge quantity; seeing one supposedly foretells a death by drowning. Pronounced wuh-nah-guh-mess-uck.

Lampeqinuwok: Water sprites or little mermaids of Wolastoqiyik mythology. In some stories they have humanoid form, while in others, they have fish tails. As with many nature spirits in Indigenous American folklore, a lampeqin falls under the power of anybody who steals his or her magical garments, and in some legends lampeqin women are claimed as wives by people (or animals) who capture their clothing. Lampeqinuqok are often said to be able to create food, either turning a morsel of food into a large feast, baking bread from snow, or using a magical pot to produce an infinite amount of food. Pronounced lahm-beh-gwin-oo-wuck.

Kiwolatomuhsisok: Kiwolatomuhsisok are sprites who live in Maliseet villages or nearby. They can be mischievous, but unlike some little people of Indigenous American folklore, their tricks are never dangerous or destructive-- usually they just rearrange things, tie knots in them, or leave little braids in hair or clothing. They are friendly to people and sometimes help with household chores if gifts are left for them or kindness is shown to their children. According to some stories, the kiwolatomuhsisok are able to foretell the future. Pronounced gee-wuh-lah-duh-moo-sis-uck.

Mikew: Squirrel, a troublemaker character. Pronounced mee-koo. A minor character of Wabanaki folklore. According to legend, Mikew was once a large carnivore like a wolf or bear but the culture hero, Gluskap, decided he was too ferocious and dangerous to humans and shrunk him to his current size. However, Mikew retained his ill-temper, and often is portrayed as a busybody and troublemaker. Squirrel Spirit. (On a personal note... that's actually kinda cute.)

Kuku: A man-eating ogre, usually (but not always) female. She is so huge that she carries the people she catches in a bag over her shoulder the way human hunters carry rabbits. The Mi'kmaq name Kuku may derive from their word for "earthquake," kiwkw, since she is so large her footsteps shake the earth. According to some legends, Kuku is a sea monster covered in scales who preys mostly on people paddling canoes or walking along the beach. Also called Kogok in Abenaki, considered Present Age. In other legends, Kuku lives in the mountains and is often mistaken for a boulder until it is too late. Pronounced koo-goo

Pukcinsqehs: A notorious witch who steals children and raises as her own. She is usually depicted as a squat, ugly human woman in Wabanaki legends, although like most characters of the mythic age, she is able to shape-shift (in particular, she is noted for sometimes appearing as a man.) After being defeated by Pogumk, she turns into a mosquito or other stinging insect. In some legends, Pukjinskwes also features as an enemy of Gluskap (usually trying to revenge herself on him for rejecting her attempts to flirt with him.) Indeed, some folklorists believed that Gluskap and Pogumk were one and the same. This is probably not the case, since there are many important differences between the two heroes, but the confusion has caused some storytellers to conflate them and tell the entire Pogumk epic with Gluskap as the hero instead. Her Maliseet name literally means Jug Woman and is pronounced book-cheen-squass. (Personally? Idk man she g.enderfluid.)

Pogumk: Hero of the Fisher or Black Cat cycle of myths, it was Pogumk who finally defeated the witch Pukcinsquehs. Folklorists sometimes identify Pogumk as an alter ego of Glooskap, but Maliseet elders have maintained that they are two different heroes. Literally means Fisher, a large species of weasel. Pogumk was the chief of the Fishers, and his hero cycle had to do with defending his family and his tribe from the witch Pitcher Woman, who wanted to get rid of him so that she or her husband could become chief in his place. Despite being identified as fishers, Pogumk, his family and his rival are usually portrayed as humans in Wabanaki legends. Pogumk has more similarities with other heroes of Eastern Woodlands folklore, who are often stranded by their enemies on islands, in bird nests, in caves, or other remote places from which they need to use their ingenuity and the help of nature to escape. It is typical of Native American legends for the line between humans and animals to be blurred in this way. Pronounced poh-gomk.

Skwakewtemus (Swamp-Woman): A female ghost that lives in the swamps and makes mournful cries. Anyone who tries to follow the sound of her crying is lost in the swamp and killed. By some tellings, Swamp Woman was more of a malevolent creature, intentionally luring children to their deaths out of spite or so that she could eat them. According to other people, Swamp Woman was a more tragic figure: the ghost of a childless woman who calls children to her out of genuine loneliness, only to have them die when her ghostly hands touch them. Either way, Swamp Woman is less of a mythological character than a parental reminder from the Wabanakis that it is never a good idea to play in the swamp, especially after dark. In Abenaki folklore, she is a swamp-dwelling woman of the Present Age, dressed in moss with moss for hair; she cries alone in the forest and is potentially dangerous. Pronounced skweah-goh-tuh-moose. (On a personal note she reminds me of the woman in white mythos.)

Apotamkin: This monstrous creature is often misidentified as a "vampire" by nonnatives (particularly since its name was glimpsed in Twilight when Bella was looking up vampires on the internet, which is blatantly false, another example of Stephanie Meyer knowing nothing about Indigenous peoples or literally making things up). But in actual Maliseet and Passamaquoddy legends, the creature has nothing to do with vampires, Apotamkin is not a vampire but a sea serpent that lives in Passamaquoddy Bay said to have long red hair with long fangs that drags people, especially incautious children, into the water and eats them, and in some stories was once a human woman who was transformed into a serpent. In some cases, the Apotamkin can cause a heart to freeze, and a person who spotted it can become so frightened that they may have a heart attack or stroke. It was used to instill fear into children to keep them from venturing into areas alone and without parental guidance. Whilst it is defined as a monster, it is not always evil. On the contrary, its presence deters children from entering the water without parental supervision, avoiding injuries or death. The Passamaquoddy tribe believe that the Apotamkin is a benevolent monster that prevents children from accidental injuries and death like falling through thin ice and other disasters. Pronounced ah-boo-dahm-kun.

Weewillmekq': Another sea monster with relatively little information about it has survived, said to resemble a giant leech, snail, slug or worm. Pronounced wee-will-uh-meck-w.

Chebelakw: A dangerous bird spirit, also known as the "Spirit of the Night Air." It appears in stories told to scare children into obeying their parents. It has an unearthly cry and resembles a large diving owl, with only its head and talons visible. Exckusive to the Wolastoqiyik. Pronounced chee-buh-lock-w. Its name probably stems from the Maliseet word for "scary eyes".

Wuchowsen: A legendary mountaintop bird whose wings cause the wind. a gigantic immortal bird spirit whose wings make the wind. Though Wuchowsen is monstrous in size and the winds he creates can be deadly, he is not treated as a monster in Wabanaki legends, but rather as a natural force of the world that must be respected. In most legends, either Gluskap or a mortal hero attempts to stop Wuchowsen's wings from flapping, only to find that the world cannot survive without wind; Wuchowsen is restored to power, but is either persuaded to moderate the wind he creates or forced to do so by having one of his wings tied or broken. Pronounced wuh-chow-sun.

Atuwoskonikehs: An invisible forest spirit responsible for the felling of trees. Exclusive to the Wolastoqiyik. Pronounced ah-too-wuss-kuh-nee-gass.

Aglebemu: A giant lake monster that caused drought by damming up a river (usually the St. John River or Penobscot River) and caused it to run dry, resulting in a drought, defeated by Glooskap and turned into a modern-day bullfrog. "Kci Cekolhs" or "Kci-Coqols" literally means "giant frog." Pronounced ah-gluh-beh-moo. (On a personal note... GAMABUNTA???? OMG MOUNT MYOBOKU TOADS /jjjjj)

abenaki.

First Mother: The first woman in the Abenaki creation story, created by the Creator and Gluskap and in other variants simply sprung to life spontaneously from the morning dew. Details about her life vary greatly from telling to telling, but the constant is that she ultimately sacrifices herself to bring corn (and tobacco) to the people. In some stories First Mother and her husband (sometimes identified as First Father, other times simply as Corn Mother's husband) were created at the same time. In other versions, First Father had already been created to help Gluskap and First Mother joined him later. After giving birth to the Wabanaki nations, First Mother then sacrifices her life to feed them, turning her body into the first garden.

Mateguas (Rabbit): In Abenaki legend, Gluskap's brother is Rabbit or Mateguas, who died and became the ruler of the land of the dead, became the first Mdawinno and the legendary founder of Midewiwin in Abenaki tradition. Like Gluskap, Mateguas is helpful and good, and gives his brother spiritual guidance from beyond the grave. The rabbit is a lighthearted trickster animal in other Wabanaki tribes like the Mi'kmaq, but in Abenaki legend, Rabbit is a serious mythological character. According to Abenaki tradition, Mateguas (Rabbit) was the elder brother of the culture hero Gluskap. After his death, Mateguas became ruler of the underworld, communicating with his younger brother from beyond the grave to give him spiritual secrets to share with the people including the rites and ceremonies of vision quests and purification ceremonies to help his grieving brother, this became the core of the Midewiwin rituals that Gluskap passed onto humans, as the Abenaki Nation were one of the nations who practiced Midewiwin / ᒥᑌᐧᐃᐧᐃᓐ, the secret religious society of many nations, with their medicine people being referred to as Mdawinno. The Abenaki Mateguas shares many similarities with underworld deities of the Great Lakes Algonquian tribes such as the Ojibwe rather than the more typical figures of Wabanaki mythology, with its name in Anishinaabemowin being Jiibayaabooz / ᒋᐸᔮᐴᔅ. Pronounced mah-tuh-gwoss. (On a personal note this is extremely interesting.)

Tolba & Moskwas (Turtle & Muskrat): These two animals team up in the Abenaki myth of the creation of the Earth and were responsible for the creation of the earth, there existed no sound or color prior until Creator desired it and began the process of creating the world, with Moskwas diving successfully to the bottom of the ocean to retrieve mud from beneath the water when all other animals failed and Tolba volunteering to carry the new land on his back thus creating Turtle Island or Tolba Mnahan in the Abenaki language from the primordial waters and the clouds above them. After that, the Creator fell asleep and began to dream of every creature and plant to ever exist, waking to discover their dream had become reality as they slept & the new world was populated with living things. This myth is not told in the other Wabanaki tribes and may have been borrowed from neighboring cultures where it is more common, such as the Anishinaabe / Ojibwe / Chippewa or Huron and Haudenosaunee / Iroquois tribes or Magua as the Abenaki called them as they were neighbors. Tolba is also known as Plawinno or One Who Waits & is also Gluskap's mother & matron saint of the Sokwakis. Moskwas is also the adopted son of Gluskap, is a powerful fletcher & could sometimes fufill wishes. Since the creation, it is believed by the Abenaki that the world has gone through three separate ages, defined by humanity and its relationship with the other animals. First, there is the Ancient Age, where humans and animals are viewed as equal, followed by the Golden Age, where humans begin to separate themselves from being like the other animals. Finally, there is the Present Age, which is marked by the current status of humans being completely separate from the rest of the animals; this is an exclusive Abenaki telling of the Creation. Their names are pronounced tawl-buh and mos-kwuss respectively; Golden Age.

Azeban: Raccoon or on lesser occasions Wolverine, the lighthearted lower level Abenaki trickster figure & a being of the Ancient Age. His exploits are foolish, mischievous, funny, and fairly trivial. Azeban is the main character of many stories aimed at children. In another story, he sees a waterfall and, appreciating its noise, thinks he can make an even louder sound and challenges it to a shouting match due to his pride shouts when the waterfall does not rrespond, Azeban dives into the waterfall to try to outshout it until he loses his balance and falls in and is swept away because of his pride; this story would be used to show a child the pitfalls of pride. He often behaves foolishly or causes trouble for others and deceives animals and other beings for food or other services, but unlike animal tricksters in some other tribes, Azeban is not dangerous or malevolent. Pronounced ah-zuh-bahn. Ancient Age.

Odzihozo: A mythological being, sometimes known as the Transformer, who created himself from nothing and formed Lac Champlain/Lake Champlain or Pitawbagw in Abenaki and its surrounding landscape, which is holy to the Abenaki. He is attributed with the creation of Lake Champlain, Tuxis Island and Pond, Rock Dunder, and Samson Rock, among other landforms, including mountains, valleys and rivers. The legend states that he grew his arms and head from his body, but his legs grew slowly. He passed the time by forming valleys, meadows, and hills. After carving out and flooding Champlain, then known as Bitawbágw, Petoubouque, Petonbowk or Pitawbagw, meaning 'lake in between,' he followed a flock of migrating geese south along a glacier. He arrived in Madison, Connecticut, where he took a handful of earth and flung it to sea. The piece that landed in Long Island Sound became Tuxis Island, and another piece that fell out of his hand became Samson Rock. The hole, Tuxis Pond, was filled in the resulting splash. Odziozo then turned, stepping on the rock (It is assumed his legs were grown in by then), and went back to Vermont to get to his home, Rock Dunder, where, exhausted, he turned himself into a stone, so as to be permanently with his favorite creation where he inhabits. Odziozo is often said to have lived before animals evolved legs, and, as such, many of the landforms he created were caused by the dragging of his body by his long arms. Rock Dunder, in Shelburne, Vermont, is supposedly where his spirit and body are kept. Golden Age. His name literally means "he makes himself from something unknown or unspecified" (often translated as "man created from nothing" or "man who made himself from something"). Odzihozo has no legs (moving around the country by crawling), does not interact with humans or animals of the mythic age, does not have a grandmother or any other family, does not play a trickster role, and ends his adventures by turning into a rock, and is pronounced ood-zee-hoh-zoh. (On a personal note that's. wild. lmao)

Pamola: A snow bird night spirit that lived on Mt Katahdin, the greatest of mountains, and made cold weather. Pomola was associated with night, wind, snow, and storms. Pomola was large enough to carry off a moose, not that it looks like one. Either way, Pomola definitely is not a creature any human would want to mess with, and the Penobscots and Abenakis avoided climbing to the top of this mountain so as not to disturb it. They offered sacrifices to him to appease him, so that he should not curse them, or otherwise injure them. Although they hunted and fished in the woods and lakes around Mount Katahdin, yet they never attempted to go on the top of that mountain, in the assurance that they would never be able to return from that place, but be either killed or devoured by the evil spirit Pamola. Specifically, according to the Penobscot nation, Pamola inhabited Katahdin, the tallest mountain in Maine. Pamola is said to be the thunder god and protector of the mountain, taking prisoners to Alomkik near the mountain. The Penobscot people describe him as having the head of a moose, the body of a man and the wings and feet of an eagle. Pamola was both feared and respected by the Penobscot nation, and his presence was one of the main reasons that climbing the mountain was considered taboo. The spirit resented mortals intruding from down below. Because of this, the mountain was closed off limits to all below. Henry David Thoreau, of his August, 1846 exploration of the Penobscot River and Katahdin wrote, "Pomola is always angry with those who climb to the summit of Ktaadn." It was also widely believed that Pamola had taken and held prisoners on his mountain forever. Pronounced buh-moh-lah; Ancient Age. (On a personal note there's basically this story that white people tried to climb up Mt Katahdin and the Natives there working as guides were like "please don't Fucking Do It" & they litcherally Refused to go up there so they waited at the foot of the mountain for the white folx to come down & they did & the Natives were p much shooketh Also, in another story, a woman pretty much marries Pamola & yknow what good for her.)

Pukwudgies / Bokwjimen: Essentially the magical little people & fair folk of Abenaki mythology, resembling gnomes, dwarves or fairies, small creatures created from the bark of an ash tree in Abenaki folklore at least. They are generally benevolent forest spirits but can be dangerous if they are disrespected. Pukwudgie stories are told throughout the northeastern United States, southeastern Canada, and the Great Lakes region. However, their nature varies in the folklore of different tribes. In the Abenaki, a pukwudgie (or bokwjimen) can be dangerous, but only to people who treat them with disrespect. Pukwudgies are usually described as being knee-high or even smaller, sometimes said to be two to three feet (0.61 to 0.91 m) tall, the most common form is a creature that looks like a porcupine from the back and a half-troll, half-human from the front and walks upright. Their name literally means 'person of the wilderness' and they are usually considered to be spirits of the forest. In some traditions, they have a sweet smell and are associated with flowers. Pukwudgies have magical powers which vary from tribe to tribe but may include the ability to appear and disappear at will, turn invisible, confuse people or make them forget things, shapeshift into cougars or other dangerous animals, bring harm to people by staring at them, lure people to their deaths, use magic, launch poison arrows and create fire. According to other lore, a person who annoyed a Pukwudgie would be subject to nasty tricks by it, or subject to being followed by the Pukwudgie, who would cause trouble for them. They are known to kidnap people, push them off cliffs, attack their victims with short knives and spears, and to use sand to blind their victims. Pronounced book-wuh-dzee-mun in Abenaki, usually Anglicized to puck-wudd-jee. Yes, they're the Pukwudgie you see in one of H.arry P.otter's Ilvermorney Houses that were grossly culturally appropriated like the Thunderbird and Horned Serpent were, among other spirits. (On a personal note... jfc they're wild lil shits omfg. lmao)

Gici Awas: A huge, monstrous man eating creature resembling an enormous stiff-legged bear with an oversized head. Its names literally mean "great bear" or "great beast," and it is said to be hairless because its fur falls out as a result of eating human flesh. Some folklorists believe Abenaki legends about this creature may have been inspired by mammoths or mastodon fossils still preserved in Indigenous American stories thousands of years after they became extinct, but regardless, there's discourse surrounding the topic itself. Its name literally means "great bear" or "great beast" and is pronounced gih-chee ah-wahss; Ancient Age.

Kizosen: "Sun-Bringer", the solar deity, an eagle whose wings opened to create the day, and closed to cause the nighttime; Ancient Age.

Kchi-Awasos: "Big Bear", the bowl stars of the Big Dipper 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; Ancient Age.

Metee-kolen-ol: A race of evil wizards with hearts of ice; Ancient Age. Nanom-keea-po-da: subterranean spirit who causes earthquakes; Ancient Age. Niben / "Summer": a woman whose stunning beauty forces Pebon to retreat to the north; she represents the personification of summer; Ancient Age. Psônen / "Snow-Bringer": An eagle-spirit that makes snow by opening his wings; Ancient Age. Pebon / "Winter": A powerful sorcerer who puts his audience to sleep when he tells stories, he represents the spirit personification of winter; Ancient Age. Siguan / "Spring": A young male who loved the season of summer, and brought her to the north every spring; he represents the personification of Spring; Ancient Age. 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; Ancient Age. Wassan-mon-ganeehla-ak: A race of people who play games with a ball of light, causing the Aurora Borealis; Ancient Age.

Malsumis: one of Gluskap's dogs, the white one, could shrink or enlarge himself; Golden Age.

Alom-bag-winno-sis / Alom-begwi-no-sis: a mischievous, dwarfish race of men upsets canoes, that can increase or decrease body size at will; they also own a pot which can transform a few kernels of maize into a huge quantity; seeing one supposedly foretells a death by drowning. Ask-wee-da-eed: A fire-elemental formed of fickle fire, identified as a will o' the wisp, an embodiment of fire that brings bad luck, misfortune and death by its very presence, and is also connected with comets and meteors; Present Age. Atsolowas: A trickster; Present Age. Awa-hon-doz: Insect spirits that bite humans; Present Age. Awes-kon-wa: a small, flying sprite, typically associated with the Mohawk tribe; Present Age. Batsolowanagwes: A benign trickster; Present Age. Bedig-wajo (western Abenaki) / Ktaden (eastern Abenaki): a culture hero; Present Age. Chibaiskweda: marsh gas, supposedly caused by the ghost of an improperly buried corpse; Present Age. Do-gakw-ho-wad: small men who prop the jaws of animals open with sticks in order to avoid being eaten; Present Age. Dzee-dzee-bon-da: A monster, so ugly that even he is terrified of his own appearance; Present Age. Lo-lol: a frightening monster; Present Age. Maski-mon-gwe-zo-os: a toad creature, seduces men and children and kills them, appears either as a partridge or a woman dressed in moss, with a belt made of arborvitae bark; Present Age. 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; Present Age. N-dam-keno-wet: a half-fish, half-human creature with a small face and long hair, molests bathing women; Present Age. P-skig-demo-os: a female creature, slays men and children; Present Age. Pak-zin-skwa: an ugly, old woman; Present Age. Pim-skwa-wagen-owad: small, aquatic, pinching creatures; Present Age. Tsa-tsamolee-as: the noisy, clownish fool; Present Age. Wana-games-ak: river-dwelling creatures with faces so narrow, they are essentially two-dimensional, friendly creatures that warned the Abenaki of coming attacks; Present Age.

metis.

Nanaboosh / ᓇᓇᐴᔥ / Wiishakaychaak / ᐏᓴᑫᐨᐦᐊᐠ / Chi Jean: These are benevolent trickster/transformer figures that have largely merged together in traditional Metis folktales. Nanaboosh is the Michif pronunciation of the Ojibwe-Saulteaux hero Nanabozho and is the most common name given to the Metis hero; Wiishakaychaak is a traditional Cree trickster; and Chi Jean is a Michif pronunciation of the French Canadian trickster folk hero Petit Jean ("Little John"). Although the original Petit Jean is quite different in character from the two Algonquian heroes Nanabozho/ᓇᓇᐳᔓ and Wisakechak/ᐏᓴᑫᐨᐦᐊᐠ as Petit Jean is derived from Little John from the English Robin Hood folklore who served as Robin Hood's second in command of the Merry Men. Nanaboosh was initially Ojibwe / Anishinaabe, Wiishakaychaak was initially Cree / Nehiyawak, and Chi Jean was initially French Canadian / Canadien / Canayen / Quebecois. Nanaboosh and Wiishakaychaak are technically the same being that has many different names and forms, which has its origins in a proto-Algonquian culture. Chi Jean is an element of European storytelling handed down to French Canada from the French Canadian immigrants and settlers but originated from the British and reinterpreted by the Métis. In his French-Canadian incarnations as Chi Jean, he is an impish trickster and a French-Canadian hero who lives in a fairytale world, and plays tricks on a distant and dumb king (i.e. the King of England). Metis storytellers tend to use the three characters interchangeably, and the same story can be heard ascribed to any of these three trickster figures. The three Métis tricksters — Nanaboosh, Wiishakaychaak & Chi Jean — are essentially good characters who have very human foibles, including gluttony and selfishness. They serve as the Creator’s (also known as Li Boon Jheu derived from Le Bon Dieu from the French or Lii Kriiaateur in Michif) intermediaries to humans, and their adventures explain the workings of the natural environment. One of the stories in this collection has all three Métis tricksters appearing together, sometimes described as cousins or close friends to each other, though most storytellers believe that Nanaboosh, Wiishakaychaak, and Chi Jean are one in the same person. Nanaboosh is pronounced similar to nay-nah-boosh, Wiishakaychaak is pronounced similar to wee-sah-kay-chock (and is often called "Whiskey-Jack" by English speaking Metis people), and Chi Jean is pronounced tee-zhawn. They are all referred to as Trickster in Michif.

Rugaru / ᒪᔨᐦᑲᓂᐦᑲᐣ: This is a Michif pronunciation of the French phrase "loup garou," meaning "wolf-man", or werewolf; a darker tale among the Michif mythos. The Métis werewolf, the Rugaru, is a syncretistic variation that emerged from two traditions: the French werewolf (loup-garou) via French Canada and the Cree and/or Dene/Navajo shapeshifter figures. Also called mayihkanihkan / ᒪᔨᐦᑲᓂᐦᑲᐣ. Rugarus—Métis werewolves—are perhaps the most interesting creatures in Métis stories. Werewolf, or lycanthropy, stories have been recorded since antiquity, and became popularized in European storytelling traditions in the late Middle Ages and in the early Renaissance. In the French tradition from France, loup garous are people who sold their souls to the Devil and are his agents. In the Canadien tradition, loup garous are people who turn their back on God, and include people who break Lent seven years in a row, those who are bad people, who shun the Creator, who fail to attend mass regularly or fail to make sacrifices during Lent, people who don’t go to Church, and don’t take the sacraments or give up pleasurable activities during Lent. As such, they are usually not active agents of the Devil, but are rather lost souls. Some Metis stories about Rugaru come from French werewolf legends, some are adaptations of Algonquian Wendigo legends about man-eating ice monsters, and some are combinations of the two. In most Rugaru stories a Metis person is turned into a Rugaru by catching sight of another Rugaru, not following the Church's sacraments and rules, be labeled as one by a missionary priest, turning their back on God or being bitten by one (as in French werewolf legends) or has in some way offended the Creator, has been possessed by evil spirits, or committing sins of cannibalism or greed (as in Algonquian W/nd/go legends.). A helper of Li Jhyaab (the Devil), it may take the form of a black dog, pig, wolf, black horse and even a bear in some stories. Some also view the Rugaru as a variation of the Indian Bearwalk mythology. Traditionally, there was to be no fiddle playing or dancing during Lent / Li Kaarem except on Saint Patrick's Day. If one danced during Lent / Li Kaarem, their legs would dry up and they would see a Rugaru. The Rugaru legend has been spread for many generations, from French Canadian immigrants centuries ago. Often the storytelling has been used to inspire fear and obedience. One such example is stories that have been told by elders to persuade Metis children to behave. According to another variation, the wolf-like beast will hunt down and kill Catholics who do not follow the rules of Lent. The Métis of Turtle Mountain had the belief that a person who is a Rugaru changes into either a black dog or a black mare rather than into a wolf. Another variation is that the Rugaru is half man and half horse. Rugaru stories were told to ensure that youth behaved themselves, particularly during Lent. Some say that if one ever meets a Rugaru they must throw a skeleton key and hit him between the eyes. Occasionally, Rugarus can be cured. This usually involves a sharp poke on the nose or a cut on the ear. When confronted by a Rugaru, you have to scare them and hit them on the nose to fix them. The Rugaru will then be turned back into a man. You had to keep his identity secret or you would become a Rugaru. This action doesn’t involve any sort of atonement for the person’s sins, but does involve community and family forgiveness, as well as the transgressor’s reintroduction into society. This is thus a community-sanctioned act of forgiveness that doesn’t involve the Church, it could be considered an act of freeing a rugaru to be an exorcism. These stories offer the possibility of healing and redemption, and the reentry of the transgressor back into society and into the Creator’s fold. They also serve as a lesson that all people should respect the Creator, follow societal norms, and for some, or at one time, obey the Church’s sacraments. The word Rugaru is shared with some Acadians in Atlantic Canada and Creoles and Cajuns in Louisiana.

Memeguayiwahk / Mamakwaseak / ᒣᒣᐊᔨᐘᕽ / Lii Pchi Moond / Apishashin Moond: These are small river-dwelling water spirits (or "The Little People") which come from Cree folklore. They live in the wilderness beneath rocks; they are usually invisible, and catching sight of one is a good omen. According to Metis myths, the Little People are prone to stealing shiny things and causing mischief but are generally good and benign creatures who may come to the aid of a person or people who needs it should they ever ask for it. Some Metis people would leave candy and sugar as gifts for them. Their name is pronounced may-may-gway-see-wock. Can also refer to actual little people, pygmies or dwarves or more derogatorily, "m*dget".

Blue Jay / Aen Nwayzoo Bleu / Titwiso / ᐟîᐟᐤîᓱ: a trickster figure in predominantly the Pacific Northwest Coast Nations, notably the Chinook, Chehalis, Coast Salish & Quinault that translated as well for the Metis living in the Pacific Northwest; Blue Jay is generally a benevolent being who is clever, entertaining and helpful to humanity but he is also selfish, greedy, mischievous and extremely foolish and careless most of the time, and stories about him are often humorous or even slapstick in nature.

Chakapish / ᐦᐊᑲᐱᐢᐦ: The Michif name for the tricksters. Alternatively, Chakapish or Tshakapesh is a folk hero of Ojibwe, Cree, Atikamekw and Innu folklore. He is often referred to as the Man in the Moon in English, since the myth cycle about Chakapish usually ends with the hero travelling to the moon and living there. Chakapish is usually depicted as a dwarf or a young boy who never reaches full size, yet he has immense strength and can shoot his bow farther than the largest of men. Chakapish also has magical powers which allow him to face and defeat many fearsome monsters. In some stories Chakapish acts in a rash or foolish way, often ignoring the advice of his wise and cautious older sister and ending up in a jam because of it, but Chakapish is always brave and good-hearted and never stays in trouble for long.

Chepskiboo: a boogeyman known for coming in the night and taking children away, also found in the forest, particularly at night.

Coyote / Aen Pchi Loo / Miscacakanis / ᒼîᐢᒐᒐᑲᓂᐢ: the trickster figure of the high Plains cultures from Canada to Mexico. In modern times brought into the broader culture and depicted as Wile E. Coyote in Road Runner cartoons.

Kaamoowachik: what the Metis call any cannibal spirit.

Kookoush / ᑰᑯuᔥ: a Michif boogeyman; a monster for children. This is a Michif variation derived from Whiitigo (Witiko, Wendigo) creatures or spirits that could either possess characteristics of a human or a monster that had physically transformed from a person. Also referred to as Wihtiko Lo Moond Ka Moowaat or Maneater.

La Vyay De La Kaarem (The Old Woman of Lent): a boogeywoman like the witch in Hansel and Gretel, the old woman who will grab children if they are outside at night after 6:00 p.m. during Lent. Children were warned that the old hag would grab them up, take them away, and eat them.

Lii Chiiraan / ᒌᕌᓐ / The Northern Lights: The spirits of the Northern Lights. Never tease or whistle at Chiiraan; if you whistle at them they will come down and take you away. It is believed that the spirits of the dead are in the Northern Lights.

Li Jhyaab / Machimanito / ᒪᒋᒪᓂᑐ, the Devil, the Handsome Dancer: The Devil in Christian mythology, particularly Catholic Christian mythology and folklore. Li Jhyaab can usually manifest himself upon unsuspecting people incarnated as a tall handsome stranger who visits country dances and mesmerizes all the young women with his mysteriousness, impeccable dress and good looks. It can appear as a black dog from a French Canadian tradition likely borrowed from the British Isles. Li Jhyaab can trick people to steal souls or he can play simple tricks such as spoiling milk. The Métis also believe that if a person does not pray regularly or otherwise neglects their spiritual well-being the Devil (li jhyaab) or other demons would come to live in their home. It was said that if you played fiddle music with changed tuning, the Devil will come and take you away if you play fiddle tunes with other than normal tunings. During Lent, if you walked around the outside of the house carrying the Ace of Spades, you would meet the Devil. If you leave your cards on the table overnight after finishing the game, you will hear the Devil playing cards that night. This interpretation of the Devil is a mix of Catholic doctrine and folk Catholicism such as Old Scratch or Old Horny in English language traditions that sees the Devil as a bad-mannered trickster rather than the Prince of Lies as prescribed in Catholic doctrine.

Manitokanac / ᒪᓂᑐᑲᓇ: a representation of the Pawakan (Cree), a spirit guardian; the Manitokanac or Manitohkan is a form of Indigenous shrine for institutionalized gift giving and offerings; in Metis culture, they are called Giving Trees.

Mermaids / Li Moond Di Mayr / Enn Paarsonn Amwachii Aen Pwaasoon /ᓂᐲᓈᐯ: Michif, Ojibwe, Cree and Dene fishermen on the large lakes tell of Mermaids, some of these stories are similar to Scottish tales. The Ceasg is a Highland mermaid whose contact, in common with most mermaids, is perilous to mankind. The Nibiinaabe are a race of water sprites from Anishinaabe folklore. Nibiinaabe are usually described as being shaped like mermaids, with human torsos and fish tails. They are said to be frightened off by loud noises. Mermaids and mermen are also used as a clan symbol by the Ojibwe (whose Mermaid Clan and its totem are called Nibiinaabe or Nibanaba.)

Paakuk / Pahkack / Pakakosh / ᐸᑲᑯᐢᐦ / “The Skeleton”: An emaciated cannibal spirit and boogeyman, the patron of the “Give Away Dance”. The Skeleton is a mythic figure that has the power of snow. They go howling through the cold white forests in the deep of winter, their limbs cracking and screeching. Paakuk is associated with death, starvation, and illness. The emaciated or skeletal appearance of Paakuk come from their origin as human victims of starvation or disease. To children, Paakuk was a boogeyman. Children were told that if they were not well behaved Paakuk would take them away, suck out their blood and eat all their flesh. Paakuk are emaciated flying skeletons that represent disease. During lonely evenings, they delight in spooking unsuspecting people with their demonic laughter. Among Plains Cree, Paakuk or Pahkack or Pakakosh is known as the originator or patron of the Give Away Dance, also known as the “festin à tout manger”, which reinforces the sharing principle. The symbolism of these feasts merges the concepts of offering, consubstantiation and creation of artificial famine, which is followed by successful hunting and trapping.

Raven / Koorboo / Kahkako / ᑲᐦᑲᑯ: The trickster of the Pacific Northwest Coast Indians, Métis, the Inuit and Métis of the north. Raven is honored as a culture hero and is a revered and benevolent transformer figure who helps people but at the same time has frivolous or poorly thought out behavior causing trouble for him and those around him, Raven is noted for negative traits such as gluttony, greed and impatience as well as his heroism and great deeds. Ravens are also used as a clan animal in many cultures, particularly on the Northwest Coast such as the Haida, Tlingit, Tsimshian, Kwakiut, Tahltan, Nisgaa-Gitksan, Quileute & Salishan tribes and the northern Athabaskan tribes such as the Tanaina as well as the Inuit, Aleut and Yup'ik Alaska Natives. It can be found as an important clan crest in the Pacific Northwest and can be found on totem poles and other traditional Pacific Northwest Coast and Arctic art.

Thunderbirds / Aen Nwayzoo Di Toneur / Kihew / ᑭᐦᐁᐤ / Piyiso / ᐱᔨᓱ: called Animikii / ᐊᓂᒥᑮ by the Ojibwa and Wakį́yą by the Lakota, a large bird, capable of creating storms and thundering while it flies. Clouds are pulled together by its wingbeats, the sound of thunder made by its wings clapping, shoot lightning with the light flashing from its eyes when it blinks. In the Sun Dance or more properly Thirst Dance, there is a Thunderbird nest at the top of the centre pole (Tree of Life).

Wh*itigo / ᐌᓐᑎᑯ / W*ndigo / ᐏᐦᑎᑯ: Metis/Saulteaux/Ojibwe/Cree cannibal monster. W*ndigo are malevolent, cannibalistic, supernatural beings of great spiritual power. They were strongly associated with the winter, the north, and coldness, as well as with famine and starvation. The Métis tell stories of the Wehtigo or W*ndigo. A W*htigo is a spiritually powerful anthropomorphic monster that overcomes and feeds upon human beings. It is believed that many W*htigos were once human beings who were transformed into this condition by committing famine cannibalism. Whiitigos, also known as W*hitigos, Wh*takos or W*ndigos, are giant cannibalistic monsters with skeleton bodies and monstrous white heads. Also known in Michif as “Kaamoowachik” (cannibal spirit), they represent the omnipresent danger of starvation in hunting and gathering cultures. There can also be human Whiitigos — people who do bad things and are possessed by a malevolent spirit. Many contemporary Natives use the term as a metaphor to denote gluttonous, aggressive or murderous individuals (i.e. those who threaten communal well-being). Starvation and famine cannibalism as well as greed and colonialism are dominant symbols in the Wehtigo complex. In the woodland habitat where inhabitants led a roving life, and whose subsistence depended on the game they procured, individuals experienced famine due to regular game cycles. Those who could not stand this stress sometimes fed on the flesh of those that had died. They were then subject to preying on the living. A number of theories explain the disorder in terms of anxiety about hunger or famine cannibalism.

W*ndigoken, Wiitigoken: The so-called “Backwards Medicine Clowns”. They come in on the north wind at the last round of Sun Dances. There is a Chippewa/Ojibwa warrior society based on this called the “No fight contraries” said to be inhabited by the Thunderers.

huron-wendat.

Ataensic (Sky Woman) / Yaronhia' Yawinonh: The mother goddess of Huron-Iroquois mythology, said to have fallen through a hole in the sky. Myths about Sky Woman vary enormously from community to community. The Hurons associate Ataensic with the moon and with death and is sometimes referred to as Grandmother or Grandmother Moon. A group of beings similar to humans lived in longhouses in the sky, they lived in harmony and in the center of their village stood a celestial tree blossoming with the light of peace and knowledge; this is where Sky Woman comes from. One day she had her husband uproot the tree. She fell through the hole down to the world below. A Canada goose or Yahohnk in Wendat saw the woman falling, took pity on her and flew down to rescue her. He placed her on the back of a turtle and the Great Turtle Island (North America) came into existence. In some traditions, Sky Woman turned into the moon; in others, her oldest son turned her body into the sun, moon, and stars after her death; and in still others, it was Sky Woman herself who created the sun, moon, and stars, and in some traditions she additionally had a daughter among the Twin Gods named Tekawerahkwa or Breath Of The Wind who in some other traditions gives birth to the Twin Gods. Regardless of how much it varies, the constant is Sky Woman was a celestial being who was cast out of the heavens, waterbirds carried her down to the sea and set her on the back of a turtle, which became her home so what we now know as Turtle Island otherwise known as North America. (Personally I translated it & got Yaronhia’ Yawinonh, literally translating to Sky Woman; tbh she seems like a good mother goddess to worship and I'm glad I finally have my own mother goddess that I can pray to that isn't open to anyone tbh).

Twin Gods; Ioskeha & Tawescaron: The Goddess Sky Woman's twin grandsons or sons (depending on the version of the story being told.) Ioskeha (Maple Sapling), the older twin, was the benefactor of the Hurons, slew monsters and created many things to help humankind, created the first man and woman and taught them many skills, including all their religious ceremonies and rituals, the ability to fight evil spirits, healing, and the use of the sacrament of tobacco and is often referred to as Skyholder; his brother Tawescaron (Flint) was their antagonist, created monsters and caused destruction and burst through his mother's side and killed her in childbirth. Ioskeha represents creation, light and life, and is associated with the sun, while Tawescaron represents destruction, darkness and death, and is associated with the night and with winter and is sometimes seen as a tricker figure rather than a villain. Ioskeha and Tawescaron are always depicted in opposition to each other, but the nature of their opposition varies; the Twin Gods are not considered "good" and "evil" at all but instead represent day and night, summer and winter, and life and death, and the brothers' relationship is one of rivalry rather than enmity. They are sometimes said to exist in a kind of cosmic balance, with both light and darkness being necessary for life. In some stories Ioskeha and Tawescaron created humans together, explaining why humans can have both good and bad nature and can behave in both creative and destructive ways; Tawescaron is very similar to Malsum in Wabanaki lore and the Twin Gods in particular are very similar to the Twin Heroes that're common in many Plains Nations' legends and the Monster Slaying Twins in Navajo folklore.

Orenda: This is the Wendat name for the Creator (God), an abstract and omnipresent creative force. Orenda is a word that means "spiritual energy" in the Huron language, and has often been used to refer to gods and spirits in the Iroquois tribes as well. Although any divine spirit could correctly be referred to as Orenda, the name is most commonly used to refer to the Creator or Great Spirit or Raweno, the great benevolent Creator god of the Huron and Iroquois who may be considered one of Hinon's aspects, or, among Christian Huron and Iroquois people, to God. Sometimes the English phrase "Great Spirit" is used by contemporary Wendat people.

Thunders / Hi'no' Händerondiahk: Powerful storm spirits who live in the sky and cause thunder and lightning. In Huron legends, they resemble a cross between men and giant turkeys while in other variants they can shapeshift back and forth from men to giant birds; although they are dangerous beings and their gaze can bring death to mortal men, they are honorable & fair. Their leader is named Hinnon, and frequently referred to as "Grandfather" in Huron texts and has taken women to wife and made demigod children. (On a personal note I found a translation Hi'no' händerondiahk literally meaning "The thunder, Hi'non', rumbles, makes noise").

Flying Heads / Önonhwara’ Nondae' Atiti's: Monsters in the form of giant disembodied heads, usually created during or after when an unfaithful wife is killed by her husband or a particularly violent murder or massacre or cannibalism. They are very aggressive, ravenous spirits that are cursed with an insatiable hunger and attack and eat humans or seek revenge on their murderers, mostly the men, who kill them, but they are usually defeated once they start terrorizing the couple's children if the head was once a wife and/or neighbors. They are generally described as resembling a human head with long dark hair, "terrible eyes", and a large mouth filled with razor sharp fangs. In some versions, they have a pair of bat wings jutting from each side of its cheek and bird-like talons. Other versions replace its bat wings with those of a bird. In all instances, they are described as being larger in size than that of the tallest man and possessing a hide that no weapon can penetrate. They are very similar to Rolling Heads in many Plains Nations folklore. (On a personal note I did my best to translate it and I got önonhwara’ nondae' atiti's literally meaning "heads that/they fly").

Oniont / Angont: A monstrous colossal dragon-like horned serpent of the Great Lakes, feared for its habit of capsizing canoes, bringing disease to the people and eating people, its breath is often said to be poisonous. It usually made its home in the large lakes, notably the Great Lakes, but sometimes would leave its home in the lakes to travel across the land, it had a tendency to curl up and rest at crossroads or on important roads while doing so, interrupting trade and communication between tribes or settlements. One could placate it by gifting offerings, if the creature accepted them, you would be spared. Another way to protect oneself against its wrath is to invoke the Huron-Iroquois Thunder Deity Hinnon, as he is the monster's mortal enemy, and in some legends Hinnon is said to be the third youngest brother of Ioskeha and Tawescaron.

Stone Coat (Strendu) / Yarënda’ Ayotia’torih: Mythological giants of the Huron and Iroquois tribes often associated with winter and ice who in some stories was said to be created by Tawescaron, twice as tall as humans covered in rock hard scales that repel all normal weapons, with skin as hard as stone and hunted and devoured humans. (On a personal note I did my best to translate it and I got yarënda’ ayotia’torih literally meaning "Stone Coat").

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