The Algonquin legends of New England, or, Myths and folk lore of the Micmac, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscot tribes / by Charles G. Leland.

  • Charles Godfrey Leland
Date:
1884
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The Algonquin legends of New England, or, Myths and folk lore of the Micmac, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscot tribes / by Charles G. Leland. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    breathing into their nostrils he gave them living souls, and named them ea gwe howe, that is a real people ; and he gave the Great Island all the animals — of game for the inheritance of the people. . . . The Bad Mind, while his brother was making the universe, went through the island, and made numerous high mountains and falls of water and great steeps, and also created reptiles which would be injurious to man- kind; but the Good Mind restored the island to its former condition. The Bad Mind made two images of clay in the form of mankind, but while he was giving them existence they became apes. The Good Mind discovered his brother’s contrivances, and aided in giving them living souls. “ Finding that his brother continually thwarted him, the Good Mind admonished him to behave bet- ter. The Bad Mind then offered a challenge to his brother, on condition that the victor should ride the universe. The Good Mind was willing. He falsely mentioned that whipping with flags [bulrushes] would destroy his temporal life, and earnestly solicited his brother to observe the instrument of death, saying that by using deer-horns he would expire. [This is very obscure in Cusick’s Iudian-English.] On the day appointed the battle began; it lasted for two days; they tore up the trees and mountains; at last the Good Mind gained the victory by using the horns. The last words uttered by the Bad Mind were that he would have equal power over the souls of mankind after their death, and so sank down to eternal doom and became the Evil Spirit.”