logo
g Text Version
Beauty & Self
Books & Music
Career
Computers
Education
Family
Food & Wine
Health & Fitness
Hobbies & Crafts
Home & Garden
Money
News & Politics
Relationships
Religion & Spirituality
Sports
Travel & Culture
TV & Movies

dailyclick
Bored? Games!
Nutrition
Postcards
Take a Quiz
Rate My Photo

new
Bereavement
Natural Living
Walking
Dogs
Holistic Health
Gifted Education
Hinduism


dailyclick
All times in EST

Full Schedule
g
g Folklore and Mythology Site

BellaOnline's Folklore and Mythology Editor

g

Abenaki Lore


The Abenaki are a tribe of Native American and First Nations people belonging to the Algonquian peoples of northeastern North America. Their language is in the Eastern Algonquian languages, which is called the "Wabanaki" (Dawn Land) Region, known by English speakers as New England, Quebec and the Maritimes. The Abenakis were one of the five members of the Wabanaki Confederacy.

The folklore of Native American tribes is very spiritual in context. Each tribe has their own Creation stories. In the Abenaki legends, Glooskap, the mythical spirit or god, is portrayed as a creator or helper of the Creator. He is a transformer of the Wabanaki Peoples. His name, means Man that came from nothing. Malsumis, twin brother of Glooskap, is also a spirit or god in the Abenaki mythology. Legend has it that Tabaldak, Creator, when creating humans, made Glooskap from the dust in His right hand and made Malsumis from the dust in His left hand.

Tabaldak gave Glooskap the power to create a good world. Malsumis, on the other hand, contained the opposite abilities, or evil. There we have the balance of good and evil, which is evident in all of life.

Here is one story of the twins.

GLOOSKAP AND MALSUMIS

The great Earth Mother had two sons, Glooskap and Malsumis. Glooskap was good, wise, and creative; Malsumis was evil, selfish, and destructive. When their mother died, Glooskap went to work creating plants, animals, and humans from her body.

Malsumis, in contrast, made poisonous plants and snakes. As Glooskap continued to create wonderful things, Malsumis grew tired of his good brother and plotted to kill him. In jest, Malsumis bragged that he was invincible, although there was one thing that could kill him: the roots of the fern plant. He badgered Glooskap for days to find the good brother's vulnerability.

Finally, as Glooskap could tell no lies, he confided that he could be killed only by an owl feather. Knowing this, Malsumis made a dart from an owl feather and killed Glooskap. The power of good is so strong, however; that Glooskap rose from the dead, ready to avenge himself. Alive again,
Glooskap also knew that Malsumis would continue to plot against him.

Glooskap realized that he had no choice but to destroy Malsumis in order that good would survive and his creatures would continue to live. So he went to a stream and attracted his evil brother by loudly saying that a certain flowering reed could also kill him. Glooskap then pulled a fern plant out by the roots and flung it at Malsumis, who fell to the ground dead.

Malsumis's spirit went underground and became a wicked wolf spirit that still occasionally torments humans and animals, but fears the light of day.
*******

For your reading pleasure:
, , ,





Add Abenaki+Lore to Twitter Add Abenaki+Lore to Facebook Add Abenaki+Lore to MySpace Add Abenaki+Lore to Del.icio.us Digg Abenaki+Lore Add Abenaki+Lore to Yahoo My Web Add Abenaki+Lore to Google Bookmarks Add Abenaki+Lore to Stumbleupon Add Abenaki+Lore to Reddit




RSS | Related Articles | Editor's Picks Articles | Top Ten Articles | Previous Features | Site Map


For FREE email updates, subscribe to the Folklore and Mythology Newsletter


Past Issues


print
Printer Friendly
bookmark
Bookmark
tell friend
Tell a Friend
forum
Forum
email
Email Editor


Content copyright © 2013 by Phyllis Doyle Burns. All rights reserved.
This content was written by Phyllis Doyle Burns. If you wish to use this content in any manner, you need written permission. Contact Phyllis Doyle Burns for details.

g


g features
Devils Tower and The Pleiades

Maggie Dickson - Convicted and Executed Yet Lived

Long Arrow Returns Home With Elk Dogs

Archives | Site Map

forum
Forum
email
Contact

Past Issues
memberscenter


vote
Earth Day Favorite
Eating Local
Enjoying Nature
Spring Cleaning
Helping Others



BellaOnline on Facebook
g


| About BellaOnline | Privacy Policy | Advertising | Become an Editor |
Website copyright © 2013 Minerva WebWorks LLC. All rights reserved.


BellaOnline Editor