347 
THE FLOOD MYTH OF THE CHIPPEWAS. 
BY 
ALBERT B. REAGAN. 
Manabush is the crator god of the Chippewa Indians. Soon after his 
birth his parents were both killed by a clan of sealions. After their death 
he lived with his grandmother till he became of age. He then decided to 
go out and avenge the death of his parents. The sea monsters who had 
killed his parents lived on an island. This was first surrounded by water 
for a short distance. Then for a space of about a mile and a half there 
was a circular band-area of floating pitch-like ice across which a canoe 
could not venture without certainly getting stuck in the pitch and con- 
sequently being captured. But notwithstanding this apparently unsur- 
mountable difficulty, Manabush was determined. 
He told his grandmother his plans.’ She listened attentively to their nar- 
ration, then sadly advised him not to undertake the hazardous task, though 
she wished to see the annihilation of the destructive sea beasts. In con- 
cluding she said. “It is no use for you to fight with the sealions of that 
island. Your canoe will get stuck in the pitch. Then the beasts will come 
out and devour you.’ But he was the more determined. He made a large 
canoe and covered it with tallow so it would float and go through the piteh. 
After it was completed, he made a strong bow and prepared plenty of 
arrows. He then launched his canoe and told his grandmother to go ahead 
of him with another canoe in a zigzag way up the channel a little distance 
at the start. (This custom of having the women proceed a war party for a 
little way when starting on a war expedition was long afterwards followed 
by the Chippewas in starting on the war path against the Sioux.) Then 
when everything was ready, he started out on his war enterprise. 
After considerable labor in paddling and pushing his canoe through and 
over the pitch-like ice, he landed safely on the island in the night where 
he stayed till the break of day. Then at dawn he gave the warwhoop and 
ran for the house of the king, or chief sea monster. Upon hearing the 
warwhoop, the king jumped from his bed and got his bows and arrows; 
and the two powerful beings started to fight according as they were gifted 
by their superior givers. The battle was terrible. They fought continu- 
ously for two days without killing each other. Then they rested on their 
aims with the contest a draw. 
But Manabush had advisers at hand. On the evening following the second 
day’s battle, Batter, a bird of the blue jay family, accosted him and said: 
“You can not kill King Sealion by shooting him in the body, as his heart 
and vital parts are not there as in most beings.” Then after a short pause, 
he continued: “I will tell you where they are if you will promise to give 
me some of the meat from his dead carcass.” 
With open mouth and wide eyes, Manabush listened to Batter’s state- 
ment and advice till he had closed, then replied: “My brother, if you will 
tell me where King Sealion’s heart is I will give you the meat you ask and 
make you king of the Blue Jays and all meat birds.” 
