Hoffman] THE STORY OF NANABOOJOO 209 



endowed with the virtue of curing our maladies, and of enabling us in 

 the time of famine to kill the wild animals. He has left the care of them 

 to Mesakkuminikokwi, the great-grandmother of the human race; and 

 in order that we should never invoke her in vain, it has been strictly 

 enjoined on the old woman never to quit the dwelling. Hence, when 

 an Indian makes a collection of roots and herbs which are to serve 

 him as medicines, he deposits at the same time on the earth a small 

 offering to Mesakkuminikokwi. During his different excursions over 

 the surface of the earth, Nanaboojoo killed all such animals as were 

 hurtful to us, as the mastodon, the mammoth, etc. He has placed four 

 beneficial spirits at the four cardinal points of the earth for the pur- 

 pose of contributing to the happiness of the human race. That of the 

 north procures for us ice and snow, in order to aid us in discovering 

 and following the wild animals. That of the south gives us that which 

 occasions the growth of our pumpkins, melons, maize, and tobacco. 

 The spirit placed at the west gives us rain, and that of the east gives 

 us light and commands the sun to make, his daily walks around the 

 globe. The thunder we hear is the voice of spirits, having the form 

 of large birds, which Nanaboojoo has placed in the clouds. When 

 they cry very loud, we burn some tobacco in our cabins to make them 

 a smoke-offering and appease them. 



"Nanaboojoo yet lives, resting himself after his labors upon an 

 immense flake of ice in the Great Lake (the North Sea). We fear that 

 the whites will one day discover his retreat and drive him off'. Then 

 the end of the world is at hand, for as soon as he puts foot on the 

 earth the whole universe will take fire, and every living creature will 

 perish in the flames!" 



This narrative, though brief, appears to touch a number of myths 

 related in the present memoir as pertaining directly to the Menomini, 

 which will be recognized by the reader. 



FOLKTALES 



The following myths do not relate to Ma'nabush, but are the folk- 

 tales recited by the old Indians during the long winter evenings to 

 account for various phenomena, instances of prowess, and combats with 

 the evil beings of the underworld or the ana'maqki'u. The accompany- 

 ing three myths were related by Shu'nien. The first one accounts for 

 the moon's phases; the second for the cause of the aurora borealis, 

 and the third relates to meteors. 



THE MOON 



Once on a time Ke'so, the Sun, and his sister, Tipii'ke'so, the Moon 

 ("last-night sun") lived together in a wigwam in the east. The Sun 

 dressed himself to go hunting, took his bow and arrows and left. He 

 was absent such a long time that when his sister came out into the 

 sky to look for her brother she became alarmed. She traveled twenty 

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