Week 10 Story: The Logical Pacifist Hiawatha

A movie poster for the 1913 film adaptation of the Native American legend Hiawatha.

On one fateful day, Nokomis, Hiawatha's grandmother, looked up from the ground pointed in the direction of the western sky and told her grandson some troubling news. There was an evil magician named Pearl-Feather who has been hoarding large sums of food and money, while also using his evil magic to spread disease amongst the population. Additionally, this Pearl-Feather had killed Hiawatha's grandfather. Hiawatha took on Nokomis' request and agreed to stop Pearl-Feather once and for all. 

Hiawatha began trekking toward the direction of Pearl-Feather's lair, and after two days of walking, he came upon a large home in the middle of a lake with pitch black water. Upon approaching the shore, fiery snakes leapt out of the water, guarding the only walkway to his home in the middle of the lake. After being unable to come up with a way past them without fighting them, he realized something strange... How were these snakes on fire, but also in water? And at that exact moment, the snakes suddenly were extinguished, and left, almost as if they were also confused by their existence. 

After walking a while, Hiawatha approached the door of the dreaded Pearl-Feather and gave it a quick knock. There was no response. Hiawatha turned to leave, and just before he left the vicinity of the house, he felt an evil presence and Pearl-Feather appeared from thin air. Hiawatha began trying to settle the incident peacefully. He explained to Pearl-Feather that his powers and wealth and riches could be used to improve the lives of others and work toward a communal good. Pearl-Feather was very hesitant, as he enjoyed doing evil things, but did realize that he was quite lonely out here on this lake and he really could change the trajectory of his life in the best way possible. Hiawatha and Pearl-Feather walked back to the village together. Upon arriving at the village, Pearl-Feather apologized and gave away his wealth to build up the community, and began using his magic to improve crop yields and vanquish disease. Perhaps violence is not always the answer after all.

Author's Note: In this version of Hiawatha story, I added an unconventional twist, given that the protagonist is often forced to use violence as a means to achieve his goals and do what he considers best for the ultimate and communal good. I focused on the retelling of his encounter with Pearl-Feather, an evil magician that hoards wealth and spreads disease, because I am the most familiar with this particular story in the realm of Hiawatha stories.

Bibliography: The Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Published in 1855. http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/06/myth-folklore-unit-song-of-hiawatha.html

Reading Notes: Native American Stories; Hiawatha, Part B

A depiction of the great Native American story hero, Hiawtha.

Hiawatha is one of the most influential Native American stories because of its renowned status in the literature and mythological community. In the reading, Nokomis looks toward the western sky and tells Hiawatha that a magician named Pearl-Feather lives in that direction. Pearl-Feather is evil because he hoards all kinds of food and wealth, and keeping a bunch of stuff for yourself isn't encouraged in their tight-knit village. Pearl-Feather has been sending famine and disease to Hiawatha's people, and this magician apparently killed Nokomis' father. Nokomis would like Hiawatha to go defeat Pearl-Feather, but he is guarded by fire serpents that swim in black water. When he comes near Pearl-Feather's hideout, Hiawatha runs into the fiery serpents. They tell him to head home and call it a day, but he responds by killing them all with arrows. All the animals that live in the area cheer Hiawatha on because they're sick of the evil Pearl-Feather making their lives horrible. Hiawatha fires a single arrow at Pearl-Feather's wigwam and calls him to come outside. After tricking Pearl-Feather and shooting him with three arrows, Hiawatha divides his riches and wealth amongst his people and creates communal wealth, which Pearl-Feather did not seek to do. This represents the lifestyle of Native American communities and how they value the collective good over individual wealth, which is something all cultures can learn from.

Bibliography: The Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Published in 1855. http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/06/myth-folklore-unit-song-of-hiawatha.html

Reading Notes: Native American Stories; Hiawatha, Part A

A depiction of the title character of the story of Hiawatha

The reading begins talking about Mudjekeewis, who is Hiawatha's father and a demigod in his own right. Mudjekeewis engages in a tough battle with Mishe-Mokwa, who is the Great Bear of the Mountains. After defeating and killing Mishe-Mokwa, Mudjekeewis becomes the Father of the Four Winds in his own right. His son, who is named Wabun and also the great East Wind, later falls in love with a maiden, whom he turns into the Morning Star, also known as Wabun-Annung. The North Wind, Kabibonokka, later attacks Shingebis, "the diver." Shingebis repels the North Wind by burning firewood and then wrestling and defeating him. Lastly, the South Wind, Shawondasee, falls in love with a dandelion, mistaking it for a golden-haired maiden. The reading goes on to describe Hiawatha's birth and early childhood, including the tales of adventuring, especially fishing, in which Hiawatha slays the ancient water God Mishe-Nahma, the king of all fishes. The story also covers Hiawatha's fasting and relationship with his demigod and Father of the Four Winds, Mudjekeewis, who is a distant and irresponsible parent to Hiawatha.

Bibliography: The Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Published in 1855. http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/06/myth-folklore-unit-song-of-hiawatha.html