05-08-02 @ 8:44 pm EDT

Edited at 05-09-02 @ 1:39 am EDT

ENTRY UPDATED: Rather than delete or repost, I've edited my entry! This was originally posted 05-08-02 @ 8:44 pm EDT, for the record. I just CAN'T let the stupid typos stand. Anal me. So here we go again.

I am so frickin' confused right now. Over the past few days ideas for the MI sequel have been floating around in my head and I've decided that if I do write it, it'll have a bigger emphasis on Ojibwa mythology, featuring Manabozho and his family as major players. He was one of four brothers born to a human and a wind manitou, and he sounds like he could be interesting story fodder. Of course, this would all be filtered through my own version of events, but what isn't?

Anyway I've been looking for info on him and FOR GOD'S SAKE why can't anyone get the story straight!!

Here's what I've come across so far.

Hiawatha and Manabozho are NOT the same, despite what Longfellow would have you believe. Long story short, Longfellow screwed up. 'Nuff said.

However...

Manabozho means "Great Rabbit" or "Great Hare."

"Michabo," the name of a creator god of the Algonquins (including those on Mackinac Island), supposedly means the same thing...though in actuality, it doesn't. It's something closer to Great White One or Dawn Bringer or something like that. Still, he was considered the Great Hare...very much the same as Manabozho.

(I could accept that they're the same guy--some sites even suggest this is so--if I didn't have a book about Island legends that names BOTH of them in different stories! I think that writer screwed up...)

And this goes without mentioning Glooskap. Another Algonquin creator god, I considered making him a separate character, even though a lot of the information links him directly to Manabozho and you never hear about them separately in the same stories. If not the same character, they're at least very similar. No relationship is named between them other than the possibility that they're the same. (Glooskap never seems to have any animal symbol mentioned along with him though, like the white rabbit that keeps popping up when Manabozho/Michabo are mentioned.) At this point in time, I think he'll be a separate character, older than Manabozho--a real creator, while Manabozho is more of a trickster--but he won't occupy as much space.

MANABOZHO'S FATHER

Like I said, a wind manitou. Manabozho's mom and grandmother are ALWAYS listed as Wenonah and Nokomis, so there's no trouble there. But the name of his father is a COMPLETE mystery to me. In one story I read, it was Epingishmook. (*gak!*) In another it's Ae'pungishimook, which just sounds like a variant. In others it's Kabeyun, the west wind--which seems more consistent. But then in other sources it's Wabun--the west wind. And sometimes I see Kabeyun and Wabun listed as wind brothers--so WHICH ONE IS THE DADDY?!? I can't figure out which wind is which and which is the father. SO confusing!! I think I came across another name too but I can't remember it...all I know for certain is he's the spirit of the west wind, and pretty much knocked Wenonah up without her knowledge.

MANABOZHO'S MOTHER

What became of Wenonah? She died when Manabozho was young. How is also uncertain. Either Kabeyun (or WHOEVER!) was cruel to her and killed her, or she died in childbirth. Manabozho later goes off to find his dad to fight him...or was that his brother he went off to fight for his mother's death? Keep reading, I'm confused too!

MANABOZHO'S BROTHERS

Manabozho had a differing number of brothers according to the stories, though it usually seems to be three. So there were four of them--and some stories equate them with the four winds. Which is REALLY confusing since one of the winds was supposedly his DAD! AAAAGGGGGHHH!!! But who WERE his brothers? Never mind the birth order; some stories say he's the oldest, some the youngest. I'm not sure on that right now. These are two of the main lists I've seen.

Manabozho
Chipiapoos/Chibiabos/Chiabo
Wabosso
Chakenapok

OR

Manabozho
Chipiapoos/Chibiabos/Chiabo
Mudjeekawis (or Mudjeekiwis?--something like that)
Papeekawis/Pau-puk-keewis/Papeekawiss/etc.

The first four:

Manabozho--the Great Rabbit, culture hero, trickster
Chibiabos--Wolf Brother, spirit of the dead who was drowned by evil manitous
Wabosso--the Great White Hare of the north (confused even MORE, eh?)
Chakenapok--man of flint, youngest brother whose birth caused the death of Wenonah--evil spirit in contest with Manabozho

(At this time, I'm thinking that's the list I'll go with for the story; I can already envision Chibiabos and Chakenapok in my head. Chakenapok is starting to emerge as a potential primary antagonist, similar to Ocryana in the current story.)

The second four:

Manabozho--the Great Rabbit, culture hero, trickster
Chibiabos--Wolf Brother, spirit of the dead who was drowned by evil manitous
Mudjeekawis (sp)--west wind (!!!!!), bear spirit
Papeekawis (sp)--gambler trickster, possibly represented by a grasshopper; Manabozho raced him to create the seasons

I haven't been able to find as much info on these last two; also, Mudjeekawis is sometimes listed as one of nine other brothers. So the first four seem to be more common. Plus I can't decide on the final spellings of any of these except for Manabozho (Manabush, Nanabozho, Naniboujou, Nanabush, Wenebojo, ETC. ETC. ETC.!!) and Chakenapok--simply because I found only one reference to Chakenapok. *sigh!*

Some lists name only two brothers--Manabozho (White Rabbit) and Chibiabos--Wolf Brother or Little Wolf. Wolf Brother ends up killed by manitous similar to those in Devil's Lake. Other stories say that Wolf Brother is actually a cousin. OTHER stories list three brothers--Manabozho, Chibiabos, and a piece of flint which killed Wenonah when she gave birth to it; Nokomis (Wenonah's mother) got rid of the piece of flint in anger and raised the other two herself. This piece of flint must refer to Chakenapok, whose one reference says he was a "man of flint or firestone... In coming into the world he caused the death of his mother." (That is, if Kabeyun/whoever didn't kill her!)

Most references just list four brothers but leave two or three nameless. And the birth order is never consistent. Many list Manabozho as the youngest brother--but how COULD he be, if Chakenapok's birth killed Wenonah??

(Edit addition: Chakenapok's birth reminds me of the birth of the Egyptian god Set--supposedly he tore his way out through his mother's side. Interesting, ah?)

(I want Manabozho to be the youngest in my stories...so I'm toying with other ways that Wenonah could have been killed. Not sure yet.)

*gasp huff pant*

Anyway...I've also got Kenu, Thunderbird, and the wind spirits to contend with. I can't find consistent listings of the four winds. And I heard that Wabosso is a Sioux name, so I wish I knew the Ojibwa name of that brother. (If he isn't the same as Manabozho--since Wabosso is the Great White Hare! AAAAAGGGGGGHHHHH!!!)

I came up with a cool idea of assigning a differently colored rabbit to each brother--

Manabozho--brown (since that's how he first appears in Manitou Island)
Chibiabos--gray
Wabosso--white
Chakenapok--black ('cause he's EEEEvil!)

--but then I learned that Chibiabos is the Wolf, so now what?? I have no idea what animal, if any, represents Chakenapok.

I haven't even mentioned Gitchi Manitou yet, have I? If Glooskap is the creator spirit--then WHAT THE HELL IS GITCHI?

OH I am so damn confused.

With the way things are looking, though, it'll be something like this.

GITCHI MANITOU: Great Spirit, similar to God. Not very approachable; vague, distant, and tenuous. Y'know. Like God. Responsible for...everything. Used to be closer to mankind, but isn't now.

GLOOSKAP: Elder creator god. Possibly created the Great Lakes and the Island. (If Gitchi didn't.) Appears as a large, old manitou.

MALSUM: Glooskap's evil twin brother, also associated with the Wolf. (Yeah, I forgot to mention him, ha!) I can't reveal a pivotal plot twist concerning him, should this ever be written, so...

NOKOMIS: Earth spirit, grandmother of Manabozho. Probably won't appear in the story.

WENONAH: Manabozho's dead mother. Probably won't appear in the story.

WEST WIND (unnamed as of yet--have to decide): Manabozho's father, a manitou. Gruff and powerful. Appears as a large, old manitou, if he appears at all.

OTHER WINDS?

MANABOZHO: Great Rabbit; trickster spirit. Charmian's guide and a primary character in the story. Close to mankind, as he's a halfling. Another name for him is Michabo (sp?), which might be his name when he's in his rabbit form.

CHIBIABOS (sp?): Wolf Brother, though I may have a rabbit represent him also. Manabozho's closest brother; chummy and talkative, even though he's a spirit of the dead. (Maybe he doesn't get out much?)

WABOSSO (sp?): Manabozho's brother, White Rabbit. (Since in my version, Manabozho's rabbit is brown.) Spirit of the north and the cold; taciturn, not very friendly, butt of many jokes of Manabozho and Chibiabos.

CHAKENAPOK: Manabozho's brother, an evil halfling; probably killed his own mother somehow. Will probably team up with Ocryana--but I can't give too much more away. He has a secret also.

GREAT HORNED SERPENT?: Monster that Manabozho fought. It's alternately listed as an underwater panther, a horned snake, and a giant sturgeon, but seeing as Manabozho tells Charmian in the current storyline that he "fought a giant sturgeon once," that's probably what it'll be. Its name is something like Mashenomak or...damn it, I can't find the other name I came across, even in my history. *sigh* It was Mish-something, like Mishnish-something. Rhymed. I knew I should have written that down. :(

Well, it's very late and I can't proofread this, I'll have to post it as-is. Later.

Edit done! :)