Glooscap the great chief, and other stories - ElectricCanadian.com

INTRODUCTION
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Wabanaki that did not know Glooscap, the
Great Chief.
The legends of Glooscap, which Dr. Eand and
those who have followed him have gathered,
are parts of a great mythology telling the story
of a hero whom Leland asserts is the most
Aryan-like character ever conceived by the
mind of a savage race. Aside from their in
terest as stories they involve many intricate
problems
in the field of literature and racial
We do not know precisely how
In both, man
development.
they originated, whether they are entirely the
creation of the Indian, or whether they have
been influenced greatly by contact with other
peoples, by the great waves of migration that
have from time to time swept over the world.
Leland points out curious similarities be
tween the Wabanaki (which includes the Micmac)
mythology and the Norse.
was made from the Ash tree, and was without
sense until the creator endowed him with it.
Odin s messengers were two ravens. The mes
sengers of Glooscap were two loons. Both
were often troubled by the unreliability of these
servants. For his "dogs" (beasts of burden)
Glooscap had two wolves, one white and the
other black, typifying day and night. In the
Eddas we read,
"
Magic songs they sang:
Eode on wolves,
The God and gods."