Mythology and Folklore UN-Textbook: Myth-Folklore Unit: Mississippi Valley and the Great Lakes

Overview. This unit contains stories from Judson's anthology of Myths and Legends of the Mississippi Valley and the Great Lakes. The land of the Great Lakes is represented by many stories from the Menomini people, along with Ojibwa and other tribes, while the Mississippi Valley is represented by stories from the Biloxi, Choctaw and Chitimacha peoples. You will find stories here of the trickster-hero Manabozho, including his battle with the evil manitous who had killed his wolf-brother. From the Biloxi people, there are many Rabbit tales including a story of Rabbit and the tar-baby. There are creation stories about the beginnings of the earth, along with sky stories about the sun and moon, the star creatures, and the Northern Lights. You will also read the famous legend of Mondamin, an Ojibwa story of how the people first found corn.

Language. Judson's book is an anthology of stories takes from various anthropological sources, written in a variety of styles. Some of the stories are told in a more traditional oral style, while other stories are edited in a style more like literary prose.

Story Length. Most of the stories here are on the short side, and all of them are single-page stories.

Navigation. You will find the table of contents below, and you can also use this link to see the story posts displayed on two pages total: Mississippi Valley and the Great Lakes. Click "Older Posts" at the bottom of that page to see the second page.

(free audiobook at LibriVox)

READING A:

READING B:

Pages

Myth-Folklore Unit: Mississippi Valley and the Great Lakes