Reading Notes: British North America Part A

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This week I decided to focus on names. The names of people, places, and the worlds in these stories are all unique. I find it very interesting that the majority of these have absolutely zero named characters, or the names are just Bear or Raven. I think it says a lot about the culture of these stories and how whenever they are being passed down the names aren’t important, but the messages are. It allows the storyteller to focus on the most important parts and not minor details.
Beliefs - Bella Coola
  • Bella Coola is a cool name, pun intended, and it was hard for me to find an actual definition. It mainly means people who live by the Bella Coola River, and can refer to the Nuxalk people.
  • “Afraid of Nothing” is a the name of a goddess who created the world and lives in one of the upper heavens.
Creation of the World
Wyandot
  • Big Turtle and Old Toad are the names of the characters in this story. There are not a lot of named characters in these stories, rather general terms.
    Raven, Source

How the Earth Was Formed
Cree
  • Wisagatcak; after googling this name is spelled many different ways because the Crees didn’t have a written language.
Creation of the Earth
Thompson River
  • There are no named characters in this story, just Old Man and Earth Woman
  • I think the lack of names in this story makes it easier to be told and relate to.
Origin of Rivers in Queen Charlotte Islands
Haida
  • Kilkun is the only named character in this story.
  • Like the other stories, Beaver and Raven don’t have names.
Origin of Haida Land
Haida
  • Sea-Gull Man is a character here. Kind of a funny name but follows the pattern of unspecific names.
Raven and Moon Woman
Haida
  • Moon Woman and Raven are the two characters.
Creation of Light
Carrier
  • No named characters
Grizzly Bear and Coyote
Shuswap
  • No named characters
Origin of Light and Fire
Lillooet
  • Raven, no named characters

     The Burning of the World
Cree
  • No named characters
Why the Sun is Bright
Lillooet
  • No named characters
The Man in the Moon
Central Eskimo

  • Moon is a character here, yet no names

Bibliography: British North American Tales, Source

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