Through soothing rhythms and repetition, Johnston recreates the
ancient storytelling tradition of the Ojibway Indians. The word
manitou has usually been translated to mean simply "spirit," but
according to Johnston, the term connotes mystery, mysticism,
godliness, and the essence of things. Manitous are also the
supernatural beings of the Anishinaubae, "the good men and people"
of the Ojibway, Ottowa, Pottawatomi, and Algonquin tribes. Johnston
here tells the stories of these beings, and his tales are buoyed up
with commentary so skillfully interwoven with the narrative that
the reader is unconsciously instructed in the history and method
behind them. He includes traditional creation and flood myths; the
stories of Nana'b'oozoo, the prototypical human being; the origin
tales of corn, birch, flint, and tobacco; and much more. These
stories are meant not only to answer questions about the world, but
to teach valuable life lessons. In the beautiful tale of the spruce
tree, a young woman is married off against her will to an old man.
At first she is despondent, but after many years she begins to
appreciate her husband's goodness and finally to love him. When he
dies she keeps a vigil at his grave until she too dies, and from
their joint grave grows a tree that rains a light mist, said to be
the tears shed by the young wife over her beloved husband. This
story teaches respect for elders, the value of kindness, the
unpredictable nature of love; others show respect for nature, for
animals, and for the wisdom of the elders. In the last story of
Nana'b'oozoo, he is seen sadly leaving his people, unremarked and
unmourned, a symbol of the Indians' lost heritage. With his writing
and storytelling, Johnston hopes to summon Nana'b'oozoo back. An
extraordinary glimpse into a rich and meaningful mythology. (Kirkus
Reviews)
Manitous are mysteries and spirits - the essences - that infuse and
safeguard plants and animals, including humans, in all aspects of
life. The tales of the manitous are simple in narration and complex
in spirit, rich with incident and detail, and attempt to explain
the mysterious ways of the natural world. Here are wily tricksters,
timorous tree spirits, wise grandmothers, seductive maidens, and
the ever-hungry evil manitous, fearsome giants known as Weendigoes.
Here is a half-man, half-manitou legend of Ojibway lore who
represents the wonders and shortcomings of all humankind and who
becomes a hero by masquerading as one; a powerful warrior who is
riled and routed by a younger sibling with a fight for dancing and
disguises; a man who seems obsessed with the trivial but learns to
understand the spiritual; and The Prophecy - which is told but
disbelieved - telling of the changes in the native world to come.
By turns comic, erotic, dramatic, and tragic, these engrossing
stories - most of which have never before been recorded - provide a
window into an ancient culture, and hold great meaning for modern
readers.
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