We are pleased to participate in the A to Z Blog Challenge (http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/). The Story Crossroads theme for this year is Beating the Odds…Lucky Folktales Around the World to Brighten Your Day. Each post highlights that the stars aligned and what would have normally been…bad…turned out after all. Considering what we – as humankind – have experienced the past year, how nice is it to remember that all of us can “beat the odds” to some level in our lives.
And we’ll admit now…some are actually myths, legends, or epics rather than only limited to folktales. So is that a type of “loading the dice”? Ah, but the stories were too wonderful to pass by.
MOOSE-
From Wabanaki / New England of United States and Canada
Glooskap has been loved as a hero though can take on many different aspects and attributes. Sometimes he transforms animals and items to – hopefully – be better for mankind. Sometimes he is a trickster. Though, overall, he has good intentions. The name “Glooskap” is spelled so many different ways due to differences in languages and dialects.
What makes moose dangerous?
Moose are already tall animals. They can be as tall as 7 feet! Some people argue that moose are more dangerous in bears, mainly because there are more moose that roam the woods than bears. I have a friend who was attached by a mother moose and he’s lucky to be alive. He had brain damage for about a year and finally his memories came back, and he could tell stories again. He figures that he must have accidentally gotten between this mother moose and her little ones. Well, not so little…but you know what I mean.
50-words-or-less summary:
Larger animals existed…Moose like tall tree! Glooskap interviewed each animal on what they would do if they saw a human. Moose said – tear down trees on top of him. Glooskap hugged Moose to shrink him. Glooskap taught humans how to hunt Moose. Other animals transformed as Glooskap heard intentions.
That Glooskap was kind and make it luckier for us to be human. Can you imagine a moose as tall as a tree? They are tall enough! By the way, the squirrel was as large as a bear today. Squirrel didn’t have nice plans for humans either.
Finding the Story:
The Algonquin Legends of New England, by Charles G. Leland, [1884], at sacred-texts.com
The Moose Book: Facts and Stories from Northern Forests by Samuel Merrill
Please share in the comments…or anything on your mind. While you enjoy this blog, Story Crossroads has year-round offerings with virtual as well as proper-distanced/masked/outdoors.
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Moose are dangerous!
I have a friend who went to college in Alaska, and it was a university requirement there to take a moose safety class.
Moose are still pretty big 😀 I would love to imagine this is a distant megafauna memory…
The Multicolored Diary