Traveler and the Thunderbird War

(126) Once they held a council up there. They said that the Waterspirits should be brought to an end. They did not know who could do it. So the son of the Thunderbird Chief fasted up there. Thus he did. Down on earth, the Waterspirits knew of it. So they counciled.

(127) The Waterspirit Chief had one son. "Traveler," they called him by name. Once his father came to his lodge. His father had always been going off somewhere, so he asked him, saying, "Father, why is it that you are always going off somewhere?" "I have no particular reason," he said to him. (128) And there he was always very quiet. Again, "You did not reply to my question." "Ask whatever you wish. Up there the son of the Thunderbird Chief is fasting. They would end the Waterspirits, thus is their purpose. So they are scared. Thus the council there is the reason that I go there. What will you do about it?" (129) "You're asking about it? Nįgéšge, that is not a difficult thing, but you say that I can do it. Tell them about it. I wonder, could it be such a great thing? You said, 'No.' Thus, I can do it. So I say it again, when you go there tell them. And furthermore, when they gather, I'll be there." "All right." Again they gathered. Then Traveler also went, (130) and his father told them what Traveler had said. Thus, the Waterspirit chief filled a pipe and then here they pointed the pipe at Traveler. He said, "Ho!," said he, "I am smoking the pipe." And he said to them, "Where the earth is deepest, there make a single strong house." "I will do it," he said.

(13

1) He went upstream to a small part of the Mississippi, and there at the end of it he made a lodge. There he laid. Thus he did, and then he talked to a man who was fasting. He told him, "I bless you," he said to him. And above the son of the Thunderbird Chief when he looked down into the earth, he saw him. He saw him lying down on earth, (132) and he knew, they say. And when he blessed him he again talked to the man, and, "In the middle of the day, then you will see him. Again, when you are ready to see him, I will tell you. And my grandson, sometimes when I will ask you something, you will do it. And my grandson, as for me, I bless you. And whatever it is, you shall not want for it, (133) and whenever you wish to kill an animal of any kind, you will do it. I mean before you saw me. And then what you wish to make, you can do it. Whatever you make of my body, it will be so. Yes, hereafter, you're having a little daylight. Then on the fourth day when the sun stands straight, there you will see me at what you used to call 'Holy Lake'." [inset]

(134) That man went there on the day that he indicated. And he came nearby. This day, when the sun stood straight, he was to see him. As he approached nearby, he was going down a ravine. And clouds with drizzly rain caught him. He was told, "If you are going to peep, peep at him secretly that way, and I will shoot him." This man looked over the bank there. (135) Just then they shot him. They shot forth at him a rainbow. And they came to lift him up. He brought him with all the water of the lake. Since he had gotten heavy, he could not carry him back home. This Thunderbird went back into the water. They took him below that way, but again eventually he lifted him. Alternating, one at a time, they took him back to their place. (136) They did the same. There this man went towards them. He had his arrows with him. He arrived. When they looked at him, there he stood. And the Thunderbird said, "My brother, the man has tired me out, shoot him for me. If you shoot him, the first time a man has ever fought one, you'll be the one to get him." And the Waterspirit also said, (137) "My grandson, I have blessed you once. I am he. The man tired me, shoot him for me." And, "Not only has he charge of that kind of thing, I can also do that kind of thing. My brother, he is not telling the truth, shoot him. At war, you can do whatever you like. I myself am in charge of that sort of thing." "My grandson, he's not telling the truth. I bless you. I am accustomed to doing it. (138) I once told you that you would do what I would ask you, I told you. This is it. This man has made me tired, shoot him for me. What you can do anytime, I can also do the same thing. Shoot him." "My brother, he did not tell the truth. If you shoot me, so you also will not last long." "My grandson, he is not telling you the truth. Shoot him now. He has blessed you already. What he has said will be true. (139) My grandson, just shoot him. If I kill him, we will win." So this man took out an arrow. He shot the Thunderbird, and then they took him below with them. And there, there was much noise, they say. They caught the Thunderbird. Traveler did it. This is all — I mean this story (wórak). [1]

Traveler was the only son of one of the four great Island Weights, the Waterspirits that anchor the corners of the earth. He spent his time traveling about the world. On one of his journeys he learned that the Thunderbirds planned to utterly annihilate the Waterspirits. Traveler, who was not held in esteem by his father, quite unexpectedly offerred to meet the son of the chief of the Thunderbirds in single combat, a vow from which he could not be dissuaded. Traveler took up residence near the headwaters of the Mississippi, and there encountered a young faster to whom he gave the blessing of a full life, misrepresenting himself as his father. The boy's father encouraged him to fast again, and the next time the Waterspirit offered the boy wealth, but cautioned him to fast no longer. The father of the boy, however, told him to continue fasting, as he was convinced greater blessings were to follow. The spirits brought the boy before Traveler who told him that there was no point in continuing to fast since he had been given all that there was to give. But the father of the boy told him to persist, and when the youth fasted for the fourth time, they again brought him before Traveler. Traveler then offerred the boy war blessings and the right to use his body for medicine. As instructed, the boy met the Waterspirit at noon and was told to bring his offering to Big Lake (Lake Winnebago) [map] the next morning. When the boy arrived, he found Traveler and a Thunderbird locked in mortal combat, each unable to extricate himself from the other's grasp. The Waterspirit and the Thunderbird each appealed to the boy in turn to give him aid. Each said the other lied, and appealed to the boy as a benefactor or as a kinsman. Finally, the Waterspirit threatened the mortal, and this was enough for the boy to shoot the Thunderbird with an arrow. The Thunderbird, with his dying breath, cursed the boy and his people, condemning them to be slain to the last man by an enemy warparty. Not long afterwards, all the boy's kinsmen were wiped out by an enemy raid. [2]

This version is embedded in an epic telling of the Twins Myth, The Lost Blanket. The Twins are searching all the worlds for the blanket that was stolen from one of them. They come to an old man who refers them to Traveler. In what follows, references to the Twins and their blanket have been deleted in order to keep to the subject of the story of Traveler.

In the center of the earth there is to be found a lodge — this is the one the old man was referring to. ... The one in charge of it is named "Traveler." At first, at the very beginning of his life, he had been shrewd. He was the person in charge of this lodge. Although he was called "Traveler," the real name his parents had given him was "Chief's Child." This is the name they gave him. Now there are four Waterspirits whom the creator fashioned himself, to serve as earth-anchors [Island Weights]. They were thrust right down through the whole thickness of the earth. The youngest and last one created was placed at a spot called Long Lake, down the stream from St. Paul. It is his son who was placed in charge of the earth. The father is one of the spirits fashioned directly by the Creator. However he, Traveler, was born of woman (who was an ordinary Waterspirit).

There was once a Thunderbird who decided to kill all the great Waterspirits who had been created. The Waterspirits became frightened and so they called a council which lasted four years long to plan how they could kill him. Long they discussed the matter. (Then a Waterspirit came forward and volunteered to do it himself.) This Waterspirit did not amount to anything although he was the only son of the chief. He was like the great Waterspirits in appearance, yet all he did was to travel about visiting people; nothing else. In the beginning he was called the "Chief's Child," but finally they called him "Traveler." Because he traveled about so much, all over the earth, everyone knew him. Even the children knew him. He it was who killed the Thunderbird. However he did it by deceiving a human being. Because (of his victory) he was placed in charge of the earth. He was not put in charge of it by Earthmaker but by the people on earth. He was a wayward fellow, this, our lord of the earth. ... Yet in spite of everything he is the chief of all of us on earth, for this is the position that was bestowed upon him. And he lives at a place called "Holy Lake" (Te Wákąčąk). It was from this place called "Holy Lake" that he, our chief, started when he ascended to fight the Thunderbird. This lake was a window for the earth. It had no bottom. [3]

Commentary. Whatever you make of my body — Waterspirits offer their own bodies as blessings to those whom they favor. Medicines and poisons are made from their bodies. A Spirit Being can, of course, regenerate his own body at will. See the theme, a Waterspirit is killed and his body is used as medicine: Great Walker's Warpath, The Seer.

Holy Lake — Te Wákąčąk was mistranslated by whites as "Devil's Lake." [map]

"Long Lake" — in Hočąk this would be Te Sereč. It is probably Pigs Eye Lake, just off the Mississippi and a very short distance downstream from St. Paul. The original name of St. Paul was "Pigs Eye."

Comparative Material. The friendship tribe of the Hočągara, the Menominee, have a strongly similar story, save that it substitutes a polar bear for the Waterspirit. "At the place now known as Thunder Lake a white bear once came out of the water to bask in the sun. An Inämäki (thunderer) prowling along, very hungry, swooped down on him. He struck his claws into the bear's back, but the bear succeeded in rushing into the water. Then a terrible struggle ensued. The two powerful manitous were evenly matched. Sometimes the thunderer would almost lift the bear from the water, but when the bird draegged its prey to the surface the water rose, sticking to the bear's claws with strange elasticity, and as soon as the bird tired the bear snapped back. Sometimes he would almost succeed in drawing the thunderer under water. While this desperate tussle was going on, an Indian, famous for his dreams, none other in fact, that Kinä, appeared on the scene, attracted by the noise. 'Shoot this bird and free me!' cried the bear, 'You know I am a strong manitou. I will grant you along life! I will make you and your family happy! I will give you power to find game at your very lodge door!' 'Do not heed hiim,' screamed the thunderer, 'If you kill me my peope will destroy the Indians with our lightning! Shoot the bear! I can grant you all he promises, and more!' 'If you shoot me my people will never permit the Indians to go in a canoe or even draw water! They will be pulled in and drowned! Help me!' Kinä should not have interferred at all, then neither power would have been offended, but he judged it best to aid the bear, so he fired his arrow and broke the thunderer's wing, whereupon the bear dragged him down out of sight. Almost immediately afterwards there was a mighty rush of wings, and legions of thunderers appeared, but they were just too late. They struck the lake with their lightning until it was nearlly dry, and blasted the nearby hill under which the bear had dragged their comrade. The whole earth trembled, but the Inämäkiwük were unable to dislodge the bear. Finally, they gave it up. As for the captive thunderer, perhaps the bear ate him, or the bird may have been changed into a mate for him. At all events since Kinä shot at all, it is just as well that he aided the bear or else the Indians could never to to the water for fear of being drowned. The thunderers were only angry for a shot time, and they rarely take revenge by killing a man with their lightning. For years after, just before a thunderstorm, rumblings could be heard beneath the lake from the thunderer there imprisoned, now they have ceased, a proof that the bird is no more." [4]

A fairly similar, albeit inverted, parallel story comes from the Cherokee. Two brothers went out hunting. After they set up camp, one of them went hunting for a deer. He came upon a scene of struggle. There a great Uktena (a serpentine Waterspirit) had a man in its grip and was choking him to death. The human called out: "Help me nephew. The Uktena is as much your enemy as mine!" So the hunter shot an arrow clean through the head of the Uktena, causing a plethora of blood to flow. The Uktena spun down the hill like a waterspout, tearing up everything. The man that the hunter had saved was Asgáya Gígagei, the Red Man of the Lightning. Red Man said, "Because you had rescued me, I will reward you." That night he took the hunter to where the body of the Uktena lay. Nothing was left except the bones. Where there were jets of lightning coming up from the ground, Red Man dug. There he found a scale of the Uktena. He took wood from a tree that had been struck by lightning, and made a fire in which he roasted the scale until it turned into charcoal. He wrapped this in a deerskin and gave it to the hunter. He was told that he would have extraordinary hunting powers, and that he must take the scale and hang it on a tree. Even while hanging there, it exerted so much power that his brother fell ill and was near to death. However, he had medicine from Red Man, and with this he cured him. Every day thereafter, the man was able to find game whenever he went hunting. [5]

A story of the same structure is given by the Mandan, but the Thunderbird here becomes an eagle, and the Waterspirit is made a rabbit. "Some men went out one time to get into pits to catch war-eagles. As they were returning toward evening, one man stopped on the way and sat down. As he was looking around, he saw an eagle chasing a rabbit. The rabbit was running round and round in a circle, and every little while the eagle would make a swoop for him. At each swoop the eagle would come nearer to catching the rabbit. The rabbit kept drawing closer and closer to the man; and as the eagle made a last great swoop, the rabbit jumped into the man's lap, and the eagle failed to get him. Then the Eagle said to the man, "Put him down! I am hungry and want to eat him." The Rabbit said to the man, "Save me! If you do, I will make you very renowned." Then the Eagle said, "Put him down! I will help you. Whatever I say is true. My feet never touch the ground; and whatever I undertake, I never fail in it." The Rabbit answered, "It is true that my feet are on the ground; but whatever I attempt, I too succeed in." And the man saved the Rabbit, and the Rabbit made him powerful, and always helped him in times of trouble." [6]

Our story comes fairly close to the set of myths in the Old World which are cognate to the Greek "Judgment of Paris". Proclus gives a summary of this story as it was contained in the lost Cypria. The events take place at the wedding of Achilles’ parents:

Proclus cannot dwell on details in such a short précis. However, the missing details reappear in the matching account of Apollodorus:

The theme of the golden apple, which is not found in the early account, is nevertheless substantiated in a picture of the scene recorded on an ivory comb dated to ca. 700 B. C. [9] The similarities of this myth to the Hočąk story can be tabulated.

Paradigm	Greek	Hočąk
[1] The chief god(s) of the upper world plot to wipe out a race that dwells in the world below.	Zeus plots to cause the Trojan War.	The Thunderbirds plot to rub out the Waterspirits.
[2] At a meeting of the gods, claimants for a prize present themselves.	At a wedding, three goddesses, Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite, claim the prize.	At a council of the Waterspirits, Traveler says that he will kill the Thunderbird.
[3] Strife breaks out among the gods over who shall claim a prize of merit.	Strife breaks out among the gods over who shall be awarded a prize of merit.	Fighting breaks out between the son of the Thunderbird chief and Traveler.
[4] Their merit is so even that victory cannot be claimed by any of them.	The merit is so even that a judgment cannot be made.	The fighting is so even a victor does not emerge.
[5] A mortal is brought in to determine who shall win.	A mortal, Alexander (Paris), is brought in to be the judge.	A mortal is to be the arbiter of who shall win.
[6] The contenders attempt to influence him with their special attributes and blessings.	Each of the contenders attempts to bribe Paris with blessings.	Each of the contenders attempts to bribe the mortal with blessings.
[7] The mortal chooses the blessings of the lowest sort.	Paris chooses what is in fact the lowest of the blessings.	The mortal chooses the blessings of the Lower World Waterspirit over the claims of kinship he owes to the Thunderbird.
[8] The lowest deity carries off the prize of Strife.	Aphrodite wins and carries off the prize of the golden apple.	The Waterspirit wins, and carries away the body of the Thunderbird.
[9] The mortal is blessed with carnal rewards, but incurs the curse of the losers. In battle he and his kinsmen are all killed.	Paris is blessed with possession of Helen, but is cursed by the losers and is ultimately killed and his people wiped out.	The mortal is blessed with the body of the Waterspirit to use for magic, but the Thunderbird curses him so that he soon dies and his kindsmen are rubbed out in battle.

It seems fair to say that the appeal of the Thunderbird is to things more noble than what the Waterspirit Traveler is offering in the way of blessings. In both stories, this choice has disasterous consequences. Both the Greeks and Hočągara share the appreciation that when a mortal intervenes in the strife of the gods, he is surely doomed, the only question being how bad the consequences will be.

[1] "The Struggle between the Son of the Thunderbird and the Son of the Waterspirit," in Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks, Winnebago III, #11a, Freeman #3892 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, 1909?) Story 10: 126-139.

[3] Paul Radin, The Evolution of an American Indian Prose Epic, Part I (Basil, Switzerland: Ethnographical Museum, 1954) 47-48.

[4] Alanson Skinner and John V. Satterlee, "The Legend of Thunder Lake," Badger Folklore, 2, #4 (April-May, 1950): 6.

[6] George F. Will, "Some Hidatsa and Mandan Tales," The Journal of American Folklore, 25, #95. (Jan. - Mar., 1912): 93-94 [94, #5]. Informant: James Holding Eagle.

[7] Proclus, Chrestomathy 1; cf. Iliad 24.25-30 for the epic’s sole allusion to the Judgement of Paris. The same functional division is also maintained in Apollodorus 3.2; Euripides, Iphigeneia in Aulis 1300-1310; Trojan Women 924-930; Hyginus, Fabulæ 92; Isocrates, Helen 41; and Lucian, Dialogues of the Gods 20.