Wigwam Evenings: Sioux Folk Tales Retold

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

28099

Title

Wigwam Evenings: Sioux Folk Tales Retold

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Retold by Charles and Elaine Eastman, this collection offers Sioux folk tales adapted for modern readers. Blending animal fables, magical transformations, and heroic legends, the stories explore themes of peace, nature's balance, and cultural wisdom. Ideal for fireside reading, these timeless narratives invite children and adults alike to discover the enduring spirit of aboriginal folklore.

Summary up to 500 words

In the winter village of the Sioux, the storyteller Smoky Day gathers children around a central fire to share tales from the "unwritten school-book of the wilderness." These stories, adapted by Charles A. Eastman and Elaine Goodale Eastman, preserve the spirit of oral tradition while teaching moral lessons through wit, harmony, and consequence. The collection opens with "The Buffalo and the Field-mouse," where a tiny mouse outsmarts a massive buffalo by hiding in its ears, demonstrating that silence and cleverness triumph over brute strength. In "Eya the Devourer," a terrifying monster who swallows entire villages is defeated not by force, but by Unktomee's trickery; the monster is lured to swallow mussel shells, which cause it to choke and allow the villagers to destroy it. The narrative explores elemental conflicts in "The Wars of Wa-kee-yan and Unk-tay-hee," depicting the ancient battle between the Thunder-Bird of the air and the Water Monster. This cosmic struggle is only resolved by the Sun, who sends the Rainbow as a flag of peace, teaching that even powerful forces must yield to harmony. A beloved figure, the "Little Boy Man," emerges from a splinter and lives in a prelapsarian Eden where animals are friends. Though he is eventually destroyed by the water monster, his spirit returns to heal the monsters and save his people, illustrating the cycle of life and the power of medicine. Other tales feature magical transformations and trials. In "The Ten Virgins," ten hunters cross a magical shell to reach a witch's village; only the youngest brother survives the witch's ash attack by using a borrowed magic shield, securing his bride. Similarly, in "The Magic Arrows," a humble hunter uses enchanted shafts to provide food for a starving couple and slay a feared Red Eagle, winning the chief's daughter in marriage. The collection concludes with "The Ghost-Wife," a poignant story of a man who marries the spirit of a deceased maiden. Their happiness is contingent upon his vow of silence and respect for the spirit world. When he breaks his promise by speaking angrily to his crying child, the fire goes out, and his wife and children vanish forever. Through these vibrant myths, the authors maintain the poetic essence of Sioux folklore, emphasizing that true strength lies in wisdom, patience, and adherence to spiritual laws.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Categories

• Folklore
• Native American History