Dene stories
Type
Book
Authors
Category
SICC Resources
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Publication Year
1979
Publisher
Pages
81
Subject
Dene -- Folklore
Abstract
"Story telling has been a popular form of education and entertainment for people all over the world throughout history. Some stories are narrations of true experiences while others are popular interpretations of things around us. The latter are referred to as legends and are very popular with children, because they require a great deal of imagination.
The stories in this book were related by elderly Dene people and then translated into English. They tell about the creation of the earth and the populating of it with animals, plants and man. Like the legends of all people, Dene legends describe a time when animals and man could communicate with each other. They explain how animals came to behave the way they do and why their physical appearance is what it is.
The legends served as educational foundations to children as well as a means of teaching such things as seasonal habits of animals and why animals are the color they are. The legends also taught children to respect the elderly and that it is most beneficial to listen and gain knowledge from them. As well, at times, these legends kept the youngsters out of mischief, and gave the very old people who could no longer hunt or fish a very important function in the community.
Two favorite characters in the legends of the Dene are Crowhead and Spread-wings. Both were pranksters who had magical powers. They were related to all Dene and spent most of their time travelling from one settlement to another where they would always help the people with whom they were staying. Crowhead, the older of the two, knew it was impossible for anyone to kill him as long as he wore his crow-skin cape which was his medicine. It warned him of the approach of enemies and gave him the power to defeat them. Spread-wings, on the other hand, could be killed, but he had three lives. Legends about Crowhead and Spread-wings very often taught a moral."--Introduction.
The stories in this book were related by elderly Dene people and then translated into English. They tell about the creation of the earth and the populating of it with animals, plants and man. Like the legends of all people, Dene legends describe a time when animals and man could communicate with each other. They explain how animals came to behave the way they do and why their physical appearance is what it is.
The legends served as educational foundations to children as well as a means of teaching such things as seasonal habits of animals and why animals are the color they are. The legends also taught children to respect the elderly and that it is most beneficial to listen and gain knowledge from them. As well, at times, these legends kept the youngsters out of mischief, and gave the very old people who could no longer hunt or fish a very important function in the community.
Two favorite characters in the legends of the Dene are Crowhead and Spread-wings. Both were pranksters who had magical powers. They were related to all Dene and spent most of their time travelling from one settlement to another where they would always help the people with whom they were staying. Crowhead, the older of the two, knew it was impossible for anyone to kill him as long as he wore his crow-skin cape which was his medicine. It warned him of the approach of enemies and gave him the power to defeat them. Spread-wings, on the other hand, could be killed, but he had three lives. Legends about Crowhead and Spread-wings very often taught a moral."--Introduction.
Description
81 pages : illustrations.
Number of Copies
4
