Wenonah

Role: daughter of Nokomis · First appears: III · Hiawatha’s Childhood

In III · Hiawatha’s Childhood, Nokomis bore Wenonah at the Muskoday and named her. At evening on the prairie, Mudjekeewis wooed her; she bore Hiawatha “in sorrow” and died in anguish, deserted.

In IV · Hiawatha and Mudjekeewis, Nokomis’s account of Wenonah’s death was recounted. Hiawatha charged Mudjekeewis with killing her, and Mudjekeewis bowed his head and assented with a silent nod.

Relationship record

Life events

• Nokomis bore a daughter and named her Wenonah.(III · Hiawatha’s Childhood · 📍 the Muskoday, the meadow)
  • With: Nokomis
  • “Fair Nokomis bore a daughter. And she called her name Wenonah,”
• Mudjekeewis wooed Wenonah, and she bore his son, Hiawatha.(III · Hiawatha’s Childhood · 📍 the prairie)
  • With: Nokomis Mudjekeewis
  • “And the West-Wind came at evening, Walking lightly o’er the prairie, Whispering to the leaves and blossoms, Bending low the flowers and grasses, Found the beautiful Wenonah, Lying there among the lilies, Wooed her with his words of sweetness, Wooed her with his soft caresses, Till she bore a son in sorrow, Bore a son of love and sorrow.”
• Wenonah died in anguish after giving birth to Hiawatha.(III · Hiawatha’s Childhood)
  • With: Hiawatha
  • “But the daughter of Nokomis, Hiawatha’s gentle mother, In her anguish died deserted”
• Wenonah’s death is recounted.(IV · Hiawatha and Mudjekeewis · Part 1)
  • “Of her death, as old Nokomis Had remembered and related.”
• Hiawatha charged Mudjekeewis with killing Wenonah, and Mudjekeewis bowed his head and assented with a silent nod.(IV · Hiawatha and Mudjekeewis · Part 2)
  • With: Mudjekeewis Hiawatha
  • “It was you who killed Wenonah, Took her young life and her beauty, Broke the Lily of the Prairie, Trampled it beneath your footsteps; You confess it! you confess it!” And the mighty Mudjekeewis Tossed upon the wind his tresses, Bowed his hoary head in anguish, With a silent nod assented.”

III · Hiawatha’s Childhood

• parent: Nokomis “Fair Nokomis bore a daughter. And she called her name Wenonah, As the first-born of her daughters.”
• child: Hiawatha “Till she bore a son in sorrow, Bore a son of love and sorrow.”
• admirer: Mudjekeewis “Found the beautiful Wenonah, Lying there among the lilies, Wooed her with his words of sweetness, Wooed her with his soft caresses,”

IV · Hiawatha and Mudjekeewis · Part 1

• child: Hiawatha “Then of Hiawatha’s mother, Of the beautiful Wenonah,”

⭐ Constellation map → · 📖 Read the original → · 🗂 Character index → · 🕰 Chronicle → · 📍 Places →

Extracted from the original text of The Song of Hiawatha. Made with Rho MD.