the little orphan boy (Nezhik-e-wa-wa-sun legend)

Role: orphan · First appears: Nezhik-e-wa-wa-sun; or, the Lone Lightning

In “Nezhik-e-wa-wa-sun; or, the Lone Lightning,” the little orphan boy lived with the uncle (Nezhik-e-wa-wa-sun legend), who treated him harshly, gave him little to eat, and made him thin and weak. At last, his uncle tried to fatten him, secretly intending to kill him by overfeeding. the uncle's wife (Nezhik-e-wa-wa-sun legend) helped force fat down his throat, nearly choking him; one day, the boy escaped from the lodge and fled.

At the upper sky, the person from the upper sky (Nezhik-e-wa-wa-sun legend) gave him twelve arrows and sent him to fight the manitoes in the northern sky. At length, he shot his last arrow at the chief of the manitoes (Nezhik-e-wa-wa-sun legend), who changed himself into a rock and transformed the boy into the Nezhik-e-wa-wa-sun, or Lone Lightning, seen in the northern sky.

Relationship record

Life events

• The uncle resolved to fatten the boy, intending to kill him by overfeeding.(Nezhik-e-wa-wa-sun; or, the Lone Lightning)
  • With: the uncle (Nezhik-e-wa-wa-sun legend)
  • “At last the uncle felt ashamed of this treatment, and determined to make amends for it, by fattening him up, but his real object was, to kill him by over-feeding.”
• The uncle's wife and the uncle nearly choked the boy by forcing fat down his throat.(Nezhik-e-wa-wa-sun; or, the Lone Lightning)
  • With: the uncle's wife (Nezhik-e-wa-wa-sun legend)
  • “They were both very assiduous in cramming him, and one day came near choking him to death, by forcing the fat down his throat.”
• The boy escaped from the lodge and fled.(Nezhik-e-wa-wa-sun; or, the Lone Lightning)
  • “The boy escaped and fled from the lodge.”
• The person from the upper sky gave the boy twelve arrows and sent him to fight the manitoes.(Nezhik-e-wa-wa-sun; or, the Lone Lightning · 📍 the upper sky)
  • With: the person from the upper sky (Nezhik-e-wa-wa-sun legend)
  • “Here twelve arrows were put into his hands, and he was told that there were a great many manitoes in the northern sky, against whom he must go to war, and try to waylay and shoot them.”
• The boy shot his last arrow at the chief of the manitoes, who changed himself into a rock.(Nezhik-e-wa-wa-sun; or, the Lone Lightning · 📍 the northern sky)
  • With: the chief of the manitoes (Nezhik-e-wa-wa-sun legend)
  • “At length, the boy drew up his last arrow, settled in his aim, and let fly, as he thought, into the very heart of the chief of the manitoes; but before the arrow reached him, the manito changed himself into a rock.”
• The chief of the manitoes transformed the boy into the Lone Lightning.(Nezhik-e-wa-wa-sun; or, the Lone Lightning · 📍 the northern sky)
  • With: the chief of the manitoes (Nezhik-e-wa-wa-sun legend)
  • “and so saying, he transformed the boy into the Nezhik-e-wä wä sun, or Lone Lightning, which may be observed in the northern sky, to this day.”

Nezhik-e-wa-wa-sun; or, the Lone Lightning

• elder kin: the uncle (Nezhik-e-wa-wa-sun legend) “A little orphan boy who had no one to care for him, was once living with his uncle, who treated him very badly, making him do hard things and giving him very little to eat; so that the boy pined away, he never grew much, and became, through hard usage, very thin and light.”
• enemies with the uncle (Nezhik-e-wa-wa-sun legend) “At last the uncle felt ashamed of this treatment, and determined to make amends for it, by fattening him up, but his real object was, to kill him by over-feeding.”
• enemies with the uncle's wife (Nezhik-e-wa-wa-sun legend) “They were both very assiduous in cramming him, and one day came near choking him to death, by forcing the fat down his throat.”
• benefactor: the person from the upper sky (Nezhik-e-wa-wa-sun legend) “Here twelve arrows were put into his hands, and he was told that there were a great many manitoes in the northern sky, against whom he must go to war, and try to waylay and shoot them.”
• enemies with the chief of the manitoes (Nezhik-e-wa-wa-sun legend) “‘Now your gifts are all expended,’ cried the enraged manito, ‘and I will make an example of your audacity and pride of heart, for lifting your bow against me’--and so saying, he transformed the boy into the Nezhik-e-wä wä sun, or Lone Lightning, which may be observed in the northern sky, to this day.”

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Extracted from the original text of The Myth of Hiawatha, and Other Oral Legends. Made with Rho MD.