Bosh-kwa-dosh

Role: tiny little animal · First appears: Bosh-kwa-dosh; or, the Mastodon · Part 1

In Bosh-kwa-dosh; or, the Mastodon · Part 1, Bosh-kwa-dosh told Anish-in-á-ba to bind him to his body, promising that he would find friends and be happy. In Bosh-kwa-dosh; or, the Mastodon · Part 2, Anish-in-á-ba’s wife released the tiny, hairless creature from the belt, and he grew into a dog and ran off.

When Anish-in-á-ba was defeated and scattered in pieces, Bosh-kwa-dosh gathered his bones and restored him to life. He recovered a missing heel bone from the elder sister (Bosh-kwa-dosh legend), tearing away her cheek as he seized it, while the younger sister (Bosh-kwa-dosh legend) was present. He then revealed himself to Anish-in-á-ba as the mastodon, saying, “my skill has restored you.” Bosh-kwa-dosh said the Great Spirit had created him to show his power, and gave Anish-in-á-ba all the animals as food.

Relationship record

Life events

• Anish-in-á-ba's wife released Bosh-kwa-dosh from the belt, and he grew into a dog and ran off.(Bosh-kwa-dosh; or, the Mastodon · Part 2)
  • With: one of the king's daughters (Bosh-kwa-dosh legend)
  • “when she had carefully ripped the seams, she beheld, to her surprise, a minute, naked little beast, smaller than the smallest new-born mouse, without any vestige of hair, except at the tip of its tail; it could crawl a few inches, but reposed from fatigue. It then went forward again.”
• Bosh-kwa-dosh recovered the missing heel bone from the elder sister, tearing away her cheek as he seized it.(Bosh-kwa-dosh; or, the Mastodon · Part 2)
  • With: the younger sister (Bosh-kwa-dosh legend) the elder sister (Bosh-kwa-dosh legend)
  • “At last she held it in such a manner that it made her cheek stick out, when the dog, by a quick spring, seized the cheek, and tore cheek and bone away and fled.”
• Bosh-kwa-dosh gathered Anish-in-á-ba's bones and restored him to life.(Bosh-kwa-dosh; or, the Mastodon · Part 2 · 📍 the village)
  • With: Anish-in-á-ba
  • “at which the breath entered into his body, and he first breathed and then arose.”
• Bosh-kwa-dosh revealed himself as the mastodon and told Anish-in-á-ba that his skill had restored him.(Bosh-kwa-dosh; or, the Mastodon · Part 2)
  • With: Anish-in-á-ba
  • “You were defeated, and your frozen body cut into a thousand pieces, and scattered over the village; but my skill has restored you. Now I will declare myself to you, and show who and what I am!”
• Bosh-kwa-dosh said the Great Spirit created him to show his power, and gave Anish-in-á-ba all the animals as food.(Bosh-kwa-dosh; or, the Mastodon · Part 2)
  • With: Anish-in-á-ba the Great Spirit
  • “The Great Spirit created me to show his power when there were nothing but animals on the earth. But were all animals as large as myself, there would not be grass enough for food. But the earth was made for man, and not for beasts. I give some of those great gifts which I possess. All the animals shall be your food, and you are no longer to flee before them, and be their sport and food.”

Bosh-kwa-dosh; or, the Mastodon · Part 1

• recipient: Anish-in-á-ba “Listen to me, and you shall find friends and be happy. You must take me up and bind me to your body, and never put me aside, and success in life shall attend you.”

Bosh-kwa-dosh; or, the Mastodon · Part 2

• recipient: Anish-in-á-ba (Bosh-kwa-dosh restores Mudjékewis.) “You were defeated, and your frozen body cut into a thousand pieces, and scattered over the village; but my skill has restored you.”
• enemies with the elder sister (Bosh-kwa-dosh legend) (The elder sister repels the dog, and the dog attacks her.) “At last she held it in such a manner that it made her cheek stick out, when the dog, by a quick spring, seized the cheek, and tore cheek and bone away and fled.”
• with the Great Spirit (Schoolcraft reports that the Great Spirit created Bosh-kwa-dosh.) “The Great Spirit created me to show his power when there were nothing but animals on the earth.”
• friends with Anish-in-á-ba “The mysterious dog ran to the lodges, about the village, looking for the bones of his friend, which he carried to a secret place, and as fast as he found them arranged all in their natural order.”

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