the boy (Chapter 042)

Role: step-son · First appears: The Man And His Step-Son

The boy’s step-father hated him and, one day, trapped him in a porcupine hole, making him a prisoner. He was later given into the keeping of the old bear, who kept him for several years.

A hunter caught the boy and, instead of killing him, took him to his wigwam, tamed him, and taught him to speak and grow up like a man. After some years, the boy married the hunter's daughter, though the mother-in-law was always angry because he never brought home tender bear-meat. At last, he went hunting and killed a bear; on his way home, he fell on a sharp stick and was instantly killed.

Relationship record

Life events

• The step-father traps the boy in a porcupine hole, making him a prisoner.(The Man And His Step-Son)
  • With: the step-father
  • “The boy obeyed, and as soon as his heels were in, the step-father closed up the hole and made him a prisoner.”
• The boy is given into the bear’s keeping, where he remains for several years.(The Man And His Step-Son)
  • With: the old bear (Chapter 042)
  • “All the animals promised to assist in getting the nuts, and the boy was given over to the keeping of the bear. He kept him for several years.”
• The hunter takes the boy to his wigwam, tames him, and teaches him to speak and live like a man.(The Man And His Step-Son · 📍 his wigwam)
  • With: the hunter (Chapter 042)
  • “The hunter caught him, and was so astonished at his appearance that, instead of killing him, he took him to his wigwam, tamed him, and taught him to speak and to grow up like a man.”
• The boy marries the hunter’s daughter.(The Man And His Step-Son)
  • With: the hunter's daughter (Chapter 042)
  • “After some years he forgot he had lived like a bear. He married a daughter of the hunter, but his mother-in-law was always angry because he never brought home tender bear-meat.”
• The boy falls on a sharp stick and is instantly killed.(The Man And His Step-Son)
  • “So at last he went hunting and killed a bear, but on his return home he fell on a sharp stick and was instantly killed.”

The Man And His Step-Son

• enemies with the step-father “A certain man had a step-son whom he hated.”
• foster-parent: the old bear (Chapter 042) “So this was agreed to. All the animals promised to assist in getting the nuts, and the boy was given over to the keeping of the bear. He kept him for several years.”
• foster-parent: the hunter (Chapter 042) “The hunter caught him, and was so astonished at his appearance that, instead of killing him, he took him to his wigwam, tamed him, and taught him to speak and to grow up like a man.”
• married with the hunter's daughter (Chapter 042) “He married a daughter of the hunter,”
• with the mother-in-law (Chapter 042) (Mother-in-law relationship by marriage.) “but his mother-in-law was always angry because he never brought home tender bear-meat.”
• with the step-father (The man is the boy's step-father; he is also explicitly described as hating him.) “A certain man had a step-son whom he hated.”
• with the mother-in-law (Chapter 042) (His wife’s mother.) “He married a daughter of the hunter, but his mother-in-law was always angry because he never brought home tender bear-meat.”

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Extracted from the original text of Myths of the Iroquois. Made with Rho MD.