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Native American Legends: Bootup (Putup)
Name: Bootup
Tribal affiliation: Abenaki,
Penobscot,
Micmac,
Maliseet,
Passamaquoddy
Alternate spellings: Putup, Podab, Podoba, Putep
Pronunciation: Boo-dup
Type: Whale
Bootup the whale is a minor character of Wabanaki folklore associated with the culture
hero Glooskap, who often
rides on Bootup's back when traveling by sea (illustrating Glooskap's giant stature.)
In some stories Glooskap repays Bootup's service by giving the whale his pipe, which is the
origin of the spray that comes from the blowholes of whales. Bootup
is male in some legends, female in others, and has unspecified gender most of the time.
Sponsored Links
Bootup Stories
How Glooscap Found Summer: 
Glooscap and the Wizard:
Wabanaki Indian stories in which the culture hero tricks Bootup, then repays the whale with a pipe to smoke.
Recommended Books of Related Native American Legends
Our organization earns a commission from any book bought through these links
Giants of the Dawnland:
A good collection of Wabanaki Indian legends told by a Penobscot author.
Seven Eyes, Seven Legs:
More good Wabanaki myths and folktales told and illustrated by an Abenaki Indian author.
Native American Animal Stories:
Excellent collection of American Indian tales about animals, told by an Abenaki storyteller.
Additional Resources
Abenaki language
Micmac language
Wabanaki Confederacy
Abenaki tribe
Indian tribes of New Hampshire
Eastern Woodlands of America
Algonkian
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