American Indian culture
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American Indian culture
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This is our collection of links to Fox Indian folktales and traditional stories that can be read online. We have indexed our Native American folklore section by tribe to make them easier to locate; however, variants on the same legend are often told by American Indians from different tribes, especially if those tribes are kinfolk or neighbors to each other. In particular, though these legends come from the Fox tribe, the traditional stories of related tribes like the Sauk and Menominee are very similar.
Wisakeha
(also spelled Wisaka and other ways.)
Wisakeha is the benevolent culture hero of Sac and Fox legends (sometimes referred to as a "transformer" by folklorists.)
His name is pronounced similar to wee-zah-keh-hah. Wisakeha is the same character as the Cree
Whiskey Jack and shares
some similarities with other Algonquian heroes such as the Wabanaki
Koluskap and Anishinabe
Manabush; many of the same stories
are told in different Algonquian tribes with only the identity of the protagonist differing.
Kechi Manito
(also spelled Kechi Manetowa and several other ways.)
This means "Great Spirit" in the Mesquakie language, and is the Mesquakie name for the Creator (God.) Kechi Manito
is a divine spirit with no human form or attributes (including gender) and is never personified in Fox stories. The name is pronounced
similar to keh-chee muh-nih-toh.
Thunder-Beings (Nenemehkiwa):
Powerful storm spirits that live in the sky and cause thunder and lightning. Although they are associated with birds, particularly in
artwork, Thunder Beings are usually described as having human form in Fox myths.
Maneto (also known as Mecikenäpikwa):
A fearsome horned serpent that lurks in lakes and rivers and eats people. The only thing they fear is thunder, for the Thunder Beings are
their sworn enemies and have the ability to strike them dead with thunderbolts.
Paisa (or Paia'shiwuk):
Magical little people of the forest, similar to European gnomes or fairies. These names, which literally mean "Little People"
or "Little Ones," sometimes also include the boy heroes Lodge Boy and Thrown Away (see below), who are "little" by virtue
of being magical children. They are sometimes referred to as the "Little Creatures of Caprice."
In most Fox stories, Little People are portrayed as mischievous but generally benign nature spirits, who may play
tricks on people but are not dangerous.
Lodge-Boy
and Thrown-Away.
These mythical twins, born when their pregnant mother was killed by a monster, are common to the folklore of many Midwestern and Plains tribes.
They are generally portrayed as heroic monster-slayers in Fox legends.
Underground Panther (Naamipeshiwa or Peshipeshiwa):
A powerful mythological creature something like a cross between
a cougar and a dragon. It is a dangerous monster who lives in deep water and causes men and women to drown.
They That Chase After The Bear (A Star Story) 
Musquakie - Chasing the Bear:The Little Creatures of Caprice Ensnare the Sun:An Opossum Becomes Disliked Because of His Pretty Tail:Legends and Folklore of the Northern Lights:Fox Texts: Algonquian Spirit:
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