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Native American Legends: Hiintcabiit
Name: Hiintcabiit
Tribal affiliation: Arapahoe
Alternate spellings: Hiincebiit, Hiintcabit
Pronunciation: heent-sabb-eet (the second syllable rhymes with "crab.")
Also known as: Owner-of-Waters, Great Serpent
Type: Lake monster,
giant serpent
Related figures in other tribes: Mishi Ginebig (Anishinabe),
Kitchi-at'Husis (Maliseet),
Tcipitckaam (Micmac),
Mehne (Cheyenne)
Hiintcabiit is a great horned water serpent of Arapaho legend. Although they are powerful and dangerous, in Arapaho legends,
horned serpents often do not harm people who pay them the proper respect, and sometimes even
reward people who give them offerings with good luck in hunting or war. The name "Hiintcabiit" literally means
"water master" or "owner of waters" in Arapaho.
Hiintcabiit Stories
Hiincabiit:
Profile of the Arapaho horned serpent.
Recommended Books of Related Native American Legends
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Traditions of the Arapaho:
Collection of Arapaho legends, stories, and oral history.
Algonquian Spirit:
Anthology of stories, songs, and oral history from the Arapaho and other Algonquian tribes.
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