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Native Languages of the Americas:
Lenape Delaware Indian Legends

This is our collection of Delaware (Lenape) folktales and traditional stories that can be read online. We have indexed our Native American legends 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 Lenape (Unami) Delawares, the traditional stories of related tribes like the Nanticoke and Munsee Delawares are very similar.

Enjoy the stories! If you would like to recommend a Lenape legend for this page or think one of the ones on here should be removed, please contact us and let us know.

Important Lenape Mythological Figures

˜The Walam Olum (also spelled Walum Olum, Wallum Olam, and several other ways.) This was the name given to a book of Lenape mythological pictographs supposedly discovered by the European eccentric C.S. Rafinesque. It turned out to be a hoax-- Rafinesque drew the pictures himself-- but he clearly did base the book on real Algonquian myths. Unfortunately, since Rafinesque was so intent on pretending he had discovered an original Lenape writing system, he didn't properly source any of the myths he recorded in the Walum Olum, at least some of which definitely came from tribes other than the Lenape; so even though some of this work must have come from real Lenape storytellers, it's impossible to be certain which parts those are, and the Walam Olum can't be treated as a reliable source for Lenape folklore.

˜Ketanėtuwit (also spelled Kittanitowet, Ketanitowet, Kitanitowit, and several other ways.) This means "Great Spirit" in the Lenape language, and is the Lenape name for the Creator (God,) who is sometimes also referred to as Kishelėmukonkw (Kishelemukonk, Kishelamakank, Gicelemu'kaong, etc.) or Kickerom. Unlike most other Algonquian folklore, Lenape stories often personified the Great Spirit as a human interacting with the Lenapes; other Lenape myths treated Ketanėtuwit as a divine spirit with no human form or attributes. Ketanėtuwit is pronounced similar to keh-tah-nuh-tuh-wit, and Kishelėmukonkw similar to keesh-shay-luh-mook-kawnk, with a slight whistle at the end.

˜Mahtantu (also spelled Matantu, Muttontoe, and other ways.) The manėtu (spirit) of death. A destructive, often evil being usually in opposition to Ketanėtuwit. After the introduction of Christianity, Lenape people frequently identified Mahtantu with the Devil. Pronounced muh-tun-toh.

˜Moskim or Tschimammus. Rabbit, the benevolent culture hero of the Wabanaki tribes (sometimes referred to as a "transformer" by folklorists.) Not many stories about Moskim are still told today, but he seems to have shared some similarities with other Algonquian heroes such as the Wabanaki Glooskap, Anishinabe Nanabozho, and Cree Wesakaychak. "Moskim" is pronounced moh-skeem and "Tschimammus" is pronounced chuh-mah-muss.

˜Nanapush (also spelled Nanabush, Manabush, Nanabozho, and other ways.) Nanapush was not a Lenape character at all but the culture hero of the Anishinabe tribes. This is one of several confusions introduced by Rafinesque's "Walam Olum" book. Lenape stories featuring Nanabush were probably originally about Moskim/Tschimammus, or else may actually be Chippewa stories mistaken for Lenape ones.

˜Crazy Jack (Wehixamukes, Kupahweese, etc.) Human trickster figures, notable for foolishness and laziness, but usually escaping serious peril through moments of intuitive wisdom and good luck.

˜Mesingw (also spelled Misingw, Msingw, Mesingwe, Misinkhalikan, Misinghalikun, and other ways.) This is the Lenape Mask Spirit, a powerful medicine spirit who appears to Lenape men in dreams and is the focus of certain traditional Lenape religious rituals. Some non-Lenape people have recently been claiming Mesingw has something to do with Bigfoot for some reason. This is a total fabrication as far as any of us know. Many Native American tribes do have bigfoot/sasquatch/hairy man legends but the Lenape Mask Spirit is not one of them. The name is pronounced in between muh-seeng and muh-seeng-wuh.

˜Mhuwe (also spelled Mhuiwe, Mehuwe, and other ways.) A man-eating giant, like the Windigo of the Ojibway and Cree tribes or the Chenoo of the Mi'kmaq and Maliseet.

Delaware Indian Folklore

*Lenape Stories:
    Online collection of Lenape Indian legends from the Delaware Tribe of Indians.
*Lenape Creation Web * The Lenapé Creation Story:
    Lenape myths about the creation of the world.
*Rainbow Crow, a Lenape Legend * Rainbow Crow: * Mąnąka'has:
    Lenape myths about the origin of fire.
*The Pretty Maiden * The Good Looking Woman:
    Lenape legends about a girl punished for her rudeness.
*The Greedy Maiden:
    Lenape legend about a girl punished for her greed.
*The Great Flood:
    Lenape legend about the flooding of the earth.
*How The Pipe Came to the Lenapé:
    Legend about the origin of the sacred pipe.
*The Stubborn Girl:
    Why never to bother a dog.
*Corn Mother:
    Legend about how the Lenapes lost and regained corn.
*The Giant Squirrel * When Squirrels Were Huge:
    Lenape legends about how squirrels became small.
*The Boy Who Had Dog Power:
    Lenape legend about a magical dog.
*The Girl Who Joined The Thunders:
    Legend about how the Thunders rescued a Lenape girl from the land of snakes.
*How the Turkey Buzzard Became As He Is:
    Lenape legend about the time Buzzard saved the world.
*How the Spider Came To Be:
    Lenape legend about the origin of spiders.
*How the Butterfly Came To Be:
    Lenape legend about the origin of butterflies.
*The Battle with the Monster:
    How the animals got their brains.
*When the Animals Left Lenapé Land:
    Lenape myth about treating animals with the proper respect.
*Che-py-yah-poo-thwah:
    Lenape myth about a gambler learning his lesson.
*The Warrior and the Eagle:
    Lenape legend about an eagle-catcher punished for his pride.
*The Man They Cannot Hold:
    Lenape myths about the hero Wa-Sha-Xnend.
*The Grasshopper War:
    Lenape folktale about a war started for a frivolous reason.
*Wematekan'is:
    Lenape folktales about the Little People.
*Snow Boy:
    Lenape myth about a magical winter child.
*Grandfather Thunder:
    Lenape legends about the Thunderers.
*Axsģnamģnshi:
    Legend of how the Lenapes learned to tap maple trees.

Additional Resources

 Books of Native American legends
 Native American spirituality
 Lenape Mythology
 Delaware Indian medicine



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