The First Nations * Native American schools * What's new on our site today!

Pequot and Mohegan Legends and Stories

This is our collection of links to Mohegan and Pequot stories and folktales 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 Mohegans, the traditional stories of related tribes like the Wampanoag and Algonquin tribes are very similar.

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

Sponsored Links

Important Mohegan Mythological Figures

Click on each character's name for more detailed information about his or her role in Mohegan mythology.

Konchi Manto: This means "Great Spirit" in the Mohegan-Pequot language, and is the Mohegan name for the Creator (God.) In most contexts just Manto (the Spirit) is used. Konchi Manto is a divine spirit with no human form or attributes (including gender) and is never personified in Pequot or Mohegan folklore. The name is pronounced similar to kawn-chee mun-doh.

Maushop (also spelled Moshup and other ways.) Maushop is a giant who is the culture hero of the Mohegan, Pequot, and Wampanoag tribes (sometimes referred to as a "transformer" by folklorists.) His name is pronounced moh-shup or maw-shup. Moshup shares some similarities with other Algonquian heroes such as the Wabanaki Gluskabe and the Ojibwe Nanaboozhoo.

Squant (also spelled Squannit and other ways.) Moshup's wife. According to most Mohegan Indian legends, she is a Little Person (often the leader or medicine woman of the Little People) and has great magical powers.

Makiawisug (also spelled Makiaweesug and other ways.) These are the Little People of the Pequot and Mohegan tribes. They can be dangerous if they are disrespected but are generally benevolent nature spirits.

Hobomock (also spelled Hobbamock or other ways): The manito (spirit) of death. A destructive, often evil being usually in opposition to Cautantowwit. After the introduction of Christianity, Mohegan people frequently identified Hobbomock with the Devil. He was also sometimes known as Chepi, Chipi or Cheepie, meaning "ghost."

Chahnameed (also called Big Eater.) Chahnameed is a trickster character who lies, cheats, is greedy, and basically acts completely inappropriately by Mohegan-Pequot standards-- often in the most amusing possible way. Pequot and Mohegan stories about Chahnameed are usually humorous in nature.

Mohegan Indian Folklore

*Brothertown Oral Tradition:
    Several legends from the Brothertown Mohegans.
*Moshup the Giant * Moshup * Maushop and the Circle of Life:
    Wampanoag and Mohegan legends about the giant protector Moshup.
*The Little People or Makiaweesug * Makiawisug, the Little People:
    Mohegan Indian stories about the Little People.
*The Story of Chahnameed's Wife * Big Eater's Wife:
    Mohegan and Pequot legends about the marriage and death of Chahnameed.
*Chahnameed Squeezes the Stone * Chahnameed the Glutton Wins the Eating Match:
    Two Mohegan folktales about Chahnameed playing tricks on people.

Recommended Books on Mohegan Mythology
Our organization earns a commission from any book bought through these links

Spirit of the New England Tribes:
    Collection of Wampanoag, Narragansett, and Mohegan legends and traditional stories.
Makiawisug:
    Illustrated children's book telling a traditional story about the Little People of Mohegan folklore..
Turtle Island: Tales of the Algonquian Nations:
    Anthology of legends from the Pequot, Montauk and other Algonquian tribes.

Sponsored Links

Additional Resources

 Mohegan traditions and symbols
 Native books of folklore
 Native belief
 Mohegan Indian tribe
 Mohegan language
 Indian tribes of Connecticut
 Eastern Woodland Indians
 Algonquian tribe
 Interesting facts about Indian culture



Back to the Mohegan homepage
Back to the Pequot homepage
Learn more about the myths about animals.



American Indian art * American Indian words * Hoopa * Cheyenne Indians * American Indian tattoos

Would you like to help support our organization's work with endangered American Indian languages?


Native Languages of the Americas website © 1998-2020 * Contacts and FAQ page