American Indian languages
American Indian culture
Native Indian nations

Native American Legends: Qone
Name: Qone
Tribal affiliation: Chehalis,
Puyallup
Alternate spellings: Qoneqone, Xwoni
Pronunciation: similar to kwoh-neh
Also known as: Lokwal, Nukwimalh, Moon, Honne
Type: Transformer,
culture hero,
moon god
Related figures in other tribes: Suku (Alsea),
Cikla (Chinook)
Qone is a Transformer figure, a type of hero common to the mythology of many Northwest Coast tribes.
In Chehalis mythology, Qone brought
balance to the world by using his powers to change people, animals, and the landscape into the forms they have today.
After accomplishing this, he changed himself into the moon and his younger brother into the sun.
Originally, there was a strong distinction between the Transformer Moon and the ribald trickster figure
Xwun.
In modern times this distinction has eroded. It is likely that the name "Qone" is actually a corruption of
the name Xwun, and the intermediate form "Honne" is used by some modern storytellers to refer to the Moon
and by others to refer to the Trickster. The X-rated adventures of Xwun are rarely heard anymore except
in a few anthropology texts, and many Native storytellers today refer to the two magical heroes interchangeably.
Qone Stories
Honne Names The Salmon:
Excerpt from the Chehalis creation myth, in which Moon (here named Honne) transforms fish.
Recommended Books of Related Native American Legends
Our organization earns a commission from any book bought through these links
Honne, the Spirit of the Chehalis:
Origin myth of the Chehalis told by a Native storyteller.
Salish Myths and Legends:
Anthology of legends and traditional stories from the Chehalis and other Salish tribes.
Sponsored Links
Additional Resources
Chehalis stories
Chehalis tribe
Lushootseed language
Washington tribes
Native Northwest Coast
Northwest Native American art
Salishan language

Back to the names of Native American gods
Back to Native American legends
Back to our Native name website

Indian genealogy website
Sacred pipe
Jicarilla Apache
Casanare
Native American 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