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Native American Legends: Whun
Name: Whun
Tribal affiliation: Chehalis,
Cowlitz,
Salish
Alternate spellings: Xwun, Hwun, Honne, Xwa'ni
Pronunciation: like "one," except that the word begins with a raspy whistle as if you were trying to
blow out a candle.
Type: Trickster
Whun is a Salishan trickster character. Although he plays an important role in the Chehalis creation myth,
his pranks are more socially inappropriate than Bluejay's, and stories about him tend to feature a lot of adult humor.
Originally, there was a strong distinction between the
Transformer Moon and the
ribald trickster figure Whun.
In modern times this distinction has eroded. It is likely that the Transformer's name "Qone" is actually a corruption
of the name Whun, 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 Whun are rarely heard anymore except
in a few anthropology texts, and many Native storytellers today refer to the two magical heroes interchangeably.
Whun Stories
Honne Names The Salmon:
Excerpt from the Chehalis creation myth, in which Honne transforms fish.
Recommended Books of Related Native American Legends
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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 Salishan tribes.
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Additional Resources
Chehalis spirits
Coast Salish
Halskomelem
Washington Indians
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