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Native American Legends: Winpe
Name: Winpe
Tribal affiliation: Mikmaq
Alternate spellings: Win-pe
Pronunciation: win-pay
Type: Giant
Winpe is a character in Mi'kmaq legends. He is a giant with magical powers who is an adversary of the culture hero
Glooskap, having captured the hero's grandmother
Nukumi and adopted brother
Marten. In some versions of the story,
Winpe is an evil, brutish villain who is killed by Glooskap, while in others, he is boisterous but honorable
and is defeated by Glooskap in a series of tests of magical power. In one version of the Winpe legend,
he was even the originator of the game of
lacrosse, which Glooskap took from him
and shared with the people.
Glooskap and Winpe:
Winpe story including the origin of lacrosse.
The Kidnapping of Glooskap's Family
A Wizard Carries Off Glooscap's Housekeeper:
Versions of the Winpe legend in which the giant is slain by Glooskap.
Recommended Books of Related Native American Legends
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On the Trail of Elder Brother:
Good book of traditional stories told by a Mi'kmaq author and illustrator.
Giants of the Dawnland:
Another good collection of Wabanaki legends, told by a Penobscot Indian author.
Algonquian Spirit:
Excellent anthology of stories, songs, and oral history from the Maliseet and other Algonquian tribes.
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Additional Resources
Mi'kmaq legends
Mikmaq writing
Wabanaki tribe facts
Language of Nova Scotia
Eastern Woodland tribes names
Algonquian names

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