Native Languages of the Americas: Wiyot Indian Legends
This is our collection of links to Wiyot 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 Wiyots, the traditional stories of
related tribes like the Yurok and
Hupa tribes are very similar.
Enjoy the stories! If you would like to recommend a Wiyot legend for this page or think one of the ones on here
should be removed, please contact us and let us know.
˜Gudatrigakwitl (also spelled
Guadatrigakwitl, Gudatrigawitl, or Gurugudatrigakwitl.)
This means "The Ancient One Above" in the Wiyot language, and is the Wiyot name for the Creator (God.) Gudatrigakwitl
is a divine spirit with no human form or attributes and is never personified in Wiyot folklore.
˜Gatswokwire (also known as
Rakshuatlaketl.) Gatswokwire is the benevolent culture hero of the Wiyot tribe (sometimes referred to as a "transformer" by folklorists.)
He shares some similarities with other Algonquian heroes such as the Wabanaki
Gluskap, Anishinabe
Nanaboozhoo, and Cree
Whiskeyjack,
and some of the same stories are told in eastern Algonquian tribes with only the identity of the protagonist differing.
Native peoples
Gudatrigakwitl and the Creation:
Contacts and FAQ page
