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Native American Legends: Yakwawiak, the Big Rump Bear
Name: Yakwawiak
Tribal affiliation: Lenni Lenape,
Mohican,
Shawnee
Alternate spellings: Yakwawi'ak, Ya'kwahewak, Yakwawi, Ya'kwahe, Yakwahe
Pronunciation: varies by dialect. Usually yah-kwah-wee-ock.
Also known as: Big Rump Bear, Naked Bear, Amangachtiat, Amangachktiat, Amankaxkti'at Maxkwe, Ahamagachktiât Mecehquá, Ahamagachktiat Me-cehqua, Yagesho, Tagisho, Tagesho
Type: Monster,
stiff-legged bear
Related figures in other tribes: Nyah-gwaheh,
Katshituasku,
Maneater,
Hairless Bear
Yakwawiak were described as monstrous, man-eating creatures resembling enormous
stiff-legged hairless bears. (Yakwawiak is the plural form of their name;
Yakwawi and Ya'kwahe are singular forms referring to just one giant bear.) Although
"Yakwawiak" is the most common name for these monsters in the Lenape, Shawnee,
and other northeast Algonquian tribes, it is not an Algonquian word, and is probably
borrowed from the Iroquoian name Nia'gwahe (pronounced nyah-gwah-heh),
which means "Great Bear." Yagesho and Tagesho may be more corruptions of Iroquoian
names. The original Algonquian name for the monster was probably one of the variants
of Amangachktiat, which meant "big rumped" ("maxkwe" and "mecehqua" come from words
for "bear.") Some folklorists believe the Ya'kwahe may have been inspired by mammoths
or mastodon fossils. You can visit our
stiff-legged bear site
to read some opinions about that.
The Yakwawi is described as a mammoth or elephant by some modern Lenape storytellers,
though stories recorded in the past more often referred to it as a type of bear.
Yakwawiak Stories
The Mastodon:
Lenape Indian legend of an ancient war with the Yakwawiak (who this storyteller associates with mastodons.)
Recommended Books of Related Native American Legends
Our organization earns a commission from any book bought through these links
When the Chenoo Howls: Native American Tales of Terror:
Spooky collection of Native American ghost stories and monster tales, told by a Native storyteller.
Spirit of the New England Tribes:
Collection of Mohican and other Algonquian legends and traditional stories.
Algonquian Spirit:
Excellent anthology of stories, songs, and oral history from the Algonquian tribes.
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