Native Languages of the Americas: Yurok Indian Legends
This is our collection of links to Yurok 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 Yuroks, the traditional stories of
related tribes like the Wiyot and
Hupa tribes are very similar.
Enjoy the stories! If you would like to recommend a Yurok legend for this page or think one of the ones on here
should be removed, please contact us and let us know.
˜Wohpekumeu (also spelled Wah-pec-wah-mow, Wohpekuman,
or several other ways.) Wohpekumeu 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
Koluscap, Anishinabe
Nanabush, and Cree
Wisakechak,
and some of the same stories are told in eastern Algonquian tribes with only the identity of the protagonist differing.
˜Pulekukwerek. Pulekukwerek is a mythical
hero who protected the Yurok people by slaying monsters.
Indian nations
Myths and Legends of California and the Old Southwest:
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