Mishipeshu by Firenze
Great cats are usually not thought of as especially good
swimmers, much less water dwellers. But one of the major players in the
creature lore of North America's Ojibwe and Cree people is Mishipeshu, the
great water lynx or water panther. Its name has been spelled in myriad ways due
to its wide territory, and descriptions can vary, but these tribes believed it
to be the special guardian of the ancient copper mines of Michigan's Upper
Peninsula. Its home was Michipicoten Island, and taking any of the pure chunks
of copper ore from that island was considered strictly taboo. One oft-repeated
story is of four Ojibwe who tried to steal copper from Mishipeshu, only to be
followed home by the screaming water panther. The trip was fatal for all four
thieves.
The curse of Mishipeshu continued as Europeans discovered the fortune in copper nuggets on the Upper Peninsula in the mid-1800s. Ships carrying copper would capsize in sudden storms, such as the one that sank the Algoma in 1885 with 45 people aboard. The storms, the Ojibwe believed, were stirred purposely by Mishipeshu. Ten ships were sunk in the area of Isle Royale alone.
Mishipeshu is not alone in his quest to guard the sacred copper. Mishi Ginabig, a serpent-like creature that bore antler-like horns and measured the same length as the tallest pine trees, was reportedly spotted in the Great Lakes area in the early 1800s. Both Mishipeshu and Mishi Ginabig are enemies of the great Thunderbird, a spirit-being in the shape of a giant bird, which battles them to restore balance between powers of the water and of the air.
The curse of Mishipeshu continued as Europeans discovered the fortune in copper nuggets on the Upper Peninsula in the mid-1800s. Ships carrying copper would capsize in sudden storms, such as the one that sank the Algoma in 1885 with 45 people aboard. The storms, the Ojibwe believed, were stirred purposely by Mishipeshu. Ten ships were sunk in the area of Isle Royale alone.
Mishipeshu is not alone in his quest to guard the sacred copper. Mishi Ginabig, a serpent-like creature that bore antler-like horns and measured the same length as the tallest pine trees, was reportedly spotted in the Great Lakes area in the early 1800s. Both Mishipeshu and Mishi Ginabig are enemies of the great Thunderbird, a spirit-being in the shape of a giant bird, which battles them to restore balance between powers of the water and of the air.
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