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The Fleetfooted Man: Whose story is this?
The Fleetfooted Man
narrated by James StCyr
from a story related by a Frenchman
Hotcāk-English Interlinear Text
(18) There a Hotcāk village was. To a great warrior was born a baby boy. It was very good. He grew larger, and when he was old enough to eat, whenever his father could, he would feed him deer lungs alone. He wanted him to be able to run fast, that is why he did it. (19) When he got older his father used to make him fast all the time. They used to make him fast for four days and four nights. That boy would do it. Thus they would make him fast. The span of four slumbers, this far he used to run in a single day. And so if an enemy were somewhere two days off, during that day he would know that they were coming, and when he came back and told, (20) they would get ready and watch, and then they would kill them.
That boy had a friend of the same age. The two leading warriors used to say, "Friend," to him, and whenever the host performed, he called on Fleet Man to eat the head. But even then he used to have the two warriors eat it. Always they called on him to eat the head. As a result, those warriors did not like him. Then one day, one of those warriors said, "Friend, let's kill Fleet Man. (21) It would be a good thing. If we don't do it, they will account us as nothing," he said. The other one said, "My friend, what you have said is not a good thing, for we depend on Fleet Man. When they call upon him for the head, we are the ones who eat it, and if an enemy comes, they know where they are coming from. We are doing some nice killing." Nevertheless, he kept at him, coaxing him, until finally he agreed. Then they planned how they would kill him. (22) They asked him to go hunting. After agreeing, Fleet Man said, "Father, I'm dead whenever darkness overtakes me. This they will do," he said.
He went hunting. As they went along, those warriors cut a hole in the ice at the center of the lake, then they laid down to dream. And they asked him to do the same. He didn't do it at first. Finally, they got him to lay down to dream. Then they dunked him under the ice, but he only laughed as he came up. (23) One, who had a tomahawk, hit him with it, and that one turned into a very white otter who began to swim away. For the greater part of the day, they chased him over the ice. At the spot where he had made the hole, he thought he would strike him with the tomahawk. Just about sundown, the brilliant white, old man otter with a "Gwak! gwak!" made for the bank. There he went and died. He laid there just as he used to be. They knew when he was dead.
The warriors went home and when they had arrived there, the fleet man's father asked about his son. (24) "Then sometime early in the day he left us. He must have gone by another road," they said. That night it snowed around the village which means death for anyone in it, so they had to move fast if they were to hunt for him. Again as they hunted they could not get a track on him. The heart of Fleet Man's only friend became sore, so the friend tried to quickly acquire strength. He tried to dream.
(25) When springtime was approaching, they sent out a message. "It will be time to move," they said. He went in advance, and there near the lake a log lay. The friend laid down there calling out. He called out, "the movers are coming past." That day, as it approached evening, when everyone had gone by, the [two] warrior friends came by talking. When they had come opposite him, they arrived. (26) That one came, a little bird (a water fowl) on the top of a tree. "Gwak gwak!" he said. Those warriors laughed. One friend said, "During the winter you stomped Fleet Man under the ice at the center of the lake. He became a white otter and you chased him throughout the day," he said. "As evening fell, he said, 'Gwak gwak!' He came towards the bank that way," he said, they say. He laughed. The boy heard them so he laid in hiding. So there he began to lay down. (27) Then late at night he arose and started back to the camping grounds.
He went to where his (the friend's) mother was. He said, "Mother, put the little kettle on to boil, we're going to eat. He said to his (friend's) father, "That old man is going elsewhere." He (the old man) was in mourning (with a blackened face). That boy said, "Father, we are going home. That is why I came. Just for nothing, I want you to eat," he said. That he said. That old man went home. (28) When they arrived they dished up for them and he said, "Father, today as I was lying down near the road under a log, there was a little bird. When those warriors got there, he said through that little bird, 'Gwak gwak'!" He said, "A warrior said, 'Friend, this winter Fleet Man was killed when you stomped him under the ice. He used a white otter. Near evening he said, Gwak gwak! (29) That little bird is like him,' he said. They laughed loudly. One of the warriors said that and so I wanted you to hear that. I want you to eat," he said, and the old man was quiet for awhile. He said, "My very dear son, it is good," he said. And he said, "Let's go home."
When they arrived home they washed their mourning paint off and repainted their faces anew. That next morning again they were all painted up. (30) The people said, "The old man must have quit his mourning," they said, and he (the boy) said to them, "Today you will go ahead of the old man. I'll go and make ready the camping grounds," he said. In the evening that one threw away ten and two into the fire and he was sitting in it. And very good he made it for them. And when they all arrived, after awhile that old man said, (31) "Well, this night I am going to tell you something about what I used to do," he said. He had on a complete warrior's outfit. He was saying, "My son, when he disappeared, long was I in mourning," he said. And that warrior in front after awhile had an arrow ready in the bow, and standing there holding tobacco he said, "Well, in the early days I went on the warpath, thus I used to do," he said. (32) He pulled back the bow and shot one of the warriors there in the heart, and, "Two times I did war. Thus I did," he said. So he pulled back the arrow he placed in it. The other warrior he shot there in the heart and said, "Well, you're not the only ones who know how to kill. You've killed my son. You made my heart ache, and so I did the same to you," he said. (33) And then he picked up his club and smashed both of their heads. Thus he did this. The people approved. They had gained much from Fleet Man, but those two had done what was told. [1]
Hotcāk-English Interlinear Text
Commentary. At some point during a feast, the host will call on the foremost warrior to receive the best serving of meat, which is considered to be the head. Thus, when the hosts would constantly call upon Fleet Man to take the head, those warriors who accounted themselves superior would naturally feel jealous. Fleet Man attempts to mitigate this by insisting that the two foremost warriors eat the head instead, but not even this self-effacing gesture is enough to stem their resentment.
We are invited by the story to think of the bird that appears on the tree as another epiphany of Fleet Man, despite the fact that he had been killed when he was in the form of a white otter. Radin translates wanīgenīge as "waterfowl," although it means "little bird." Perhaps this is a direct communication from StCyr, although the kind of bird is never identified in the story itself. The identification may be based upon the fact that its alloform is an otter; or even the similarity of its gwak gwak call to that of a duck. Clearly Fleet Man was a spirit being born among mortals, as he was in the habit of changing into a white otter. In this form he was stomped to death while under the ice near the bank of the lake. However, to remove a spirit (waxop'ini) from the mortal world completely, it is necessary to burn the dead body and powder the bones. Since this was not done, Fleet Man was able to assume the form of a bird. In this form he is able to induce the guilty warriors to talk about their deed in front of his friend, and initiate the course of vengeance.
Comparative Material: The practice of giving the foremost warrior the "Champion's Portion" is well known in Celtic literature. There, too, fighting can break out over the competition for this honor.
narrated by James StCyr
from a story related by a Frenchman
Hotcāk-English Interlinear Text
(18) There a Hotcāk village was. To a great warrior was born a baby boy. It was very good. He grew larger, and when he was old enough to eat, whenever his father could, he would feed him deer lungs alone. He wanted him to be able to run fast, that is why he did it. (19) When he got older his father used to make him fast all the time. They used to make him fast for four days and four nights. That boy would do it. Thus they would make him fast. The span of four slumbers, this far he used to run in a single day. And so if an enemy were somewhere two days off, during that day he would know that they were coming, and when he came back and told, (20) they would get ready and watch, and then they would kill them.
That boy had a friend of the same age. The two leading warriors used to say, "Friend," to him, and whenever the host performed, he called on Fleet Man to eat the head. But even then he used to have the two warriors eat it. Always they called on him to eat the head. As a result, those warriors did not like him. Then one day, one of those warriors said, "Friend, let's kill Fleet Man. (21) It would be a good thing. If we don't do it, they will account us as nothing," he said. The other one said, "My friend, what you have said is not a good thing, for we depend on Fleet Man. When they call upon him for the head, we are the ones who eat it, and if an enemy comes, they know where they are coming from. We are doing some nice killing." Nevertheless, he kept at him, coaxing him, until finally he agreed. Then they planned how they would kill him. (22) They asked him to go hunting. After agreeing, Fleet Man said, "Father, I'm dead whenever darkness overtakes me. This they will do," he said.
He went hunting. As they went along, those warriors cut a hole in the ice at the center of the lake, then they laid down to dream. And they asked him to do the same. He didn't do it at first. Finally, they got him to lay down to dream. Then they dunked him under the ice, but he only laughed as he came up. (23) One, who had a tomahawk, hit him with it, and that one turned into a very white otter who began to swim away. For the greater part of the day, they chased him over the ice. At the spot where he had made the hole, he thought he would strike him with the tomahawk. Just about sundown, the brilliant white, old man otter with a "Gwak! gwak!" made for the bank. There he went and died. He laid there just as he used to be. They knew when he was dead.
The warriors went home and when they had arrived there, the fleet man's father asked about his son. (24) "Then sometime early in the day he left us. He must have gone by another road," they said. That night it snowed around the village which means death for anyone in it, so they had to move fast if they were to hunt for him. Again as they hunted they could not get a track on him. The heart of Fleet Man's only friend became sore, so the friend tried to quickly acquire strength. He tried to dream.
(25) When springtime was approaching, they sent out a message. "It will be time to move," they said. He went in advance, and there near the lake a log lay. The friend laid down there calling out. He called out, "the movers are coming past." That day, as it approached evening, when everyone had gone by, the [two] warrior friends came by talking. When they had come opposite him, they arrived. (26) That one came, a little bird (a water fowl) on the top of a tree. "Gwak gwak!" he said. Those warriors laughed. One friend said, "During the winter you stomped Fleet Man under the ice at the center of the lake. He became a white otter and you chased him throughout the day," he said. "As evening fell, he said, 'Gwak gwak!' He came towards the bank that way," he said, they say. He laughed. The boy heard them so he laid in hiding. So there he began to lay down. (27) Then late at night he arose and started back to the camping grounds.
He went to where his (the friend's) mother was. He said, "Mother, put the little kettle on to boil, we're going to eat. He said to his (friend's) father, "That old man is going elsewhere." He (the old man) was in mourning (with a blackened face). That boy said, "Father, we are going home. That is why I came. Just for nothing, I want you to eat," he said. That he said. That old man went home. (28) When they arrived they dished up for them and he said, "Father, today as I was lying down near the road under a log, there was a little bird. When those warriors got there, he said through that little bird, 'Gwak gwak'!" He said, "A warrior said, 'Friend, this winter Fleet Man was killed when you stomped him under the ice. He used a white otter. Near evening he said, Gwak gwak! (29) That little bird is like him,' he said. They laughed loudly. One of the warriors said that and so I wanted you to hear that. I want you to eat," he said, and the old man was quiet for awhile. He said, "My very dear son, it is good," he said. And he said, "Let's go home."
When they arrived home they washed their mourning paint off and repainted their faces anew. That next morning again they were all painted up. (30) The people said, "The old man must have quit his mourning," they said, and he (the boy) said to them, "Today you will go ahead of the old man. I'll go and make ready the camping grounds," he said. In the evening that one threw away ten and two into the fire and he was sitting in it. And very good he made it for them. And when they all arrived, after awhile that old man said, (31) "Well, this night I am going to tell you something about what I used to do," he said. He had on a complete warrior's outfit. He was saying, "My son, when he disappeared, long was I in mourning," he said. And that warrior in front after awhile had an arrow ready in the bow, and standing there holding tobacco he said, "Well, in the early days I went on the warpath, thus I used to do," he said. (32) He pulled back the bow and shot one of the warriors there in the heart, and, "Two times I did war. Thus I did," he said. So he pulled back the arrow he placed in it. The other warrior he shot there in the heart and said, "Well, you're not the only ones who know how to kill. You've killed my son. You made my heart ache, and so I did the same to you," he said. (33) And then he picked up his club and smashed both of their heads. Thus he did this. The people approved. They had gained much from Fleet Man, but those two had done what was told. [1]
Hotcāk-English Interlinear Text
Commentary. At some point during a feast, the host will call on the foremost warrior to receive the best serving of meat, which is considered to be the head. Thus, when the hosts would constantly call upon Fleet Man to take the head, those warriors who accounted themselves superior would naturally feel jealous. Fleet Man attempts to mitigate this by insisting that the two foremost warriors eat the head instead, but not even this self-effacing gesture is enough to stem their resentment.
We are invited by the story to think of the bird that appears on the tree as another epiphany of Fleet Man, despite the fact that he had been killed when he was in the form of a white otter. Radin translates wanīgenīge as "waterfowl," although it means "little bird." Perhaps this is a direct communication from StCyr, although the kind of bird is never identified in the story itself. The identification may be based upon the fact that its alloform is an otter; or even the similarity of its gwak gwak call to that of a duck. Clearly Fleet Man was a spirit being born among mortals, as he was in the habit of changing into a white otter. In this form he was stomped to death while under the ice near the bank of the lake. However, to remove a spirit (waxop'ini) from the mortal world completely, it is necessary to burn the dead body and powder the bones. Since this was not done, Fleet Man was able to assume the form of a bird. In this form he is able to induce the guilty warriors to talk about their deed in front of his friend, and initiate the course of vengeance.
Comparative Material: The practice of giving the foremost warrior the "Champion's Portion" is well known in Celtic literature. There, too, fighting can break out over the competition for this honor.