List of Characters and Notes on Theory
List of Characters
First volume
Muxqueam -- the First Snowy Owl and story teller of the Kaw-Seth people who lived about four thousand years ago on what is now the Canadian west coast.
The Changer -- Supernatural being who formed the physical world and sometimes appears as a man.
Namquaw -- Chief of the Tsonox
Naidah -- Mother of Muxqueam
N'ha-itk -- Son of Namquaw
Sisul-eth – Pre-banishment Chief of the Kaw-Seth
Tillikum --Supernatural Tender of the Sacred Fire
Babakawquit – Demon Monster of the High Places
Setko – Powerful Demon of Destruction
Kashwik – Betrothed of Muxqueam
Chah-nulth – Tsonox shaman
Nishga – Female Tsonox shaman, daughter of Chah-nulth
Ruwa-itk -- a Tsonox warrior and wrestler
Kalooth Shooting Star -- Daughter of the Toxuit, betrothed of N’ha-itk
Kit-saph Storm Dodger -- Toxuit friend of N’ha’itk
Second volume
Hayoqwis Sea Champion, son of Clo-oose of the Kaw-Seth people about two thousand years ago
Se'akwal -- Father of Umakwee of the Duwam'ha
Umakwee -- Daughter of Se'akwal , betrothed to Hayoqwis
Klee-wik -- Step mother of Umakwee
Katee'qwa -- Chief of the Duwam'ha people
Qkizacool -- Grandmother of Hayoquwis
Kumi-cum -- Friend of Umakwee
Komokwa and Twanas -- younger brothers of Umakwee
Lûk'-a-tatt -- Spokesman for Chief Katee'qwa
Gamlakyet -- Aunt of Hayoqwis, mother of Kalis, Tiska and Wounti, wife of Spe-eth
Tokwish Grizzly Blood -- Brother of Hayoqwis, son of Clo-oose
Spe'eth -- Uncle of Hayoqwis, father of cousins
Tiska -- Youngest cousin of Hayoqwis
Wounti -- Eldest cousin of Hayoqwis
Kalis – Cousin of Hayoqwis
Somkin -- son of Tseycum of the Selawik Badger House
Mowa'kek -- Powerful Shaman of the Selawik
Tseycum -- Selawik's ruling chief, son of Soowali
Ska-mo-na, Selawik matron, wife of Tseycum and mother of Somkin
Soowali Whirlwind -- Elder Selawik chief
Third to fifth volumes to come.
First volume
Muxqueam -- the First Snowy Owl and story teller of the Kaw-Seth people who lived about four thousand years ago on what is now the Canadian west coast.
The Changer -- Supernatural being who formed the physical world and sometimes appears as a man.
Namquaw -- Chief of the Tsonox
Naidah -- Mother of Muxqueam
N'ha-itk -- Son of Namquaw
Sisul-eth – Pre-banishment Chief of the Kaw-Seth
Tillikum --Supernatural Tender of the Sacred Fire
Babakawquit – Demon Monster of the High Places
Setko – Powerful Demon of Destruction
Kashwik – Betrothed of Muxqueam
Chah-nulth – Tsonox shaman
Nishga – Female Tsonox shaman, daughter of Chah-nulth
Ruwa-itk -- a Tsonox warrior and wrestler
Kalooth Shooting Star -- Daughter of the Toxuit, betrothed of N’ha-itk
Kit-saph Storm Dodger -- Toxuit friend of N’ha’itk
Second volume
Hayoqwis Sea Champion, son of Clo-oose of the Kaw-Seth people about two thousand years ago
Se'akwal -- Father of Umakwee of the Duwam'ha
Umakwee -- Daughter of Se'akwal , betrothed to Hayoqwis
Klee-wik -- Step mother of Umakwee
Katee'qwa -- Chief of the Duwam'ha people
Qkizacool -- Grandmother of Hayoquwis
Kumi-cum -- Friend of Umakwee
Komokwa and Twanas -- younger brothers of Umakwee
Lûk'-a-tatt -- Spokesman for Chief Katee'qwa
Gamlakyet -- Aunt of Hayoqwis, mother of Kalis, Tiska and Wounti, wife of Spe-eth
Tokwish Grizzly Blood -- Brother of Hayoqwis, son of Clo-oose
Spe'eth -- Uncle of Hayoqwis, father of cousins
Tiska -- Youngest cousin of Hayoqwis
Wounti -- Eldest cousin of Hayoqwis
Kalis – Cousin of Hayoqwis
Somkin -- son of Tseycum of the Selawik Badger House
Mowa'kek -- Powerful Shaman of the Selawik
Tseycum -- Selawik's ruling chief, son of Soowali
Ska-mo-na, Selawik matron, wife of Tseycum and mother of Somkin
Soowali Whirlwind -- Elder Selawik chief
Third to fifth volumes to come.
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My characters and their world look something like this:
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Notes on Theory
A long time collector of native stories and artifacts, I am a university professor living near Seattle, Washington. This page is a novel in progress.
Notes on Theory
A long time collector of native stories and artifacts, I am a university professor living near Seattle, Washington. This page is a novel in progress.
Not many novels are posted as blogs. This means that I can get feedback from readers.
Assuming there are any of you out there?
Not many? No matter. I am still having a blast.
But, if you are a reader, go ahead and let me know if you see errors, are confused or have a suggestion to improve the stories or writing. All you have to do to post a comment is to click on the icon at the bottom of each chapter. You do have to be logged onto Blogger.com. That is easy.
You might be inspired to start your own blog and post your own writing. Don't worry. There are one billion blogs and chances are no one will notice your profound thoughts and ideas.
Their loss.
But, think. With your own blog in place, your writing never gets lost and is always available for editing or additons, no matter where you are.
_____________________________
Snowy Owl's World
Snowy Owl lives in a fanciful universe based on the stone age cultures of northwest coast native peoples. Drawing on archetypal themes not only from native American legends but also from the structure of hero and redemption myths of other ancient cultures, the reader may recognize images inspired from Beowulf, the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Old and New Testament.
While my stories are set in an imaginary ancient North America, they are not meant as a commentary on native culture as much as trying to capture universal meanings that ring true for all people. Instead of re-telling the traditional story, my characters and themes are re-formed to provide new perspectives.
Borrowing from the imagery of myths – with out recounting them or even trying to achieve ethnographic accuracy exactly -- is a common practice for creative writers. We know that Tolkien took inspiration from Anglo-Saxon myths, Wagner from Norse legends and Virgil’s stories were based on ancient Greek myths.
Why am I writing? It is enjoyable. Instead of spending hours watching movies or television, I remember being challenged by one author to write my own stories for entertainment. This blog is the result of following that advice.
One of the texts that served as a model for my project includes the historical novel, “The Whale People” by Roderick Haig-Brown, Harbour Press, 1962. Haig-Brown invents two imaginary tribes in ancient times living on what is now the coast of British Columbia.
Another source of inspiration came from a popular non-fiction book published in 1815, “White Slave of Maquinna,” by John Jewitt, which supposedly tells the story of his two years living among the Nootka people of Vancouver Island.
Other texts used for research include "Indian Legends of the Pacific Northwest," by Ella Clark, UC Press, 1953. I also found the text "So You want to Write about American Indians? A Guide for Writers, Students and Scholars," by Devon Abbott Mihesuah useful.
A complete list of other texts researched will be posted on this blog someday.
I have read every book on northwest native myths, both anthologies and scholarly anthropological publications, which I could find. While not an expert, my collection of books on native myths fills a bookshelf.
In addition to studying myths, I have also visited ancient native sites along the northwest coast and spent many hours at five museums devoted to the subject. While evaluating academic work by four students of native American heritage, I developed friendships with them.
In addition to my interest in native myths, art and artifacts, I am also Editor of Headwaters, a web resource for the study of native culture. Each year we host an anthropology course with field study in Vancouver and Victoria Canada.
Assuming there are any of you out there?
Not many? No matter. I am still having a blast.
But, if you are a reader, go ahead and let me know if you see errors, are confused or have a suggestion to improve the stories or writing. All you have to do to post a comment is to click on the icon at the bottom of each chapter. You do have to be logged onto Blogger.com. That is easy.
You might be inspired to start your own blog and post your own writing. Don't worry. There are one billion blogs and chances are no one will notice your profound thoughts and ideas.
Their loss.
But, think. With your own blog in place, your writing never gets lost and is always available for editing or additons, no matter where you are.
_____________________________
Snowy Owl's World
Snowy Owl lives in a fanciful universe based on the stone age cultures of northwest coast native peoples. Drawing on archetypal themes not only from native American legends but also from the structure of hero and redemption myths of other ancient cultures, the reader may recognize images inspired from Beowulf, the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Old and New Testament.
While my stories are set in an imaginary ancient North America, they are not meant as a commentary on native culture as much as trying to capture universal meanings that ring true for all people. Instead of re-telling the traditional story, my characters and themes are re-formed to provide new perspectives.
Borrowing from the imagery of myths – with out recounting them or even trying to achieve ethnographic accuracy exactly -- is a common practice for creative writers. We know that Tolkien took inspiration from Anglo-Saxon myths, Wagner from Norse legends and Virgil’s stories were based on ancient Greek myths.
Why am I writing? It is enjoyable. Instead of spending hours watching movies or television, I remember being challenged by one author to write my own stories for entertainment. This blog is the result of following that advice.
One of the texts that served as a model for my project includes the historical novel, “The Whale People” by Roderick Haig-Brown, Harbour Press, 1962. Haig-Brown invents two imaginary tribes in ancient times living on what is now the coast of British Columbia.
Another source of inspiration came from a popular non-fiction book published in 1815, “White Slave of Maquinna,” by John Jewitt, which supposedly tells the story of his two years living among the Nootka people of Vancouver Island.
Other texts used for research include "Indian Legends of the Pacific Northwest," by Ella Clark, UC Press, 1953. I also found the text "So You want to Write about American Indians? A Guide for Writers, Students and Scholars," by Devon Abbott Mihesuah useful.
A complete list of other texts researched will be posted on this blog someday.
I have read every book on northwest native myths, both anthologies and scholarly anthropological publications, which I could find. While not an expert, my collection of books on native myths fills a bookshelf.
In addition to studying myths, I have also visited ancient native sites along the northwest coast and spent many hours at five museums devoted to the subject. While evaluating academic work by four students of native American heritage, I developed friendships with them.
In addition to my interest in native myths, art and artifacts, I am also Editor of Headwaters, a web resource for the study of native culture. Each year we host an anthropology course with field study in Vancouver and Victoria Canada.
