Native American Legends
A wife for knowledge
A Winnebago (Hotcâk) Legend
Once there was a man who was very powerful and respected among
the people. He was a member of the Medicine Rite. This man had only
one son, and because the boy had no brothers, he knew very little.
In the course of time, the father began to give his son presents.
He put a kettle on the fire for him, and told him to be brave and
to be a real warrior. The son wondered to himself why he was giving
him gifts and advice. The father kept giving his son gifts, and
eventually he gave him a fine horse and told him, "My dear
son, in order to be a warrior, there are certain things you must
know." Then his son understood what he meant.
In the course of time the young man married a beautiful woman with
red hair who came from another tribe. His father was smitten by
her beauty and cast longing eyes upon her. His son did not fail
to notice it. So the son gave his father this woman. The old man
was very grateful and said, "How can I ever repay you, you
have made my heart glad." So the father gave his son all the
knowledge that he possessed.
In time the red haired woman sicked and died. The old man made
a bowl of her skull and then composed a song which is used to this
day in the Medicine Rite.
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