The Song of Hiawatha Henry Wadsworth Longfellow The Song of Hiawatha is based on the legends and stories of many North American Indian tribes, but especially those of the Ojibway Indians of northern Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. They were collected by Henry Rowe Schoolcraft, the reknowned historian, pioneer explorer, and geologist. He was superintendent of Indian affairs for Michigan from 1836 to 1841. Schoolcraft married Jane, O-bah-bahm-wawa-ge-zhe-go-qua (The Woman of the Sound Which the Stars Make Rushing Through the Sky), Johnston. Jane was a daughter of John Johnston, an early Irish fur trader, and O-shau-gus-coday-way-qua (The Woman of the Green Prairie), who was a daughter of Waub-o-jeeg (The White Fisher), who was Chief of the Ojibway tribe at La Pointe, Wisconsin. Jane and her mother are credited with having researched, authenticated, and compiled much of the material Schoolcraft included in his Algic Researches (1839) and a revision published in 1856 as The Myth of Hiawatha. It was this latter revision that Longfellow used as the basis for The Song of Hiawatha. Longfellow began Hiawatha on June 25, 1854, he completed it on March 29, 1855, and it was published November 10, 1855. As soon as the poem was published its popularity was assured. However, it also was severely criticized as a plagiary of the Finnish epic poem Kalevala. Longfellow made no secret of the fact that he had used the meter of the Kalevala; but as for the legends, he openly gave credit to Schoolcraft in his notes to the poem. ______________________________________________________________ The following is an exerpt from: Compton's Encyclopedia Online Hiawatha Long one of the favorite characters of American folklore, Hiawatha was an American Indian who is best known as the hero of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's narrative poem, `The Song of Hiawatha', published in 1855. In Longfellow's poem, Hiawatha is a member of the Ojibwa tribe. Raised by his grandmother, Nokomis, Hiawatha is able to talk to the animals of the forest and surpasses all the other boys of his tribe in manly skills. He grows up to be a leader of his people, marries the Indian maiden Minnehaha, and acts as a peacemaker among warring tribes. `The Song of Hiawatha' was inspired largely by Indian legends told by the student of Indian lore Henry Rowe Schoolcraft. Longfellow, like Schoolcraft, confused Hiawatha with the Ojibwa Manabozho. The hero of the poem is thus a composite of tribal legends. The real Hiawatha was a Mohawk Indian chief who lived in the late 1500s. He was a founder of the Iroquois Confederacy. Tradition credits him with introducing maize and fish oil to his people and with originating picture writing, new navigation techniques, and the practice of medicine. ______________________________________________________________ to Henry Wadworth Longfellows' Indroduction of Hiawatha ______________________________________________________________ (follow the links at the bottom of each page to go on to the next Chapter or click within the grid to go to a specific Chapter) Enjoy this beautiful Epic Poem
The Song of Hiawatha Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
The Song of Hiawatha is based on the legends and stories of many North American Indian tribes, but especially those of the Ojibway Indians of northern Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. They were collected by Henry Rowe Schoolcraft, the reknowned historian, pioneer explorer, and geologist. He was superintendent of Indian affairs for Michigan from 1836 to 1841.
Schoolcraft married Jane, O-bah-bahm-wawa-ge-zhe-go-qua (The Woman of the Sound Which the Stars Make Rushing Through the Sky), Johnston. Jane was a daughter of John Johnston, an early Irish fur trader, and O-shau-gus-coday-way-qua (The Woman of the Green Prairie), who was a daughter of Waub-o-jeeg (The White Fisher), who was Chief of the Ojibway tribe at La Pointe, Wisconsin.
Jane and her mother are credited with having researched, authenticated, and compiled much of the material Schoolcraft included in his Algic Researches (1839) and a revision published in 1856 as The Myth of Hiawatha. It was this latter revision that Longfellow used as the basis for The Song of Hiawatha.
Longfellow began Hiawatha on June 25, 1854, he completed it on March 29, 1855, and it was published November 10, 1855. As soon as the poem was published its popularity was assured. However, it also was severely criticized as a plagiary of the Finnish epic poem Kalevala. Longfellow made no secret of the fact that he had used the meter of the Kalevala; but as for the legends, he openly gave credit to Schoolcraft in his notes to the poem.
______________________________________________________________
The following is an exerpt from: Compton's Encyclopedia Online
Hiawatha
Long one of the favorite characters of American folklore, Hiawatha was an American Indian who is best known as the hero of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's narrative poem, `The Song of Hiawatha', published in 1855.
In Longfellow's poem, Hiawatha is a member of the Ojibwa tribe. Raised by his grandmother, Nokomis, Hiawatha is able to talk to the animals of the forest and surpasses all the other boys of his tribe in manly skills. He grows up to be a leader of his people, marries the Indian maiden Minnehaha, and acts as a peacemaker among warring tribes.
`The Song of Hiawatha' was inspired largely by Indian legends told by the student of Indian lore Henry Rowe Schoolcraft. Longfellow, like Schoolcraft, confused Hiawatha with the Ojibwa Manabozho. The hero of the poem is thus a composite of tribal legends.
The real Hiawatha was a Mohawk Indian chief who lived in the late 1500s. He was a founder of the Iroquois Confederacy. Tradition credits him with introducing maize and fish oil to his people and with originating picture writing, new navigation techniques, and the practice of medicine. ______________________________________________________________
to Henry Wadworth Longfellows'
Indroduction of Hiawatha
______________________________________________________________ (follow the links at the bottom of each page to go on to the next Chapter or click within the grid to go to a specific Chapter)
Enjoy this beautiful Epic Poem
If you are the creater of this beautiful music please contact me so I can give you credit or remove, per your request.
grannikat at hotmail.com