Essay Analysis: The Song of Hiawatha

   I really enjoyed The Song of Hiawatha for this week’s reading, especially Hiawatha himself as a heroic character.  While I covered the topic of heroes before when I read the Iliad, I believe that enough time has passed for me to revisit the topic.  Hiawatha possessed the many different aspects that a hero requires in addition to accomplishing many different heroic feats.  Hiawatha has somewhat of a divine birth since his father is essentially a god and his mother was once a celestial being.  Hiawatha also possesses superhuman strength, speed, and endurance, as seen when he fights his father for several days without rest.  He also fights for other people, such as ridding the land of The Pearl Feather whose magic was hurting people and the land.  Altogether these different characteristics make up what many believe to be necessary for a hero to possess.

Little Hiawatha.  Web Source:  Disney

   One thing that I liked about Hiawatha specifically was that he was not too overpowered.  What I mean by that is sometimes a superhero character is too strong and has no real enemies.  For example, Superman oftentimes gets complaints because he has so many different powers, has very few weaknesses, and is too strong of a character.  Another example would be Goku from the Dragonball Z series, who eventually becomes so strong that all of the other characters from the show are essentially useless.  In my opinion a hero that is so much stronger than his enemies or does not require help from other characters is too much of a hero.  Why I went on that long spiel is because I believe that Hiawatha is a pretty rounded character.  When fighting, he possesses superhuman strength but he also requires help from the other characters, such as when he needed the help of the woodpecker to defeat Pearl Feather.  In my opinion, Hiawatha is a very solid hero who could be included with the list of greats such as Achilles and Hercules.

Storytelling for Week 10: An Old Man and his Daughter

Outside my home I sat, keeping my old hands busy with familiar work.  What was once my life's purpose now kept me busy, kept my mind from wandering to past places that were no more.  I missed those old times, when I put my trade to use and men were noble and proud.  Now men are boys, full of themselves and feminine.  My daughter, a beautiful reflection and reminder of my wife, sat by my side weaving intricate patterns and designs.  Although she was sitting next to me, her mind was somewhere far away, lost in thought.  Why she stayed with me I don't know; suitors came seeking her hand, but she waved them off like bothersome gnats during summer.
As we sat occupied with our work and thoughts something broke our silence, a footstep of someone approaching.  Out stepped a man who stood apart from those of his generation, a man whose deeds and words were of someone much older and wiser.  I knew him as a occasional customer as well as by his preceding reputation.  I welcomed him in, glad to have such good company, and my daughter did as well.

 Hands. Web Source: Imgarcade

He walked inside our home with his large stature filling the doorway, and we sat as my daughter brought refreshment for our guest. He talked for a while, my daughter entranced by our guest's every word.  This was not like his usual visits, however; he spoke with purpose, leading the conversation to the reason he was there.  He talked slowly and clearly, asking permission for my daughter's hand.  I took a moment to gather my thoughts, but I knew that this man would care for and love her. 

"You have my permission, but there is someone else who must say yes," I said looking over at my daughter.

I looked at him and then looked at her, my daughter looking even more lovely than she normally did.  She nodded and he took her hand, leading her away from our home.  I stood watching them leave, and I suddenly realized that I was alone.  I slowly sat back down outside my home, keeping my old hands and mind busy with familiar work.

Author's Note:  For this story, I used Hiawatha's Wooing from the The Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.  In the original telling, Hiawatha goes to an old arrow maker to ask for his daughter's hand in marriage.  After he agrees, Hiawatha and the daughter, Minnehaha, return to Hiawatha's village, leaving the old arrow-maker.  I decided to tell the story from the arrow-maker's perspective because in the original, he is left all alone when his daughter leaves apparently never to return, and is sad and lonely.  I left mostly everything the same in terms of plot progression, but I left all the names and occupations ambiguous because Hiawatha has a lot of back story and I felt like that would drag down a quick story such as this.  Also, the original doesn't mention the arrow-maker's wife, so I assumed that he is a widower.  I'll probably have to go back through and edit because I was pretty tired writing this.

Bibliography:  The Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1855).  Web Source:  Untextbook

Week 10 Reading Diary: Native America

Myth-Folklore Unit:  The Song of Hiawatha

1. The Four Winds- At first I was concerned I would have a hard time following the meter and style that Longfellow writes in but it is easy to follow and his language is very beautiful and descriptive.

2. The Four Winds (cont.)- This one was a bit difficult to follow, especially during the wrestling match between Shingebis and Kabibonokka.  I couldn't tell who won the match.

3. Hiawatha's Childhood- I've actually heard this section before, but I can't remember from where.  I do know that Looney Tunes quotes one of the lines but other than that I can't remember.

4. Hiawatha and Mudjekeewis- The names are a bit difficult to follow but it is still a very good poem.

5. Hiawatha and Mudjekeewis (cont.)- So Hiawatha didn't go to buy arrows but instead to court or at least see Minnehaha.

6. Hiawatha's Fasting- This section is like a vocabulary learning page, all it does is have Hiawatha see and name different animals and plants.  However the last part reminded me of the Old Testament where Jacob wrestles God.

7. Hiawatha's Fasting (cont.)- I like this origin story of maize.  During my Wellness in Native Communities class, I heard a much grosser version of how corn came to be where a grandmother got it from her armpits.

8. Hiawatha's Friends-  I liked this section, I was getting a little tired of Hiawatha and this part portrayed his friends very well.

9. Hiawatha's Sailing- I kind of feel bad for the trees, the way they talk to Hiawatha is sad.  Again, the way origins are told is really neat in this unit.

10. Hiawatha's Fishing*- I know its unrelated but sturgeons can grow to gigantic sizes.  I like how Hiawatha does battle with one and how the smaller animals help him.

11. Hiawatha and the Pearl-Feather- The repetition is very powerful at the beginning of this section, and I think that the imagery in the description of the sunset and the moon rising is the best imagery I might have ever read.  This is a pretty good build up for the conflict with Pearl-Feather.

12. Hiawatha and the Pearl-Feather (cont.)- When I originally decided to read Hiawatha, I just assumed it would be just poetry, but this has the makings of an epic.

13. Hiawatha's Wooing-  I was wondering when Hiawatha would go after Minnehaha's hand in marriage.  I liked the descriptions that were used to talk about his journey to the Dacotahs.

14. Hiawatha's Wooing (cont.)-  I feel bad for the arrow maker, he seemed very sad when his daughter left.

15. Hiawatha's Wedding-Feast-  I got a little lost in this section, it failed to keep my attention like the other sections.  I guess the closest thing I could compare this to is in old Marx Brothers movies where everything is going along and then Zeppo has to sing a song, disrupting the flow of the movie.

16. The Son of the Evening Star- While this is a good section, it doesn't do much to add to the overall story.  While Scheherazade's story in Arabian Nights serves a purpose, this doesn't.

17. The Son of the Evening Star (cont.)-  At first I was concerned that this would end poorly, I was thoroughly impressed with the ending.  It ended very simply and concisely, and I loved how it ended with Hiawatha being happy with the night and his wife.