Oj-eegan-nung-wug—Fisher stars. The bright stars in ursa major, and one beyond, which forms the point of the fisher’s nose.
Mah-to-te-sun—The sweating lodge. One of the poles of this lodge is removed. They say the man whom they point out near by, was so overcome with the heat of the Mah-to-te-sun, that in his hurried attempt to escape, he pulled up this pole.
Mahng—A loon.
Nau-ge-maun-gwait—Man in a canoe hunting the loon.
Ah-wah-to-wuh o-moag—The companions sailing.
An-nung-o-skun-na—Comet. They have the opinion common among ignorant white people, that the appearance of a comet is an indication that war is to follow. The Ojibbeway An-nung-o-skun-na, seems to signify blazing star. The Menomonies call them Sko-tie-nah-mo-kin, the seeing fire. Some of the Ojibbeways, also, Wa-ween-e-zis-e-mah-guk Ish-koo-da, fire that has hair.
Of the true cause of the increase and decrease of the moon, of eclipses, and of other phenomena which depend upon the motions of the heavenly bodies, they have no correct conceptions. When the moon is in eclipse, they say it is dying, and they load and discharge their guns at it; and when they perceive the bright part becoming a little larger, they imagine they have aided to drive away the sickness which was overpowering it. Of the milky way, they sometimes say, that a turtle has been swimming along the bottom of the sky, and disturbed the mud. Of the aurora borealis, which they call the dance of the dead, their opinion, though a little more poetic, is equally childish. Several meteoric phenomena they distinguish from those remoter appearances which are beyond our atmosphere, and of the former they sometimes say, “they belong to us.”
What was long ago stated by Roger Williams, of the mythology of the Indians of Rhode Island, agrees but in part with the opinions of the present day among the Ottawwaws. Of Cau-tan-to-wit, “the great south-west god,” we hear nothing. Ning-gah-be-an-nong Manito, the western god, the younger brother of Na-na-bon-jou, the god of the country of the dead, has taken his place. In his Saw-waw-nand, we recognize the Shaw-wun-noug Manito, the southern god of the Ottawwaws. But all these, Waw-bun-ong Manito, the god of the morning, or of the east, Ke-way-tin-ong Manito, the god of the north, with Ka-no-waw-bum-min-uk, “he that sees us,” whose place is in the sun, are inferior in power to many others; even to the Ke-zhe-ko-we-nin-ne-wug, the sky people; a race of small, but benevolent and watchful beings, who are ever ready to do good to mankind.