Tradition: Canadian Mythology
Alternative Names: Nanabush, ᓇᓇᐳᔓ, Mishaabooz, Gitchii-waabooz, Michabo, Great Hare
Category: Rabbit

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The Myth

Nanabozho is a powerful shapeshifting spirit who most often appears as a rabbit or hare, though he can also take the form of other animals or humans. Clever, mischievous, and sometimes greedy, he frequently causes trouble through his tricks and desires. Yet his adventures also teach important lessons about life, relationships, and the consequences of one’s actions. He is the son of a human mother and a spirit father, E-bangishimog, and was sent to Earth by Gitche Manidoo to teach the Ojibwe people.

Nanabozho played an important role in shaping the world and teaching humanity. Among his deeds, he named plants and animals, invented fishing and hieroglyphs, and became associated with the creation of the Earth. He is also considered the founder of the Midewiwin, a spiritual tradition of the Anishinaabe. Through his adventures, Nanabozho learns that greed and manipulation create chaos, while cooperation, respect, and reciprocity help restore balance.

In a more recent story, Nanabozho confronts the legendary lumberjack Paul Bunyan in Minnesota, demanding that he stop cutting down the forests. The two fight for forty days and forty nights until Nanabozho strikes Bunyan across the face with a giant walleye fish. Nanabozho then pulls Bunyan by his whiskers until he promises to leave the area. One version says Bunyan falls onto his backside, creating Red Lake. The story also explains why Bunyan’s statue in Lake Bemidji is depicted without a beard and facing west.

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Sources

“Peschanyi Zvyak” (Sandy Squink). New Bestiary (Bestiary.us). https://www.bestiary.us/peschanyi-zvyak

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