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The Song of Hiawatha by Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth, 1807-1882
The Song of Hiawatha by Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth, 1807-1882
The Song of Hiawatha by Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth, 1807-1882
Henry W. Longfellow
CONTENTS
Introductory Note
Introduction
I. The Peace-Pipe
V. Hiawatha's Fasting
X. Hiawatha's Wooing
XIV. Picture-Writing
XVI. Pau-Puk-Keewis
Vocabulary
Introductory Note
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.
CONTENTS 2
The Project Gutenberg Etext of The Song of Hiawatha, by Henry W. Longfellow
I would add a personal note here. My father's roots include Ojibway Indians: his mother, Margaret Caroline
Davenport, was a daughter of Susan des Carreaux, O-gee-em-a-qua (The Chief Woman), Davenport whose
mother was a daughter of Chief Waub-o-jeeg. Finally, my mother used to rock me to sleep reading portions of
Hiawatha to me, especially:
Woodrow W. Morris
April 1, 1991
Introductory Note 3
The Song of Hiawatha
Introduction 5
The Project Gutenberg Etext of The Song of Hiawatha, by Henry W. Longfellow
Introduction 6
The Project Gutenberg Etext of The Song of Hiawatha, by Henry W. Longfellow
Introduction 7
The Project Gutenberg Etext of The Song of Hiawatha, by Henry W. Longfellow
Introduction 8
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On a half-effaced inscription,
Introduction 9
I
The Peace-Pipe
On the Mountains of the Prairie,
I 10
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The Peace-Pipe 11
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The Peace-Pipe 12
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The Peace-Pipe 13
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The Peace-Pipe 14
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The Peace-Pipe 15
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The Peace-Pipe 16
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The Peace-Pipe 17
II
II 18
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"Honor be to Mudjekeewis!"
"Honor be to Mudjekeewis!
Hiawatha's Childhood
Downward through the evening twilight,
III 32
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Hiawatha's Childhood 33
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Wahonowin! Wahonowin!"
Hiawatha's Childhood 34
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Hiawatha's Childhood 35
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Hiawatha's Childhood 36
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Hiawatha's Childhood 37
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Hiawatha's Childhood 38
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Hiawatha's Childhood 39
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Hiawatha's Childhood 40
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Hiawatha's Childhood 41
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Hiawatha's Childhood 42
IV
IV 43
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Arrow-heads of chalcedony,
Arrow-heads of chalcedony,
Hiawatha's Fasting
You shall hear how Hiawatha
V 57
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Hiawatha's Fasting 58
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Hiawatha's Fasting 59
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Hiawatha's Fasting 60
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Hiawatha's Fasting 61
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Hiawatha's Fasting 62
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Hiawatha's Fasting 63
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Hiawatha's Fasting 64
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Hiawatha's Fasting 65
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Hiawatha's Fasting 66
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Hiawatha's Fasting 67
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Hiawatha's Fasting 68
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Hiawatha's Fasting 69
VI
Hiawatha's Friends
Two good friends had Hiawatha,
Story-tellers, mischief-makers,
VI 70
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Hiawatha's Friends 71
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Hiawatha's Friends 72
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Hiawatha's Friends 73
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Hiawatha's Friends 74
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Hiawatha's Friends 75
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Hiawatha's Friends 76
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Hiawatha's Friends 77
VII
Hiawatha's Sailing
"Give me of your bark, O Birch-tree!
VII 78
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Hiawatha's Sailing 79
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Hiawatha's Sailing 80
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Hiawatha's Sailing 81
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Hiawatha's Sailing 82
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Hiawatha's Sailing 83
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Hiawatha's Sailing 84
VIII
Hiawatha's Fishing
Forth upon the Gitche Gumee,
VIII 85
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Hiawatha's Fishing 86
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Looking up at Hiawatha,
Hiawatha's Fishing 87
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Hiawatha's Fishing 88
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Hiawatha's Fishing 89
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Hiawatha's Fishing 90
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Hiawatha's Fishing 91
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Hiawatha's Fishing 92
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Hiawatha's Fishing 93
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Hiawatha's Fishing 94
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Hiawatha's Fishing 95
IX
IX 96
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"Honor be to Hiawatha!
Hiawatha's Wooing
"As unto the bow the cord is,
X 109
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Arrow-heads of chalcedony.
Hiawatha's Wedding-Feast
You shall hear how Pau-Puk-Keewis,
XI 122
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As a sign of invitation,
I am happy, I am happy,
At my Hiawatha's wedding
XII 133
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As an oak-leaf is in Winter,
As he said: `O my Osseo!
O my sweetheart, my Algonquin!
O my sweetheart, my Algonquin!
O my sweetheart, my Algonquin!'
O my sweetheart, my Algonquin!
O my sweetheart, my Algonquin!
O my sweetheart, my Algonquin!"
XIII 150
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As a warning to marauders.
In uninterrupted silence
Picture-Writing
In those days said Hiawatha,
XIV 161
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Picture-Writing 162
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Picture-Writing 163
The Project Gutenberg Etext of The Song of Hiawatha, by Henry W. Longfellow
Picture-Writing 164
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Picture-Writing 165
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Picture-Writing 166
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Picture-Writing 167
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Picture-Writing 168
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Picture-Writing 169
XV
Hiawatha's Lamentation
In those days the Evil Spirits,
XV 170
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O my brother, Chibiabos!"
"Chibiabos! Chibiabos!
"Chibiabos! Chibiabos!
"Chibiabos! Chibiabos!
Pau-Puk-Keewis
You shall hear how Pau-Puk-Keewis,
XVI 180
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Pau-Puk-Keewis 181
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Pau-Puk-Keewis 182
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On a burnished Ozawabeek;
Pau-Puk-Keewis 183
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Pau-Puk-Keewis 184
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Pau-Puk-Keewis 185
The Project Gutenberg Etext of The Song of Hiawatha, by Henry W. Longfellow
Pau-Puk-Keewis 186
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Pau-Puk-Keewis 187
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Pau-Puk-Keewis 188
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As a taunt to Hiawatha.
As an insult to Nokomis,
As a taunt to Minnehaha.
Pau-Puk-Keewis 189
The Project Gutenberg Etext of The Song of Hiawatha, by Henry W. Longfellow
Pau-Puk-Keewis 190
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He is slaying us by hundreds!
Pau-Puk-Keewis 191
XVII
XVII 192
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In the whortleberry-bushes,
"Open! I am Hiawatha!"
XVIII 208
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The Ghosts
Never stoops the soaring vulture
XIX 214
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The Famine
Oh the long and dreary Winter!
XX 224
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I am Famine, Bukadawin!"
I am Fever, Ahkosewin!"
"Minnehaha! Minnehaha!"
Hiawatha! Hiawatha!"
"Hiawatha! Hiawatha!"
Empty-handed, heavy-hearted,
"Wahonowin! Wahonowin!
Wahonowin! Wahonowin!"
XXI 232
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Hiawatha's Departure
By the shore of Gitche Gumee,
XXII 242
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Apuk'wa, a bulrush
Dush-kwo-ne'-she or Kwo-ne'-she,
Ewa-yea', lullaby
Lake Superior
daughter of Nokomis
VOCABULARY 253
The Project Gutenberg Etext of The Song of Hiawatha, by Henry W. Longfellow
Joss'akeed, a prophet
Ka'go, do not
Kaw, no
Kaween', no indeed
Kee'go, a fish
Kena'beek, a serpent
Me'da, a medicine-man
VOCABULARY 254
The Project Gutenberg Etext of The Song of Hiawatha, by Henry W. Longfellow
Meshinau'wa, a pipe-bearer
in the trees
Nah'ma-wusk, spearmint
Nee-ba-naw'-baigs, water-spirits
Nenemoo'sha, sweetheart
VOCABULARY 255
The Project Gutenberg Etext of The Song of Hiawatha, by Henry W. Longfellow
Nepah'win, sleep
No'sa, my father
Ona'gon, a bowl
Pau'guk, death
Pe'boan, Winter
Pone'mah, hereafter
Puggawau'gun, a war-club
VOCABULARY 256
The Project Gutenberg Etext of The Song of Hiawatha, by Henry W. Longfellow
woods; pygmies
Sah-sah-je'wun, rapids
Segwun', Spring
Shaugoda'ya, a coward
of the Bowl
Showain'neme'shin, pity me
Soan-ge-ta'ha, strong-hearted
Ugh, yes
Wabe'no-wusk, yarrow
VOCABULARY 257
The Project Gutenberg Etext of The Song of Hiawatha, by Henry W. Longfellow
daughter of Nokomis
Indian dandy
The End
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