Week 10 Reading Diary B: Native American Wedding Tales

Image Information: Life after giving birth to a catbaby. Source: Buzzfeed

The Dog-Husband:

Much loved dog, companion, slept at the bottom of the young girl’s bed. The dog was able to turn into a man at night, and he did and laid with the girl. Girl ended up pregnant and parents abandoned her out of the shame. Her father killed her dog lover and she bore 5 puppies she had to raise by herself. One day found out her children could turn into humans and scolded them for shaming her. The boys grew up to be great whalers. Town moved back and they became leaders. 

The Youth Who Joined the Deer (1 and 2):

Great hunter with two wives and one son. Found a woman and baby in the woods and was seduced by her. She convinced him to abandon his family and be her husband. He is only allowed to sleep with his wife but one month a year—rutting season—during which he can also sleep with her sisters. Man didn’t realize he was living among deer-people. Killed deer and then they came back to life when you threw all of their bones in the river. Killed for the benefit of others and then revived.

When rutting season came he became very angry because other men had sex with his wife. Fought everyone off the next day and hoarded his wife, her sisters, and her cousins. She bore him a son. She decided she wanted her son to live with the humans for a little bit too. She gave him explicit directions. Both of his sons became close and learned the skills of deer hunting. Eventually they went back to the deer people and a lot of his tribe returned with them. When they got there they all decided to go back? The deer-boy left with them and never returned. The hunter became a deer and never returned to his human people. 

The Girl and the Turkeys (1, 2, and 3):

Time when turkeys were domesticated. There was a young girl who was so poor it was shameful. Humble, kind, and beautiful. Turkeys loved her dearly and were obedient to her. Wished very much to be able to attend a festival she had never been permitted to attend before. Turkeys loved her so that they spoke to her and told her that they would transform her for the ball.

Seemed like loving thing to do but in reality they only did it to run away.

The True Bride (1, 2, 3, and 4):

New mother, treated badly. So despondent she chooses to wander around and die instead of living with her anymore. Came across 4 brothers in the woods who befriended her and helped her. Returned home for with her berries and gifts. Bad sister was jealous and went to get them for herself only for it to backfire.

Caught the eye of a chief’s son, and married him. Got pregnant. Stepmother stole her baby and gave her a cat as replacement. Stepmother convinced the husband to kill his wife because of her weird children and marry her own daughter instead.

Four brothers saved her from certain death and told her what happened to her real children. They transformed her into a goose. The woman’s favorite dog had been taking care of her children since they had been stolen from her. Stepmother found out and poisoned the boys. The dog tried so hard to bring them back to life. Went and asked the sun for help. Chief found out about the treachery and killed the stepmother and his second wife and lived happily ever after with his first wife, two children, and the dog.