Canadian Myths

Michel Piquemal connait bien le monde de l’enfance. Il a longtemps enseigné en maternelle et primaire, avant d’être l’un des auteurs majeurs de la littérature jeunesse avec plus de 200 livres publiés, traduits en douze langues. Passionné de chansons et de poésie, il nous livre ici un florilège de ses plus belles comptines, testées auprès des écoles durant des années.

Have you ever seen the Thunderbird? You probably wouldn’t have because it’s discussed only in myths. According to legends, the Thunderbird are large birds that produce thunder and lighting. They were so huge, they hunt whales! How do Canadians ancestor come up with such wild stories? Blame imagination and a desire to explain natural phenomena, too.

Le jour de son anniversaire, Luna-Belle voit ENFIN son vœu se réaliser. Du moins, presque.... Ce n’est pas un cheval qui atterrit dans sa chambre, mais une LICORNE! Et la jolie bête a besoin de sa petite humaine pour une mission dans l’espace.

ᒪᕐᕈᐃᑦ ᓄᓇᑐᖃᐃᑦ ᐃᓄᖁᑎᖏᑦ. ᓇᐃᓈᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖓ. ᐊᑕᐅᓯᖅ ᓇᒡᓕᖕᓂᖃᓐᖏᑦᑐᖅ ᑎᒍᐊᖅᑎᖓᑦ ᐊᓈᓇᒃᓴᑎᒃ ᐅᓇᓗ ᐊᖓᒃᑰᓪᓗᓂ. ᐊᒃᓱᕈᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᕿᒪᒃᓯᔪᒪᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᕗᒃ. ᓵᑕᓇᓯᒥᒃ ᐃᓱᒪᖃᖅᑐᑑᓂᐊᕐᒪᑕ. ᐱᖓᓱᐃᓕᖓᔪᓂᒃ ᐊᓯᕈᖅᑕᕐᕕᖃᖅᑐᑦ.

Imagine this: the Sasquatch is a huge monster with blonde hair. With that distinguishing feature, the Sasquatch should be easy to spot, right? But like all other myths, there has never been any concrete proof to make the Sasquatch an undeniable truth.

The Wendigo is one scary monster that kills and eats its victims. Stories of the Wendigo haunt Canadians until today. The older people must have used the myth to teach the young not to be greedy and weak. That’s the beauty of myths. They are creative means to tell lessons, of course, with a side serving of fear, too.

There’s a silvery scaled, sharp clawed humanoid swimming in the depths of Thetis Lake in Vancouver Island. Have you seen it? The Thetis Lake Monster is said to come out from the lake every once in a while to breathe in air. There have been accounts of sightings but with no concrete proof. What do you think about the Thetis Lake Monster?

In Canadian history, there was a hero who could breathe life. That hero is known as Nanabozo, also called the Trickster. Nanobozo is neither male nor female. Its appearance is changing, each representing the many phases and conditions of life. Listen about Nanabozo, and examine its hidden lessons. Begin today.

Did you know that based on a Canadian myth, you can turn into a werewolf if you fail your Easter duty? This educational book features the story of the Loup-Garou, which can also be in the form of a calf, a pig, a small ox, a cat, and an owl. Study the historical, cultural, and traditional contexts of the myth of Loup-Garou. Get a copy today.

The Adlets have a curious origin. They are said to have been born from the union of a woman and a big red dog. The Alonquin tribes believed in the Adlets, and the myth has been passed from generation to the next using oral traditions. What about you? Do you believe in the Adlets?