Wisakedjak
Encyclopedia
Wisakedjak is the Crane
Manitou
found in northern Algonquian
mythology
, similar to the trickster god Nanabozho
in Ojibwa
aadizookaanan (sacred stories) and Inktonme
in Assiniboine myth. He is generally portrayed as being responsible for a great flood
which destroyed the world originally made by the Creator, as well as the one who created the current world with magic, either on his own or with powers given to him by the Creator for that specific purpose. His name is subject to many variant spellings, including Weesack-kachack, Wisagatcak, Wis-kay-tchach, Wissaketchak, Woesack-ootchacht, and undoubtedly others.
It was sometimes Anglicized
as Whiskey Jack, which became an alternate name for the Gray Jay
.
by Neil Gaiman
, where he is frequently referred to as "Whiskey Jack" as a corruption of the name.
The character also appears in Kiss of the Fur Queen
by Tomson Highway
and The Onion Girl
by Charles de Lint
.
Elijah Weesageechak/[Wiisagejaak] is a character in the book Three Day Road
by Joseph Boyden
, where he has been nicknamed "Whiskeyjack" by his fellow company-mates as the Anglicized version of his name.
Whiskeyjack is a character in Canadian author Steven Erikson's epic fantasy series The Malazan Book of the Fallen. He is the putative leader (his rank goes up and down) of the Bridgeburners, an elite unit of soldiers in the Malazan Empire.
- Taken from the book " INDIAN LEGENDS OF CANADA" by: Ella Elizabeth Clark ISBN 0-7710-2121-6
Crane (bird)
Cranes are a family, Gruidae, of large, long-legged and long-necked birds in the order Gruiformes. There are fifteen species of crane in four genera. Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back...
Manitou
Manitou
Manitou is a general term for spirit beings among many Algonquian Native American groups.Manitou may also refer to:- Geography :* Manitou, Manitoba, Canada* Manitou, Kentucky, USA* Manitou, Oklahoma, USA- Other uses :...
found in northern Algonquian
Algonquian peoples
The Algonquian are one of the most populous and widespread North American native language groups, with tribes originally numbering in the hundreds. Today hundreds of thousands of individuals identify with various Algonquian peoples...
mythology
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
, similar to the trickster god Nanabozho
Nanabozho
In Anishinaabe mythology, particularly among the Ojibwa, Nanabozho is a spirit, and figures prominently in their storytelling, including the story of the world's creation. Nanabozho is the Ojibwe trickster figure and culture hero...
in Ojibwa
Ojibwa
The Ojibwe or Chippewa are among the largest groups of Native Americans–First Nations north of Mexico. They are divided between Canada and the United States. In Canada, they are the third-largest population among First Nations, surpassed only by Cree and Inuit...
aadizookaanan (sacred stories) and Inktonme
Iktomi
In Lakota mythology, Iktomi is a spider-trickster spirit, and a culture hero for the Lakota people. Alternate names for Iktomi include Ikto, Ictinike, Inktomi, Unktome, and Unktomi...
in Assiniboine myth. He is generally portrayed as being responsible for a great flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
which destroyed the world originally made by the Creator, as well as the one who created the current world with magic, either on his own or with powers given to him by the Creator for that specific purpose. His name is subject to many variant spellings, including Weesack-kachack, Wisagatcak, Wis-kay-tchach, Wissaketchak, Woesack-ootchacht, and undoubtedly others.
It was sometimes Anglicized
Anglicisation
Anglicisation, or anglicization , is the process of converting verbal or written elements of any other language into a form that is more comprehensible to an English speaker, or, more generally, of altering something such that it becomes English in form or character.The term most often refers to...
as Whiskey Jack, which became an alternate name for the Gray Jay
Gray Jay
The Gray Jay , also Grey Jay, Canada Jay, or Whiskey Jack, is a member of the crow and jay family found in the boreal forests across North America north to the tree-line and in subalpine forests of the Rocky Mountains south to New Mexico and Arizona...
.
In fiction
Wisakedjak is a character in the book American GodsAmerican Gods
American Gods is a Hugo and Nebula Award-winning novel by Neil Gaiman. The novel is a blend of Americana, fantasy, and various strands of ancient and modern mythology, all centering on a mysterious and taciturn protagonist, Shadow. It is Gaiman's fourth prose novel, being preceded by Good Omens ,...
by Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman
Neil Richard Gaiman born 10 November 1960)is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre and films. His notable works include the comic book series The Sandman and novels Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book...
, where he is frequently referred to as "Whiskey Jack" as a corruption of the name.
The character also appears in Kiss of the Fur Queen
Kiss of the Fur Queen
Kiss of the Fur Queen is a novel by Tomson Highway. It was first published by Doubleday Canada in September 1998.The novel's main characters are Champion and Ooneemeetoo Okimasis, two young Cree brothers from northern Manitoba who are taken from their family and sent to a residential school...
by Tomson Highway
Tomson Highway
Tomson Highway, CM is a celebrated Canadian and Cree playwright, novelist, and children's author. He is the author of the plays The Rez Sisters and Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing, both of which won him the Dora Mavor Moore Award and the Floyd S...
and The Onion Girl
The Onion Girl
The Onion Girl is a 2001 contemporary fantasy novel by Charles De Lint which takes place in the Newford universe. It is the first Newford novel centering on the recurring character of Jilly Coppercorn, now a middle-aged woman...
by Charles de Lint
Charles de Lint
Charles de Lint is a Canadian fantasy author and folk musician. He is also the chief book critic for The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction....
.
Elijah Weesageechak/[Wiisagejaak] is a character in the book Three Day Road
Three Day Road
Three Day Road is the first novel from Canadian writer Joseph Boyden. Joseph’s maternal grandfather, as well as an uncle on his father’s side, served as soldiers during the First World War, and Boyden draws upon a wealth of family narratives...
by Joseph Boyden
Joseph Boyden
Joseph Boyden is a Canadian novelist and short story writer. His first novel, Three Day Road won the Amazon/Books in Canada First Novel Award and the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize...
, where he has been nicknamed "Whiskeyjack" by his fellow company-mates as the Anglicized version of his name.
Whiskeyjack is a character in Canadian author Steven Erikson's epic fantasy series The Malazan Book of the Fallen. He is the putative leader (his rank goes up and down) of the Bridgeburners, an elite unit of soldiers in the Malazan Empire.
External links
- Taken from the book " INDIAN LEGENDS OF CANADA" by: Ella Elizabeth Clark ISBN 0-7710-2121-6