Another great book outlining some of the aspects of Ojibwa mythology, in this case, the neverending war between the Thunderbirds, or Animiki, and the Underwater Lynxes, or Mishupishus. --- Contents include: --- 1. Myth, Religion, & The Survival Of Ojibwe Tradition --- 2. A Peopled Cosmos --- 3. Thunderers --- 4. Mishebeshu -- 5. Storm On The Lake -- 6. The Island Of The Anishnaabeg --- Epilogue: New Horizons --- Appendix 1: Guide To Pronunciation Of Ojibwe Words --- Appendix 2: Glossary Of Ojibwe Words --- Appendix 3: List Of Anishnaabeg Consultants

Intermediate learning about Ojibwa mythology and traditional belief. It's best to read this book if you already have a general understanding of the mythology, as it treats only one major aspect of it, the conflict between the Thunderbirds and Underwater Lynxes. Learning about this aspect of the mythology is also good for gaining a better understanding of why traditional Ojibwa view such things as the Great Lakes, weather, and their personal environment in the way that they do.

How the Animiki and Mishupishus were treated as if they are real beings--because to many people, they truly are. I also enjoyed how "hopeful" the book came across as, seeing as I read it shortly after reading Vecsey's "Traditional Ojibwa Religion & Its Historical Changes," an informative book which basically stated that traditional Ojibwa belief is dead. Smith's book pretty much proved that statement wrong.

My only real objection is that it's difficult, in this work and in others, to determine exactly HOW modern Ojibwa view manitous (spirits)--as symbolic, as real flesh-and-blood individuals, or as aspects of one god--it's obvious that many natives view them as being real beings of a sort, but the exact nature of how they are viewed always seems vague.

Read another book just like it, but unfortunately this looks to be the only such book this author has written. It would be good for her to attempt followup volumes based on other aspects of Ojibwa belief, for example, a book centering on Manabozho and modern beliefs concerning him (Manabozho is only briefly touched on in this work).

Hopeful for traditional Ojibwa belief being able to adapt to the modern day. As I mentioned, Vecsey's earlier work left me feeling pretty hopeless that any modern Ojibwa still actually believed in the old ways. Smith's book blasted that idea. It's obvious that, just like any other peoples, the Ojibwa's views and beliefs vary according to where they live and what their circumstances are--Vecsey and Smith just happened to interview two different groups under very different circumstances. Vecsey's book was written about Ojibwa in a polluted, low-income, high-unemployment area, who had a very bleak outlook on life. Smith's book, on the other hand, was written about the Ojibwa and Ottawa of Manitoulin Island, and it's easy to see the differences.

Is Theresa S. Smith, Associate Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. This book began its life as a dissertation.

It helps illuminate more specific ideas and beliefs in traditional Ojibwa mythology, as opposed to other similar books which give a more general view.

The only reason to not recommend this book is if you are a beginner to the subject; in that case I would suggest something more general. This work is not overly complex, but it isn't the best starting point, as it ignores many other aspects of this mythology in favor of one specific idea.

You may need to buy this book used; I got my copy on eBay, and often see other copies of it for auction/sale there. This book would be of particular interest to those living in the Great Lakes area, as the ongoing battles of the Thunderbirds and Underwater Lynxes are believed to be constantly played out in this region in the summertime; reading this work gave me a new appreciation of the area I live in. Trust me--if you live on or near a Great Lake, you can easily picture gigantic birds and lynxes duking it out somewhere out there! --- This, and Basil Johnston's "The Manitous" (see my review), are the two books on Ojibwa mythology that I currently recommend the highest; I suggest that anyone interested in this subject read Johnston's work first for a general view, then read Smith's book, and Vecsey's "Traditional Ojibwa Religion," both for a more specific look at the mythology, and for completely different views on the subject. It was interesting to see just how widely outsiders' views could vary on the same topic, depending on who they talked to. Even the views given by the natives interviewed in Smith's book differ from each other.

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Created Apr 21, 2006 at 2:27am • Submit your own review...