Lost Lake

Charles E. Brown


"Kennedy Pond, or Lost Lake, is a small lake lost or misplaced by Earthmaker when he created and distributed the lakes of Wisconsin." [1]


Commentary. That Earthmaker could lose track of a lake, shows that he is not a perfect god on the model of that of Christianity, but is fallible, with real limitations on his power and knowledge. It is precisely his limitations that free Earthmaker from responsibility for evil, which is seen as a defect in creation.

The exact whereabouts of this lake may be hard to determine, since there are 40 lakes of this name in Wisconsin alone. [2]


Links: Earthmaker.


Stories: about the origins of bodies of water: The Green Waterspirit of Wisconsin Dells, Lake Winnebago Origin Myth; featuring Earthmaker as a character: The Creation of the World, The Creation of Man, The Commandments of Earthmaker, The Twins Get into Hot Water, The Twins Retrieve Red Star's Head, The Lost Blanket, The First Snakes, Tobacco Origin Myth, The Creation Council, The Gray Wolf Origin Myth, The Journey to Spiritland, The Resurrection of the Chief's Daughter, The Seven Maidens, The Descent of the Drum, Thunder Cloud Marries Again, The Spider's Eyes, The Boy who was Blessed by a Mountain Lion, Wonághire Wâkcik Clan Origin Myth, Fourth Universe, Cûgepaga, The Fatal House, The Twin Sisters, Thunderbird Clan Origin Myth, Elk Clan Origin Myth, Deer Clan Origin Myth, Bear Clan Origin Myth, Wolf Clan Origin Myth, The Masaxe War, The Two Children, Medicine Rite Foundation Myth, The Petition to Earthmaker, The Gift of Shooting, Baldheaded Warclub Origin Myth, Bluehorn's Nephews, The Stone Heart, The Wild Rose, Earthmaker Sends Rucewe to the Twins, The Lame Friend, How the Hills and Valleys were Formed, The Hotcâk Migration Myth, The Necessity for Death, Hotcâk Clans Origin Myth, The War among the Animals, Lake Winnebago Origin Myth, Blue Mound, The Hotcâgara Migrate South, The Spirit of Gambling, Turtle and the Giant, The Shawnee Prophet -- What He Told the Hotcâgara, The Hotcâgara Contest the Giants, Ghost Dance Origin Myth II, Bird Origin Myth, Black and White Moons, Redhorn's Sons, Holy Song, The Reincarnated Grizzly Bear, The Blessings of the Buffalo Spirits, Death Enters the World, Man and His Three Dogs, Trickster Concludes His Mission, Story of the Thunder Names, The Origins of the Milky Way, Trickster and the Dancers, Ghost Dance Origin Myth I, East Enters the Medicine Lodge, The Blessing of Kerexûsaka.


Themes: the fallibility of Earthmaker: Creation of Man, v. 2, Bladder and His Brothers, v. 1.


Notes:

[1] Charles E. Brown, Lake Mendota, Prehistory, History and Legends (Madison: Wisconsin Archeological Society, 1933) 6.

[2] Walker D. Wyman, Wisconsin Folklore (Madison: University of Wisconsin, 1979) 23.