(126) Once they held a council up there. They said that the Waterspirits should be brought to an end. They did not know who could do it. So the son of the Thunderbird Chief fasted up there. Thus he did. Down on earth, the Waterspirits knew of it. So they counciled.

(127) The Waterspirit Chief had one son. "Traveler," they called him by name. Once his father came to his lodge. His father had always been going off somewhere, so he asked him, saying, "Father, why is it that you are always going off somewhere?" "I have no particular reason," he said to him. (128) And there he was always very quiet. Again, "You did not reply to my question." "Ask whatever you wish. Up there the son of the Thunderbird Chief is fasting. They would end the Waterspirits, thus is their purpose. So they are scared. Thus the council there is the reason that I go there. What will you do about it?" (129) "You're asking about it? Nîgécge, that is not a difficult thing, but you say that I can do it. Tell them about it. I wonder, could it be such a great thing? You said, 'No.' Thus, I can do it. So I say it again, when you go there tell them. And furthermore, when they gather, I'll be there." "All right." Again they gathered. Then Traveler also went, (130) and his father told them what Traveler had said. Thus, the Waterspirit chief filled a pipe and then here they pointed the pipe at Traveler. He said, "Ho!," said he, "I am smoking the pipe." And he said to them, "Where the earth is deepest, there make a single strong house." "I will do it," he said.

(131) He went upstream to a small part of the Mississippi, and there at the end of it he made a lodge. There he laid. Thus he did, and then he talked to a man who was fasting. He told him, "I bless you," he said to him. And above the son of the Thunderbird Chief when he looked down into the earth, he saw him. He saw him lying down on earth, (132) and he knew, they say. And when he blessed him he again talked to the man, and, "In the middle of the day, then you will see him. Again, when you are ready to see him, I will tell you. And my grandson, sometimes when I will ask you something, you will do it. And my grandson, as for me, I bless you. And whatever it is, you shall not want for it, (133) and whenever you wish to kill an animal of any kind, you will do it. I mean before you saw me. And then what you wish to make, you can do it. Whatever you make of my body, it will be so. Yes, hereafter, you're having a little daylight. Then on the fourth day when the sun stands straight, there you will see me at what you used to call 'Holy Lake'." [inset] (134) That man went there on the day that he indicated. And he came nearby. This day, when the sun stood straight, he was to see him. As he approached nearby, he was going down a ravine. And clouds with drizzly rain caught him. He was told, "If you are going to peep, peep at him secretly that way, and I will shoot him." This man looked over the bank there. (135) Just then they shot him. They shot forth at him a rainbow. And they came to lift him up. He brought him with all the water of the lake. Since he had gotten heavy, he could not carry him back home. This Thunderbird went back into the water. They took him below that way, but again eventually he lifted him. Alternating, one at a time, they took him back to their place. (136) They did the same. There this man went towards them. He had his arrows with him. He arrived. When they looked at him, there he stood. And the Thunderbird said, "My brother, the man has tired me out, shoot him for me. If you shoot him, the first time a man has ever fought one, you'll be the one to get him. And the Waterspirit also said, (137) "My grandson, I have blessed you once. I am he. The man tired me, shoot him for me." And, "Not only has he charge of that kind of thing, I can also do that kind of thing. My brother, he is not telling the truth, shoot him. At war, you can do whatever you like. I myself am in charge of that sort of thing." "My grandson, he's not telling the truth. I bless you. I am accustomed to doing it. (138) I once told you that you would do what I would ask you, I told you. This is it. This man has made me tired, shoot him for me. What you can do anytime, I can also do the same thing. Shoot him." "My brother, he did not tell the truth. If you shoot me, so you also will not last long." "My grandson, he is not telling you the truth. Shoot him now. He has blessed you already. What he has said will be true. (139) My grandson, just shoot him. If I kill him, we will win." So this man took out an arrow. He shot the Thunderbird, and then They shot the Thunderbird, taking him below with them. And there, there was much noise, they say. They caught the Thunderbird. Traveler did it. This is all -- I mean this story (wórak). [1]

Traveler was the only son of one of the four great Island Weights, the Waterspirits that anchor the corners of the earth. He spent his time traveling about the world. On one of his journeys he learned that the Thunderbirds planned to utterly annihilate the Waterspirits. Traveler, who was not held in esteem by his father, quite unexpectedly offerred to meet the son of the chief of the Thunderbirds in single combat, a vow from which he could not be dissuaded. Traveler took up residence near the headwaters of the Mississippi, and there encountered a young faster to whom he gave the blessing of a full life, misrepresenting himself as his father. The boy's father encouraged him to fast again, and the next time the Waterspirit offered the boy wealth, but cautioned him to fast no longer. The father of the boy, however, told him to continue fasting, as he was convinced greater blessings were to follow. The spirits brought the boy before Traveler who told him that there was no point in continuing to fast since he had been given all that there was to give. But the father of the boy told him to persist, and when the youth fasted for the fourth time, they again brought him before Traveler. Traveler then offerred the boy war blessings and the right to use his body for medicine. As instructed, the boy met the Waterspirit at noon and was told to bring his offering to Big Lake (Lake Winnebago) [map] the next morning. When the boy arrived, he found Traveler and a Thunderbird locked in mortal combat, each unable to extricate himself from the other's grasp. The Waterspirit and the Thunderbird each appealed to the boy in turn to give him aid. Each said the other lied, and appealed to the boy as a benefactor or as a kinsman. Finally, the Waterspirit threatened the mortal, and this was enough for the boy to shoot the Thunderbird with an arrow. The Thunderbird, with his dying breath, cursed the boy and his people, condemning them to be slain to the last man by an enemy warparty. Not long afterwards, all the boy's kinsmen were wiped out by an enemy raid. [2]

This version is embedded in an epic telling of the Twins Myth, The Lost Blanket. The Twins are searching all the worlds for the blanket that was stolen from one of them. They come to an old man who refers them to Traveler. In what follows, references to the Twins and their blanket have been deleted in order to keep to the subject of the story of Traveler.

In the center of the earth there is to be found a lodge -- this is the one the old man was referring to. ... The one in charge of it is named "Traveler." At first, at the very beginning of his life, he had been shrewd. He was the person in charge of this lodge. Although he was called "Traveler," the real name his parents had given him was "Chief's Child." This is the name they gave him. Now there are four Waterspirits whom the creator fashioned himself, to serve as earth-anchors [Island Weights]. They were thrust right down through the whole thickness of the earth. The youngest and last one created was placed at a spot called Long Lake, down the stream from St. Paul. It is his son who was placed in charge of the earth. The father is one of the spirits fashioned directly by the Creator. However he, Traveler, was born of woman (who was an ordinary Waterspirit).

There was once a Thunderbird who decided to kill all the great Waterspirits who had been created. The Waterspirits became frightened and so they called a council which lasted four years long to plan how they could kill him. Long they discussed the matter. (Then a Waterspirit came forward and volunteered to do it himself.) This Waterspirit did not amount to anything although he was the only son of the chief. He was like the great Waterspirits in appearance, yet all he did was to travel about visiting people; nothing else. In the beginning he was called the "Chief's Child," but finally they called him "Traveler." Because he traveled about so much, all over the earth, everyone knew him. Even the children knew him. He it was who killed the Thunderbird. However he did it by deceiving a human being. Because (of his victory) he was placed in charge of the earth. He was not put in charge of it by Earthmaker but by the people on earth. He was a wayward fellow, this, our lord of the earth. ... Yet in spite of everything he is the chief of all of us on earth, for this is the position that was bestowed upon him. And he lives at a place called "Holy Lake" (De Wákâtcañk). It was from this place called "Holy Lake" that he, our chief, started when he ascended to fight the Thunderbird. This lake was a window for the earth. It had no bottom. [3]

Commentary. Whatever you make of my body -- Waterspirits offer their own bodies as blessings to those whom they favor. Medicines and poisons are made from their bodies. A Spirit Being can, of course, regenerate his own body at will. See the theme, a Waterspirit is killed and his body is used as medicine: Great Walker's Warpath, The Seer.

when the sun stands straight (wirarotcâ´djegi) -- noon.

Holy Lake -- De Wákâtcañk was mistranslated by whites as "Devil's Lake." [map]

"Long Lake" -- in Hotcâk this would be De Seretc. It is probably Pigs Eye Lake, just off the Mississippi and a very short distance downstream from St. Paul. The original name of St. Paul was "Pigs Eye."

Comparative Material. A fairly similar, albeit inverted, parallel story comes from the Cherokee. Two brothers went out hunting. After they set up camp, one of them went hunting for a deer. He came upon a scene of struggle. There a great Uktena (a serpentine Waterspirit) had a man in its grip and was choking him to death. The human called out: "Help me nephew. The Uktena is as much your enemy as mine!" So the hunter shot an arrow clean through the head of the Uktena, causing a plethora of blood to flow. The Uktena spun down the hill like a waterspout, tearing up everything. The man that the hunter had saved was Asgáya Gígagei, the Red Man of the Lightning. Red Man said, "Because you had rescued me, I will reward you." That night he took the hunter to where the body of the Uktena lay. Nothing was left except the bones. Where there were jets of lightning coming up from the ground, Red Man dug. There he found a scale of the Uktena. He took wood from a tree that had been struck by lightning, and made a fire in which he roasted the scale until it turned into charcoal. He wrapped this in a deerskin and gave it to the hunter. He was told that he would have extraordinary hunting powers, and that he must take the scale and hang it on a tree. Even while hanging there, it exerted so much power that his brother fell ill and was near to death. However, he had medicine from Red Man, and with this he cured him. Every day thereafter, the man was able to find game whenever he went hunting. [4]

Links: Traveler, Waterspirits, Island Weights, Thunderbirds, Lake Winnebago, Devil's Lake.

Stories: featuring Traveler as a character: The Mulberry Picker, The Lost Blanket; in which Waterspirits occur as characters: Waterspirit Clan Origin Myth, The Green Waterspirit of Wisconsin Dells, The Lost Child, River Child and the Waterspirit of Devil's Lake, Bluehorn's Nephews, Holy One and His Brother, The Seer, The Mulberry Picker, The Creation of the World (vv. 1, 4), The Sioux Warparty and the Waterspirit of Green Lake, The Waterspirit of Lake Koshkonong, The Waterspirit of Rock River, The Boulders of Devil's Lake, Devil's Lake -- How it Got its Name, Old Man and White Feathers, The Diving Contest, The Lost Blanket, Redhorn's Sons, Îtcorúcika and His Brothers, Great Walker's Warpath, White Thunder's Warpath, The Descent of the Drum, The Shell Anklets Origin Myth, The Daughter-in-Law's Jealousy, Snowshoe Strings, The Thunderbird, Hare Retrieves a Stolen Scalp (v. 2), The Two Children, The Twins Join Redhorn's Warparty, Earthmaker Sends Rucewe to the Twins, Paint Medicine Origin Myth, Warughápara, Ocean Duck, The Twin Sisters, Trickster Concludes His Mission, The King Bird, The Medicine Rite Foundation Myth, Great Walker's Medicine, V. 2, Peace of Mind Regained, How the Thunders Met the Nights, The Boy who was Captured by the Bad Thunderbirds, The Shaggy Man, The Woman who Married a Snake (?), Hare Secures the Creation Lodge, Ghost Dance Origin Myth I; mentioning Thunderbirds: The Thunderbird, Warughápara, How the Thunders Met the Nights, The Boy who was Captured by the Bad Thunderbirds, The Boulders of Devil's Lake, Thunderbird and White Horse, Bluehorn's Nephews, How the Hills and Valleys were Formed (vv. 1, 2), The Man who was a Reincarnated Thunderbird, The Thunder Charm, The Lost Blanket, The Twins Disobey Their Father, The Thunderbird Clan Origin Myth, Story of the Thunder Names, The Wonághire Wâkcik Clan Origin Myth, Eagle Clan Origin Myth, Pigeon Clan Origins, Bird Clan Origin Myth, Adventures of Redhorn's Sons, Brave Man, Ocean Duck, Turtle's Warparty, The Daughter-in-Law's Jealousy, The Quail Hunter, The Twins Join Redhorn's Warparty, Redhorn's Sons, The Dipper, The Stone that Became a Frog, The Race for the Chief's Daughter, Redhorn Contests the Giants, The Sons of Redhorn Find Their Father, The Warbundle of the Eight Generations, Medicine Rite Foundation Myth, Origin of the Hotcâk Chief, The Spirit of Gambling, Wolf Clan Origin Myth, Aratcgéga's Blessings, Kunu's Warpath, The Orphan who was Blessed with a Horse, The Nightspirits Bless Tciwoit'éhiga, The Green Waterspirit of the Wisconsin Dells, Baldheaded Warclub Origin Myth, The Big Stone, The Origins of the Milky Way; mentioning Island Weights: The Creation of the World, The Island Weight Songs, South Enters the Medicine Lodge, East Shakes the Messenger, East Enters the Medicine Lodge, North Shakes His Gourd, Wolves and Humans, Cûgepaga, The Lost Blanket, Thunderbird Clan Origin Myth (v. 1), The Medicine Rite Foundation Myth, Hare Secures the Creation Lodge, South Seizes the Messenger, Earthmaker Sends Rucewe to the Twins, The Messengers of Hare, Paint Medicine Origin Myth, Four Steps of the Cougar, The Petition to Earthmaker; set at Lake Winnebago (De Xede): Lake Winnebago Origin Myth, The First Fox and Sauk War, White Thunder's Warpath, The Great Fish, The Wild Rose, The Two Boys, Great Walker's Warpath, The Blessing of a Bear Clansman, The Fox-Hotcâk War, Holy Song, The Two Children (?); set at Devil's Lake (De Wákâtcâk): Devil's Lake -- How it Got its Name, The Boulders of Devil's Lake, River Child and the Waterspirit of Devil's Lake, The Green Waterspirit of Wisconsin Dells, The Lost Blanket; set on the Mississippi (Nî Kuse): The Two Children, Trickster Concludes His Mission, The Hotcâk Migration Myth, Oto Origins, Bluehorn's Nephews, Earthmaker Sends Rucewe to the Twins, Keramanic'aka's Blessing, The Woman's Scalp Medicine Bundle.

Themes: a spirit is quoted as he gives someone a blessing: Earthmaker Blesses Wagícega (Wecgícega), The Nightspirits Bless Djobenagiwíñxga, Disease Giver Blesses Djobenâgiwíñxga, He Who Eats the Stinking Part of the Deer Ankle, The Man Whose Wife was Captured, The Blessings of the Buffalo Spirits, The Boy who was Blessed by a Mountain Lion, Ghost Dance Origin Myth I, The Woman Who Fought the Bear, The Blessing of a Bear Clansman, Aratcgéga's Blessings, The Girl who Refused a Blessing from the Wood Spirits, Great Walker's Medicine, Buffalo Dance Origin Myth, Thunderbird and White Horse, The Plant Blessing of Earth, The Completion Song Origin, The Man who was Blessed by the Sun, Thunder Cloud is Blessed, The Difficult Blessing, The Blessing of Cokeboka; the war between Thunderbirds and Waterspirits: How the Thunders Met the Nights, The Boulders of Devil's Lake, The Twins Join Redhorn's Warparty, The Lost Blanket, Ocean Duck, The Daughter-in-Law's Jealousy, Warughápara; a mortal causes a Thunderbird to triumph over a Waterspirit (or vice-versa): The Lost Blanket.

Genealogy: Traveler Genealogy.

Notes:

[1] "The Struggle between the Son of the Thunderbird and the Son of the Waterspirit," in Paul Radin, Notebooks, Winnebago III, #11a, Freeman Number 3892 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, 1909?) Story 10, pp. 126-139.

[2] Paul Radin, Primitive Man as Philosopher (New York: D. Appleton Co., 1927) 179-185.

[3] Paul Radin, The Evolution of an American Indian Prose Epic, Part I (Basil, Switzerland: Ethnographical Museum, 1954) 47-48.

[4] "The Red Man and the Uktena," in James Mooney, History, Myths, and Sacred Formulas of the Cherokees (Asheville, North Carolina: Bright Mountain Books, 1992 [1891/1900]) Story 52, pp. 300-301.