"By the shores of Gitchee Gumee, By the shining Big-Sea-Water, Stood the wigwam of Nokomis, Daughter of the Moon, Nokomis. Dark behind it rose the forest, Rose the black and gloomy pine-trees, Rose the firs with cones upon them; Bright before it beat the water, Beat the clear and sunny water, Beat the shining Big-Sea-Water. There the wrinkled old Nokomis, Nursed the little Hiawatha, Rocked him in his linden cradle, Bedded soft in moss and rushes." 
[Hiawatha & Minnehaha]
Many of the names in Longfellow's epic poem (over 200 pages), Nokomis, Wynona, Pipestone, Minnehaha, Escanaba and others are familiar in the north central states of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. Gitchee Gumee means something like "shining big water" but is plain old Lake Superior nowadays. I liked Gitchee Gumee better. My two sons, as young teenagers, knew these words well. I often recited them as we traveled along the "North Shore" on our way to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) in the Arrowhead Country of Northeastern Minnesota. Yes, they looked at me with more than a little bemusement, when I carried on.... but the education of our youth takes a special effort.... [Taken on a very cold winter morning during out recent trip along the North Shore]
I knew the poem well from a Childcraft book my parents had, filled with poems like that one. I read it many times and when I read the words here, they brought memories of all those years... I also like the original Indian names better.
ReplyDeleteOur Indian names here in the Pacific Northwest are really different than what I knew before. Many of the names here have "quamish" or "qualicum" as part of them. I don't know what it means, but it probably has something to do with water. :-)
Nice post! Like that last photo of the water.
ReplyDeleteGitchee Goome? I hope it is a real place, because that would be so in character. In French, spelled apprapo? What does it matter
ReplyDeleteI see the ice is gone already. I never knew when it left but would like to be there sometime when it is iced over. It is one of my favorite North Shores in the states next to North Shore in Maine.
ReplyDeleteA lovely area to explore,it has been a few years since I took my famiily up through the boundary waters.
ReplyDeleteI never liked poetry but I knew almost the whole of the book "The Song of Hiawatha". You brought back wonderful memories of it. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteNice post. Whenever I hear Lake Superior or Gitchee Gumee it fills my head with "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald." I tried to remember the verses to "Song of Hiawatha" and I remember to the exact words you used. Not a word further.
ReplyDeleteI love that old name Gitchee Gumee..so much has been lost in translation when the white men settled..they renamed so many place. Most of the lakes and towns had great Indian Names..and they were changed by the first explorers who re-named them after their friends and relatives. From a historical standpoint it is a nightmare..I wrote about it recently for the museums blog. The really bad thing is..many of the Indian names were not recorded..because they all knew what each other was talking about...since everyone knew ..no one recorded it.
ReplyDeletehere is a link to one of the blog posts.
http://hubbardcountyhistoricalmuseum.areavoices.com/2012/01/19/the-naming-of-hubbard-county-townships-part-two/
Boy did you bring my childhood back in a flash. Loved that poem. Florida is full of Seminole names. They sound so romantic.
ReplyDeleteKia ora TB,
ReplyDeleteLovely memories and photos/ Coming home in July for the first time in almost 6 years and have a few mates talking about a Boundary Waters experience. I can only hope it all comes off. Hope you are well.
Cheers,
Robb
It's been a long time since I've thought of this poem -- I'm going to have to pull it out and read it again. Your pictures are wonderful; I especially like the shining water of your last photo.
ReplyDeleteGitchee Gumee and its translation is far more interesting than the name Lake Superior.
ReplyDeleteI just like sayin' "Gitchee Gumee'. Heeheehhee!
ReplyDeleteI remember the poem well and love that statue pic.
God bless ya and have yourself a sunshiny kinda day!!! :o)
Love that poem. I remember reading it as a kid.
ReplyDeleteLove that poem!
ReplyDeleteLiving near the shore of Lake Michigan, I can relate to the heart of it.
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ReplyDeleteOh my, you sure did strike a chord with many of us. Sadly, however, I can only picture Tom Smothers so seriously singing "Hiawatha, he went hunting, hunting for a bunny rabbit." My mom would be so disappointed!
ReplyDeleteI live in Longfellow's college town in Maine and my daughter went to camp called Nokomis. Good poetry never dies. What a gorgeous photo! I needed that glimpse of sun on this grey, dreary day. Thank you!
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