In this article, we will consider one of G. Longfellow's most famous deeds, “The Song of Hiawatha.” Summary and analysis of the poem will interest us first.
About the work
The epic poem "Song of Hiawatha" is a classic monument of American literature. Its structure and the size of the verse were borrowed by the author from the Karelian epic, or rather from the work “Kalevala”.
The poem was published in November 1855 in the United States and was immediately praised by readers and critics. Over the next few years, the book has been repeatedly published in English and has been translated into many languages of the world.
In Russia, the work was translated by I. A. Bunin. This translation is still unsurpassed.
History of creation
It is based on the Native American folklore “Song of Hiawatha” (a brief summary is given below). Longfellow was seriously studying the work of historians on the culture and life of the Indians. Moreover, the author spoke with representatives of various tribes. In 1849, a significant meeting took place for him with the leader of the Ojibway tribe, who told him many legends of his people. It is these legends that formed the basis of the poem.
The goal of Longfellow was to try to draw American literature to its origins, to teach American readers to feel pride and national respect for those who originally lived on their lands.
There are historical facts in the Song of Hiawatha. In particular, this is the story of the creation of the League of Remembrance in 1570, which included the Iroquois tribes. Initially, the League was considered a military alliance, but later turned into a collective government council, which put an end to hostility between tribes.
Henry Longfellow, The Song of Hiawatha: Summary
The poem begins with the recollections of a famous Indian musician named Navadagu, who in ancient times sang a song about Hiawatha - about birth, "a great life", but most importantly, about the exploits that he accomplished so that his people would be happy and live in kindness and the truth.
However, further the narrator takes us to completely different times and places. Now before the reader appears the Lord of Life, Gitchi Manito, the supreme Native American deity. He created all the nations, drew valleys and rivers with his own hands, and made a clay pipe, and then lit it. When the smoke that rose to the sky from the pipe of the world was seen by the leaders of all the tribes, they gathered around the Lord of Life. Then Gitchi Manito began to call the warring tribes among themselves to reconcile, to become brothers. He then predicts the appearance of a prophet who will show the leaders the true path to salvation. After listening to the Lord of Life and obeying his speeches, the Indians began to enter the waters of the river to wash off the war paint. Then they light a pipe of peace and go back to their tribes.
Like many epic works, “The Song of Hiawatha” (a brief summary confirms this) is embedded in the mythological ideas of the Indians about the world and its structure.
Then it tells how, having defeated a huge bear named Misha Mokwu, he becomes Majekivis the Ruler of the West Wind. He gives power to his children over other winds: Shavandazi to the South, Webon to the East, and the evil Kabibonokka to the North.
Now the story takes us back in time. In ancient times, from a month in the flowering valley fell the beautiful daughter of the night luminaries Nokomis. In this valley she gave birth to a daughter and gave her the name Venon. When the girl grew up, her mother began to warn her that she was afraid of the magic of Majekivis. However, Venona did not heed the advice of her mother. The Lord of the West Wind charmed her, and then Venon gave birth to a son of "tender passion and sorrow" and gave him the name Hiawatha.
Search for father
As in any epos, the protagonist of the poem “Song of Hiawatha” has a divine origin. The summary further tells of the woeful fate that befell his mother. Shortly after the birth of her son, Majekivis abandoned Venon, and she died of grief. The grandmother Nokomis brought up and brought up young Hiawatha.
Having matured, Hiawatha takes the magic gauntlets, puts on magic loafers and sets off to seek his father in order to avenge the death of his mother. Soon the hero finds Majekivis and enters into battle with him. The battle continues for three days, and then the father asks his son to stop the fight. Majekivis cannot be defeated: he is immortal. He asks Hiawatha to return to his tribe, start cultivating the land, clear the rivers, and expel the monsters. For this, after death, he promises to make him master of the northwest wind.
He leaves in the Hiawatha forest and fasts for 7 nights. He prays to Gitchi Manito and asks for happiness for his people. In response to this, a young man named Mondamin arises at his wigwam. Hiawatha engages in battle with him, kills and buries. The hero visits the grave of the murdered, and gradually green stems sprout on it. This is another incarnation of the young man - corn, which was sent to people by the Lord of Life.
Feats of Hiawatha
The "Song of Hiawatha" continues. The summary describes how Hiawatha, together with Quasindom, his friend and strongman, cleared the Takvamino River from snags. In Gitchi Gumi Bay, a hero catches a Great Sturgeon named Misha Namu, who swallows it with a boat, for fishing rod. But Gayyavata squeezes the heart of the fish, and she dies. Then the hero defeats the terrible wizard Majisogwon.
Hiawatha marries a Dakota girl named Minnehagu. To protect the sown fields from damage, the hero tells his wife to go around them naked at night. And Minnegaga fulfills her husband’s request. At this time, Hiawatha himself succeeded in catching the Raven King Kagaga, who brought his flock to peck the crops.
The death of friends
Depicts a hero who freed people from monsters and gave them food, Longfellow (“Song of Hiawatha”). The summary also describes how Hiawatha invents writing.
Evil spirits, fearing the Hiawatha, make an alliance against him and drown a friend and musician named Chaybayabas. Upon learning of this, Hiawatha falls ill and is miraculously cured.
In his absence, Po-Pok-Kivis comes to the tribe and ravages the Guyavat's lodge. Having returned, the hero goes in pursuit of him. Trying to hide, Po-Pok-Kivis turns first into a beaver, then into a goose. But Hiawatha calls thunder and lightning to help and defeats him.
Dies another friend of the hero, a strongman of Quasinda.
Spirits of the dead
A harsh winter comes in the poem “Song of Hiawatha”. A brief retelling depicts the appearance of two ghosts of women in the hero's lodge. They are sitting in the corner of the house and silently grabbing pieces of food. It lasts for several days, until one day Hiawatha wakes up from their crying and sighs. The guests tell the hero that they are the souls of the dead, who arrived from the island of the Afterlife. Their goal is to ask the living to stop mourning for the dead and call them: do not put jewelry, furs, clay bowls in their graves. They only need a little fire and food on the road. 4 days of the soul are on the way in the camp of the Afterlife, and all this time it is necessary to burn a fire so that it illuminates the path for them. After that, the ghosts disappear.
The vision of white people
The beginning of famine among the Indians is depicted in the poem "Song of Hiawatha." The chapter summary describes the unsuccessful attempts of Hiawatha to hunt. Minnehaga is dying.
Yagu comes to the village, who says that he saw a huge cake in the Big Sea. There were warriors with white faces, whose chins were covered with hair. At first, the Indians laugh at the speeches of the Yagu, but Hiawatha says that he had exactly the same knowledge. And that Gitchi Manito ordered to meet strangers with greetings and affection.
Denouement
The work “A Song of Hiawatha” is coming to an end. A brief summary ("brifli.ru" - one of the sites on which it is posted) tells that in their conducts Hiawatha reveals the death of Indian tribes in a struggle with each other.
Meanwhile, the Indians are greeted with pale faces who tell them about the Christian religion. Guests fall asleep in the Hiawatha wigwam, and the owner says goodbye to Nokomis and his people. After that, he floats to sunset in a pie in the Land of Ponima for "infinite, eternal life." He bequeathed his fellow tribesmen to the wise instructions of the guests who arrived.
Analysis
Longfellow in his work recreates mythological ideas about the structure of the world of North American Indians. For them, the surrounding space was inhabited by gods, spirits and heroes, and the forces of nature were perceived as living.
The image of Hiawatha is also remarkable. Among the Indians, he was considered the most powerful and powerful; he taught them many things. The main feature of his character is devotion to his people. Longfellow builds his poem as a fairy tale biography of the hero. Based on the epic, the author creates a hymn to a person endowed with physical strength and high moral qualities. Hiawatha appears as a wise, fair and courageous warrior who cares only about providing his people with a happy and calm life.
Thus, we examined the poem "Song of Hiawatha." The summary, analysis and history of creation were set out in particularly detail.