Speck, Frank G. (1925) Montagnais and Naskapi Tales from the Labrador Peninsula. The Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 38, No. 147, pp. 1-32.
Told by Pitabǝnokweo of Piekuakami (Lac Saint-Jean). Presented in English on pages 19-20.
Mamiltehe’o was a very dangerous cannibal who lived during the winter by eating human beings, though in summer he lived like a good man eating game like other people. In the summer, however, no one knew him or they would have killed him. He was a very powerful sorcerer.
But there was another sorcerer named Kanowe’o, “He who kills at a great distance (with an arrow),” who even surpassed Mamiltehe’o in power. This is the story of their struggle. One time Kanowe’o decidedto try to kill Mamiltehe’o. He went to meet him by the shore of a lake. Beavers lived in the lake. Kanowe’o pretended to be very poor, cold and hungry. When Mamiltehe’o saw him, he did not know him and came down to him to ask him what he was doing. Said Kanowe’o, “I am dying of cold and hunger. If you come and help me, I shall not starve.” Then said Mamiltehe’o, “Oh! I will come again tomorrow and help you kill the beavers. I have sons. I have seven of them. They are going to aid you to work and kill your beavers.” But Mamiltehe’o said to himself, “What a pity he is so thin! I am going to fatten him up. My sons will have to work for him to get the beavers and feed him up.” He said to his wife when he got back to camp, “When Kanowe’o is fat we will kill him.”
So Mamiltehe’o spoke to Kanoweo and said, “Go get your family and come here to camp, and I will call up my family so that we can all live together.” That evening he went back to his wigwam and sat opposite the fire. He began to cry. One of his sons said, “What is the matter? Our father cries so. Perhaps he has seen Kanowe’o who, everybody knows, is so powerful.” Mamiltehe’o answered,”It is not he that I saw. The man I saw was almost dead of hunger. He was very sad. I fear we cannot eat him for he is too thin, unless we work for him and his wife, and get food for them so that they will get fatter. Tomorrow we will go and camp with them. We will help make them into good flesh.”
The next day they met and camped together. Mamiltehe’o had seven sons, Kanowe’o had two little boys. Now Kanowe’o said to the sons of Mamiltehe’o, “Go down far into the woods and cut some wood so that we can close up the hole to catch the beavers. Your father and I will go out and cut a hole in the ice (so that we can bar the entrance to the beaver house when you bring the wood).” The boys went. Then Kanowe’o said to his companion, “You cut the ice,
I will watch you. For me, I am too weak to work.” Mamiltehe’o took the ice-chisel and commenced to cut the ice. When the hole was big enough, Kanowe’o took his chisel and struck Mamiltehe’o in the back. He pushed him into the hole under the ice. Mamiltehe’o disappeared under the ice. Now Kanowe’o had hidden an otterskin quiver full of arrows near at hand. When the seven boys came back loaded with wood as he had commanded, he killed them all with his arrows. Whereupon the wife of Mamiltehe’o came running up with nine old women that they were keeping to fatten up for eating. Mamiltehe’o’s wife was ahead of the others. She asked Kanowe’o, “Where is my man?” Kanowe’o answered, “I was using your man to close up the entrance to the beaver house. He is frozen now.” The wife of Mamiltehe’o laughed. “Ha! you liar! My man is too powerful for you to have done what you say.” At this word she took the axe to kill Kanowe’o, but he struck up the axe and cut her back in two. Then Kanowe’o asked the other old women, “Do you eat people?” They all cried, “No!” But two of them exclaimed to the others, “You do eat them yourselves. Just look at us who do not eat Christians. Look at our stomachs.” Kanowe’o looked and saw many cuts of the knife which Mamiltehe’o had made to see if they were fat enough to eat. These two cut ones, who were slaves, Kanowe’o kept and spared. But the others, he killed them all. That was the finish of the family of Mamiltehe’o.
Afterward Kanowe’o pulled Mamiltehe’o out of the lake. He saw that he actually had hair to the length of a hand hanging from his heart like a beard, as his name indicated.
Index of Cree Mythology 