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Manitou (/ ˈ m æ n ɪ t uː /) is the spiritual and fundamental life force in the theologies of Algonquian peoples. It is omnipresent and manifests everywhere: organisms , the environment, events, etc. [ 1 ] Aashaa monetoo means "good spirit", while otshee monetoo means "bad spirit".
Gitche Manitou has been seen as those cultures' analogue to the Christian God. When early Christian (especially French Catholic) missionaries preached the Gospel to the Algonquian peoples, they adopted Gitche Manitou as a name for God in the Algonquian languages. This can be seen, for example, in the English translation of the "Huron Carol".
Wisakedjak (Wìsakedjàk in Algonquin, Wīsacaklesss(w) in Cree and Wiisagejaak in Oji-cree) is the Crane Manitou found in northern Algonquian and Dene storytelling, similar to the trickster Nanabozho in Ojibwa aadizookaanan (sacred stories), Inktonme in Assiniboine lore, and Coyote or Raven from many different tribes [citation needed].
No one manitou is believed to rule supreme over the others. [41] Its name meaning "great manitou", [55] Kitche Manitou (Gichi-Manidoo) is the creator being, but is deemed largely uninvolved with human affairs. [56] Often referred to as the "Master of Life," [57] the figure is not traditionally gendered. [58]
Salawa – the "Typhonian Animal," a slender, vaguely canine-animal that is the totemic animal of Set; Sigbin – is a creature in Philippine mythology (Philippines) Sky Fox (mythology), a celestial nine-tailed Fox Spirit that is 1,000 years old and has golden fur (Chinese) Shug Monkey – dog/monkey creature found in Cambridgeshire (Britain)
A characteristic of many of the myths is the close relationship between human beings and animals (including birds and reptiles). They often feature shape-shifting between animal and the human form. Marriage between people and different species (particularly bears) is a common theme. In some stories, animals foster human children.
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Nanabozho can take the shape of male or female animals or humans in storytelling. Most commonly it is an animal such as a raven or coyote which lives near the tribe and which is cunning enough to make capture difficult. Nanabozho is a trickster figure in many First Nation storytellings. [2]