Nanabozho
Pictogram of Nanabozho on Mazinaw Rock, Bon Echo Provincial Park, Ontario | |
| Creature information | |
|---|---|
| Other name(s) | ᓇᓇᐳᔓ, Nanabush |
| Folklore | Ojibwe and other First Nations |
| Origin | |
| Region | Southern Canada, and midwestern / Northern Plains United States |
Nanabozho (in syllabics: ᓇᓇᐳᔓ, [nɐˌnɐbʊˈʒʊ]), also known as Nanabush, is a spirit in Anishinaabe aadizookaan (traditional storytelling), particularly among the Ojibwe. Nanabozho figures prominently in their storytelling, including the story of the world's creation. Nanabozho is the Ojibwe trickster figure and culture hero (these two archetypes are often combined into a single figure in First Nations mythologies, among others).
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. While the use of Nanabush through storytelling can be for entertainment, it is often used as a way to pass down information and general life lessons.