Malsumis

SpiritUnited States · North AmericaLegendFear 8/10

Description

A spirit from the folklore of United States. Malsumis (sometimes Malsum or Malsom) is thought by some to be the highly malevolent spirit or god…

The Legend

Malsumis (sometimes known as Malsum or Malsom) is considered a malevolent spirit or god of chaos in Abenaki mythology. According to legend, after Tabaldak created humans, he created Gluskab and his twin brother Malsumis from the dust that came from his hands. Tabaldak gave Gluskab the power to create a good world, but Malsumis, in contrast, seeks evil and continues down that path to this day. He performs evil deeds using tricks such as putting thorns on plants, while Gluskab protects humans, and Malsumis uses his power to plan humanity's demise. Additionally, Malsumis is sometimes associated with wolves, but many Wabanaki people claim this is not true.

Variants

The most widely spread version of Malsumis and his brother Gluskab was passed down by Charles Leland. There is controversy regarding the origin and legitimacy of this story. In Leland's version, there is an effort to depict Malsumis as an overtly malevolent being, which contrasts with two accounts told by Maliseet storytellers. Maliseet storytellers do not refer to Malsumis as 'wicked' or 'evil,' and the wolf is portrayed as a sympathetic character mourning Gluskab.

This article is based on the Wikipedia article "Malsumis" (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikipedia