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{{Infobox book
| image = The Myths and Legends of the North American Indians - Lewis Spence - Maastricht University - MU KEMP 067 - 0001.jpg
| caption = Title page of the book
| author            = Lewis Spence
| isbn              = 1-904-91908-1
| pub_date          = 1914
| illustrator       = James Jack
| name              = The Myths and Legends of the North American Indians
| language          = English
| publisher         = George G. Harrap & Co.
| pages             = 392
}}
[[File:The Myths and Legends of the North American Indians - Lewis Spence - Maastricht University - MU KEMP 067 - 0002.jpg|thumb|Page from the book]]
'''''The Myths and Legends of the North American Indians''''' is a book written by [[Lewis Spence]] and was first published in 1914 by [[George G. Harrap and Co.|London George G. Harrap & Company]]. It contains a collection of legends and myths of different [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American tribes]] and 32 coloured illustrations relating to some of the stories, which were created by James Jack.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Spence |first=Lewis |title=The Myths of the North American Indians |publisher=George G. Harrap, Ltd |year=1914 |language=en}}</ref>
== Context ==
After Spence graduated from Edinburgh University, he worked as a journalist for [[The Scotsman]] for five years from 1899 to 1904. In 1905, Spence published his first book ''Mysteries of Britain: Secret Rites and Traditions of Ancient Britain Restored,'' marking the beginning of his life-long interest in anthropology. When Spence moved to London in 1906, he began to study mythology and folklore, which led to the creation of ''The Popul Vuh: The Mythic and Heroic Sagas of the Kiches of Central America'' in 1908.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Spence |first=Lewis |title=The Popul Vuh: The Mythic and Heroic Sagas of the Kiches of Central America |publisher=Dttv Publications |year=1908 |location=London |language=en}}</ref> When returning to Edinburgh in 1909, Spence decided to write more books on the domain of mythology and thus published ''A Dictionary of Mythology'' in 1910,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Spence |first=Lewis |title=A Dictionary of Mythology |publisher=Cassel, Ltd |year=1910 |language=en}}</ref> and ''The Myths of Mexico and Peru'' in 1913,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Spence |first=L. |title=The Myths of Mexico & Peru |publisher=Harrap |year=1913 |location=United Kingdom |language=en}}</ref> which was written because of Spence's growing interest in the [[Mesoamerica#Mythology and worldview|mythology and folklore of Mexico and Central America]] at the time.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=Spence, (James) Lewis (Thomas Chalmers) (1874–1955) {{!}} Encyclopedia.com |url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/spence-james-lewis-thomas-chalmers-1874-1955 |access-date=2023-08-24 |website=www.encyclopedia.com}}</ref> This interest then shifted to North America in ''The Myths and Legends of North American Indians'' (1914), which, being Spence's fifth published book, was still part of his early bibliography.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Lewis Spence |url=https://www.controverscial.com/Lewis%20Spence.htm |access-date=2023-08-24 |website=www.controverscial.com}}</ref>
In the early twentieth century, there had already been other books collecting the [[myth]]s and [[legend]]s of the Native Americans, several of which in their preface expressed a want to make known the character of the Aboriginal culture through sharing their stories:<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6" /><ref name=":7" /> For example, in ''North American Indian Fairy Tales'' Robert Coutts Armour claimed that the Indians' Folk-tales are the best reflection of their character.<ref name=":5">{{Cite book |last=Armour |first=R.C. |title=North American Indian Fairy Tales |publisher=Gibbings, Ltd |year=1905 |location=London |language=en}}</ref> [[Mary Catherine Judd]], in her work ''[[Wigwam Stories|Wigwam Stories Told by North American Indians]]'', emphasised the Indians' love of the beautiful and of the humorous that underlies their stories, a characteristic that she wished to share through this publication.<ref name=":6">{{Cite book |last=Judd |first=Mary Catherine |title=Wigwam stories told by North American Indians |publisher=Ginn & Company |year=1906 |location=Boston |language=en}}</ref> In ''The Indians' Book'' [[Natalie Curtis]] stated that her intention is for the book to make the Indian known, both to White Americans and to younger generations of Native Americans, such that Indian culture would not be forgotten. As a consequence, she hoped, Whites and Indians could leave their history of conflict behind and live united as one people.<ref name=":7">{{Cite book |last=Burlin |first=Natalie Curtis |title=The Indians' Book |publisher=Harper and Bros. |year=1907 |location=Havard University |language=en}}</ref>
== Contents ==
''The Myths and Legends of the North American Indians'' contains two introductory chapters, whose information, according to Spence, is required to properly understand and appreciate the following five chapters covering the titular myths and legends.<ref name=":0" /> In the first chapter Spence gives a historical overview of the discovery of the North American Indians as well as of their history with the [[European Americans|European settlers]]. It also describes the most common customs, traditions, and way of life of different major groups of tribes, such as the [[Algonquin people|Algonquins]] or [[Iroquois]].<ref name=":0" /> The second chapter covers overarching mythologies that are generally present in all tribes, for example the central cultural beliefs of [[animism]], [[totemism]], and [[fetishism]], or common religious ideas about [[gods]] or [[morality]].<ref name=":0" />
The remaining five chapters contain myths and legends of the respective groups of tribes, namely of the [[Algonquian peoples|Algonquians]], [[Iroquois]], [[Sioux]], [[Pawnee mythology|Pawnees]], and of other Indian groups that reside in the northern and north-western parts of North America. Spence concludes that the stories of the North American Indians resemble [[European folklore|European]] and [[Scandinavian folklore|Scandinavian folk tales]], but stresses that they nonetheless possess a very distinguishing atmosphere of their own.<ref name=":0" />
In the preface Spence stresses the need to put the tales of the North American Indians into writing and to confront the white American population with it: "[The primary objective is] to furnish the reader with a general view of the mythologies of the Red Man of North America, accompanied by such historical and ethnological information as will assist him in gauging the real conditions under which this most interesting section of humanity existed."<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |date=1915 |title=Review of The Myths and Legends of the North American Indians |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/29738110 |journal=The Journal of Race Development |volume=6 |issue=1 |pages=107 |doi=10.2307/29738110 |jstor=29738110 |issn=1068-3380}}</ref> In the afterword Spence expresses his hope that through reading these tales, Americans might see the similarities between themselves and the Native Americans. The end of the book features a bibliography of relevant literature and a glossary of domain-specific, mostly culture-related, terms that are used throughout the book.<ref name=":0" />
== Subsequent publications ==
Since its original release in 1914 and 2023, ''The Myths and Legends of the North American Indians'' was re-published more than a dozen times under slightly different names<ref>{{Cite web |title=Search results for North American Indians lewis spence {{!}} ISBNdb |url=https://isbndb.com/search/books/North+American+Indians+lewis+spence |access-date=2023-08-25 |website=isbndb.com}}</ref> and sometimes with new content, such as ''A Brief Guide to Native American Myths and Legends'', which contains commentary and a new introductory essay by Jon E. Lewis,<ref name=":8">{{Cite book |last=Spence  |first=Lewis |title=A Brief Guide to Native American Myths and Legends: With a New Introduction and Commentary by Jon E. Lewis. |publisher=Little, Brown Book Group |year=2013 |isbn=9781780337883 |location=United Kingdom |language=en}}</ref> or ''The Legends of Native Americans'', which is a compilation of several books similar to ''The Myths and Legends of the North American Indians'' that serves as a big collection of Native American stories.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Spence |first1=L. |title=The Legends of Native Americans |last2=Dorsey |first2=J. O. |last3=Cushing |first3=F. H. |last4=Matthews |first4=W. |last5=Mooney |first5=J. |last6=Smith |first6=E. A. |publisher=DigiCat |year=2022 |location=Czechia |language=en}}</ref> The book has also been published in other languages, like German<ref>{{Cite book |last=Spence |first=Lewis |title=Mythen der Indianer |publisher=Bechtermünz und Weltbild |year=1998 |isbn=9783828948006 |location=Germany |language=de}}</ref> and Spanish.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Spence |first=Lewis |title=Indios de norteamerica |publisher=M. E. Editores |year=1995 |isbn=9788449501609 |location=Madrid |language=es}}</ref> In 2021, ''The Myths and Legends of the North American Indians'' was adapted into an [[audiobook]] named ''Native American Mythology.'' It contains the stories of the original book narrated by the voice of Jim D. Johnston.<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 July 2023 |title=Native American Mythology: The Myths of the North American Indians with a Summary |url=https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Native-American-Mythology-Audiobook/B09BT7LZ7M |access-date=8 July 2023 |website=Audible}}</ref>
== Reception ==
While Spence's work in general has been described as "[meeting] stiff criticism in professional journals",<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lewis Spence |url=https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/224276.Lewis_Spence |access-date=2023-08-25 |website=www.goodreads.com}}</ref> ''The Myths and Legends of the North American Indians'' specifically was reviewed in the July 1915 issue of ''The Journal of Race and Development'' and the book's stories were described as being "told in a very interesting fashion."<ref name=":1" /> In the [[Twenty first century|twenty-first century]], the book came into discourse on [[goodreads]].com,<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=The Myths of the North American Indians |url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2187534.The_Myths_of_the_North_American_Indians |access-date=2023-08-25 |website=Goodreads}}</ref> as it was called out by some for its allegedly racist vocabulary used to describe Native Americans. User reviews deemed terms Spence uses throughout the book, like "primitive", "savage man", "Red Man", and "uncivilised", problematic and Spence's view of the North American Indians was criticised as being hypocritical and unjustly demeaning towards the race.<ref name=":3" /> Some report that they did not finish the book because of this. Others defend Spence, claiming that people may miss out on a good book, only because they fail to discern actually racist and demeaning language from outdated language.<ref name=":3" /> The 2012 republication of ''The Myths and Legends of the North American Indians'', titled ''Native American Myths'', describes the original book as a "major forerunner of modern studies of myth"<ref>{{Cite book |last=Spence |first=Lewis |title=Native American Myths |publisher=Dover Publications |year=2012 |isbn=9780486112350 |language=en}}</ref> and the 2013 republication ''A Brief Guide to Native American Myths and Legends'' calls the original book "seminal".<ref name=":8" /> ''The Myths and Legends of the North American Indians'' has been referenced in many other pieces of literature, several of which also deal with (Native American) mythology.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Google Scholar |url=https://scholar.google.com/scholar?start=0&hl=en&as_sdt=5,44&sciodt=0,44&as_ylo=1913&as_yhi=2023&cites=2509862013284004320&scipsc=&inst=13291755310766122872 |access-date=2023-08-25 |website=scholar.google.com}}</ref> The book is referenced for its descriptions of the Indian way of life through the stories it tells and for the purpose of analysing their [[Theme (narrative)|themes]] or [[symbol]]s.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Pérez-Lloréns |first1=José Lucas |last2=Mouritsen |first2=Ole G. |last3=Rhatigan |first3=Prannie |last4=Cornish |first4=M. Lynn |last5=Critchley |first5=Alan T. |date=October 2020 |title=Seaweeds in mythology, folklore, poetry, and life |url=https://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10811-020-02133-0 |journal=Journal of Applied Phycology |language=en |volume=32 |issue=5 |pages=3157–3182 |doi=10.1007/s10811-020-02133-0 |issn=0921-8971}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Bierlein |first=J. F. |title=Parallel Myths |publisher=The Random House Publishing Group |year=1994 |edition=1st |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Dawn E. |first1=Bastian |title=Handbook of North American Mythology |last2=Mitchell |first2=Judy K. |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2008 |location=Oxford |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Hornborg |first=Anne-Christine |title=Mi'kmaq Landscapes: From Animism to Sacred Ecology |publisher=Taylor & Francis |year=2016 |location=United Kingdom |language=en}}</ref>
In the years after the publication of ''The Myths and Legends of the North American Indians'', Spence kept writing about myths and legends of other cultures in works such as ''[[Myths and Legends of Babylonia and Assyria|The Myths and Legends of Babylonia and Assyria]]'' (1917) or ''The Legends and Romances of Spain'' (1920).<ref name=":2" /> Following that, in the 1920s, Spence got involved in Scottish nationalist politics by joining the [[Scots National League]].<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Auer |first=Christian |url=http://books.openedition.org/pus/9785 |title=Scotland and the Scots, 1707–2007: A Reader |date=2013 |publisher=Presses universitaires de Strasbourg |isbn=978-2-86820-551-3 |pages=256–257 |language=en |doi=10.4000/books.pus.10169}}</ref> During that time, his interests shifted away from examining the legends of different cultures and focalise on one specific legend, the mystery of [[Atlantis]]. He wrote several books on the topic, notably ''The Problem of Atlantis'' (1924), ''Atlantis in America'' (1925), and ''The History of Atlantis'' (1926).<ref name=":2" /> In 1951, four years before his death, Spence was awarded a royal pension for services to literature.<ref name=":4" />
Following the release of ''The Myths and Legends of the North American Indians'' in 1914, hundreds of books on [[Mythologies of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas|North American myths and legends]] have been published until 2023,<ref>{{Cite web |title=native american indian myths and legends – Treffer |url=https://www.worldcat.org/de/search?q=native+american+indian+myths+and+legends&itemType=book&itemSubType=book-printbook,book-digital,book-mic,book-thsis,book-mss,book-largeprint,book-braille&datePublished=1915-2023 |access-date=2023-09-17 |website=www.worldcat.org}}</ref> the vast majority of which came out after 1980.<ref name=":9">{{Cite web |title=native american indian myths and legends – Treffer |url=https://www.worldcat.org/de/search?q=native+american+indian+myths+and+legends&itemType=book&itemSubType=book-printbook,book-digital,book-mic,book-thsis,book-mss,book-largeprint,book-braille&datePublished=1980-2023 |access-date=2023-09-17 |website=www.worldcat.org}}</ref> In the decades following the release of ''The Myths and Legends of the North American Indians'', only few other collections of Native American folk tales and legends were published. Volume 10 of ''The Mythology of all Races'' (1916), released two years after ''The Myths and Legends of the North American Indians'', is an objective and descriptive collection of myths and legends of the Indians.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Gray |first=Louis Herbert |title=The Mythology of All Races / Volume X: North American |publisher=Marshall Jones company |year=1916 |location=Boston |language=en}}</ref> The remaining few books chose to zoom in on specific [[State-recognized tribes in the United States|subgroups of Indians]], for example on myths of the northwestern Indians,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bagley |first=Clarence |title=Indian Myths of the Northwest |publisher=Shorey Book Store |year=1971 |isbn=9780846640417 |edition=reprint |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Neergaard |first=C. A. |date=1935 |title=Clarence B. Bagley: A Brief Biography |url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/40475729 |journal=The Washington Historical Quarterly |language=en |volume=26 |issue=2 |pages=109–118 |jstor=40475729 |access-date=2023-09-17 |via=JSTOR}}</ref> [[southwestern Indian]]s,<ref name=":10">{{Cite book |last=Dutton |first=Bertha P. |title=Myths & legends of the Indians of the Southwest |publisher=Bellerophon Books |year=1979 |isbn=9780883880494 |location=California |language=en}}</ref> and [[Northern Rockies|Indians from the Northern Rockies]],<ref>{{Cite book |last=Clark |first=Ella E. |title=Indian legends from the northern Rockies |publisher=University of Oklahoma Press |year=1966 |isbn=9780806120874 |location=Norman, Oklahoma |language=en}}</ref> tales of the [[Yaqui]],<ref>{{Cite book |last=Giddings |first=Ruth Warner |title=Yaqui myths and legends |publisher=University of Arizona Press |year=1959 |isbn=9780816504671 |location=Tucson |language=en}}</ref> of the New York State [[Iroquois]],<ref name=":11">{{Cite book |last=Converse |first=Harriet Maxwell |title=Myths and legends of the New York Iroquois |publisher=I.J. Friedman |year=1962 |location=Port Washington, N. Y. |language=en}}</ref> or of the [[Alabama–Coushatta Tribe of Texas|Alabama-Coushatta Indians of Texas]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Martin |first=Howard N. |title=Myths & Folktales of the Alabama-Coushatta Indians of Texas |publisher=Encino Press |year=1977 |isbn=9780884260523 |location=Austin, Texas |language=en}}</ref> Some of these books expressed similar sentiments as ''The Myths and Legends of the North American Indians'', such as one author's love and shared sympathy for the Indian culture''<ref name=":11" />'' or praising the Indian craftsmanship, artistry, and story-richness that is transmitted through their tales.<ref name=":10" /> In the early twenty-first century (2000 to 2023), accompanying the influx of books on the topic,<ref name=":9" /> emerged other kinds of story collections recounting Indian tales. Aside from further books focussing on the legends of one particular region or tribe,<ref>{{Cite book |title=Milwaukee stories |date=2005 |publisher=Marquette University Press |isbn=978-0-87462-079-5 |editor-last=Jablonsky |editor-first=Thomas J. |series=Urban life series |location=Milwaukee, Wis}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Eastman |first1=Charles A. |title=Wigwam evenings: Sioux folk tales retold |last2=Eastman |first2=Elaine Goodale |publisher=Barnes & Noble Digital Librar |year=2011 |isbn=9781411436800 |location=New York |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Leland |first=Charles G. |title=Algonquin Legends |publisher=Dover Publications |year=2012 |isbn=9781306391573 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |title=Wisconsin Indian literature: anthology of native voices |date=2006 |publisher=University of Wisconsin Press |isbn=978-0-299-22064-8 |editor-last=Tigerman |editor-first=Kathleen |location=Madison, Wis.}}</ref><ref name=":12">{{Cite book |last=Boughter |first=Judith A. |title=The Pawnee nation: an annotated research bibliography |date=2004 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=978-0-8108-4990-7 |series=Native American bibliography series |location=Lanham, Md.}}</ref> older books on the topic were re-published.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Indian legends of the Pacific Northwest |date=2003 |publisher=Univ. of California Press |isbn=978-0-520-23926-5 |editor-last=Clark |editor-first=Ella E. |edition=2. paperback print |location=Berkeley}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Curtis Burlin |first=Natalie |title=The Indians' book : an offering by the American Indians of Indian lore, musical and narrative, to form a record of the songs and legends of their race |year=2002 |isbn=9781410201751 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Spence |first=Lewis |title=Native American myths |publisher=Dover Publ |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-486-44573-1 |edition= |series=Dover thrift editions |location=Mineola, NY |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":8" /> Books for researchers and experts, serving as objective and comprehensive collections of Native American stories, were also published.<ref name=":12" /><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Feeling |first1=Durbin |title=Cherokee narratives: a Linguistic study |last2=Pulte |first2=William John |last3=Pulte |first3=Gregory |date=2018 |publisher=University of Oklahoma Press |isbn=978-0-8061-5986-7 |location=Norman, OK}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Epps |first=Henry |title=A Concise Study of the Myths, Legends and Traditions of the Native American People: The Esoteric Traditions of the Indigenous People |publisher=CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform |year=2013 |isbn=9781493676149 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Lee |first1=John Thomas |last2=Judson |first2=Katherine B. |year=2016 |title=Myths and Legends of the Mississippi Valley and the Great Lakes |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/1889120 |journal=The Mississippi Valley Historical Review |volume=2 |issue=1 |pages=137 |doi=10.2307/1889120 |jstor=1889120 |issn=0161-391X|hdl=2027/hvd.32044013659602 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> A notably large cluster of books of that era was composed of story collections that served entertainment purposes and were intended for the [[general public]],<ref>{{Cite book |last=Duane |first=O. B. |title=Native American myths and legends |publisher=Brockhampton Press |year=2004 |isbn=9781841861098 |location=London |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Kroeber |first=Karl |editor-first1=Karl |editor-last1=Kroeber |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9780470776391 |title=Native American Storytelling |publisher=John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |year=2008 |isbn=978-1-4051-1541-4 |editor-first= |location=Hoboken |doi=10.1002/9780470776391 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Levitt |first1=Paul M. |title=Raven finds the daylight and other Native American stories |last2=Guralnick |first2=Elissa S. |last3=Roche |first3=Carolynn |publisher=Taylor Trade Publishing |year=2015 |isbn=9781630760410 |location=Lanham, Maryland |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Mullins |first1=G. W. |title=Spirit Quest : Native American Indian Legends Stories and Fables |last2=Hause |first2=C. L. |publisher=Light of the Moon Publishing |year=2015 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Mullins |first1=G. W. |title=The best native American myths, legends, and folklore |last2=Hause |first2=C. L. |publisher=Light of the Moon Publishing |year=2016 |isbn=9781684185283 |location=United States |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |title=Native American myths and legends |publisher=Arcturus |year=2017 |isbn=9781784287177 |location=London |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Zenko |first1=Darren |title=Native American ghost stories |last2=Gideon |first2=Amos |publisher=Lone Pine Pub |year=2006 |isbn=9781894877756 |location=Auburn, Washington |language=en}}</ref> among which were educational [[Children’s books|children's books]] as well.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Schoolcraft |first=Henry R. |title=Enchanted Moccasins and Other Native American Legends |publisher=Dover Publications |year=2012 |isbn=9781306338325 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |title=Native American history for kids: explore timeless tales, myths, legends, bedtime stories & much more from the Native Indigenous Americans |publisher=History Brought Alive |year=2023 |isbn=9798396893016 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |title=Native legends : a retelling of ancient tales from the Dakota People |publisher=Oak Meadow, Inc. |year=2020 |location=Putney, Vermont |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=McDonald |first1=Kel |title=The woman in the woods and other North American stories |last2=Ashwin |first2=Kate |last3=Pete |first3=Alina |last4=Forbes |first4=Elijah |last5=Arledge |first5=Jordaan |last6=McGregor |first6=Rhiel |last7=Plamondon |first7=Maria Ambrose |publisher=Iron Circus Comics |year=2022 |isbn=9781945820977 |location=Chicago, Illinois |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Chambers |first=Catherine |title=American Indian myths and legends |publisher=Raintree |year=2013 |isbn=9781410954695 |location=Chicago, Illinois |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=French |first=Fiona |title=Lord of the animals : a Native American creation myth |publisher=Frances Lincoln Children's Books |year=2009 |isbn=9781845079161 |location=London |language=en}}</ref>
== References ==
<references />
[[Category:1914 books]]
[[Category:Mythology of the Americas]]