Wisakedjak

Wisakedjak ("Wìsakedjàk" in Algonquin, "Wīhsakecāhkw" in Cree and "Wiisagejaak" in Oji-cree) is the Crane Manitou found in northern Algonquian mythology, similar to the trickster god Nanabozho in Ojibwa "aadizookaanan" (sacred stories) and Inktonme in Assiniboine myth. He is generally portrayed as being responsible for a great flood which destroys the world originally made by the Creator, as well as the one who creates the current world with magic, either on his own or with powers given to him by the Creator for that specific purpose. His name is subject to many variant spellings, including Weesack-kachack, Wisagatcak, Wis-kay-tchach, Wissaketchak, Woesack-ootchacht, and undoubtedly others; it is sometimes Anglicized as Whiskey Jack, which has become an alternate name for the Gray Jay.

In Fiction

Wisakedjak is featured in the book "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman, where he is frequently referred to as "Whiskey Jack" as a corruption of the name, [http://www.frowl.org/gods/gods.html#wis] as well as in "Kiss of the Fur Queen" by Tomson Highway.

ee also

*Glooscap
*Nanabozho

External links

* [http://www.pantheon.org/articles/w/wisagatcak.html Pantheon.org entry]
* [http://tigerlily_1.tripod.com/creeworld.html A variation of the tale]