From Ojibwa Folklore
[Note – The old man in this story is Nanabush, the primary God of the Ojibwas, who is also the man that speaks about the dogs.]
A good many years ago two families lived on an Island. One family had one son, and the other one daughter. The two young people got married and lived for a little while when the young wife took sick and died. The old people buried her on the island, but the young husband went out after the burying, and the old people saw him lie down near the grave. Just as soon as he closed his eyes he saw his wife going away. He followed her for a long time but could not get near enough to catch her, so he went on till night came. She said to him, “We will camp here,” and she made her camp a little way ahead. He made his camp behind hers.
The next morning came and they started again. On their way he saw a big house by the roadside, but before they reached the house he heard somebody talk to him and who told him that, “this was the place where all the dogs live that you ever owned. The ones that you have used badly, and they will pay you for what you have done to them while living.” The man that spoke said to him, “I will help you. You take these bags of shoes and the dogs attacked the shoes and the young man passed out and saw his wife ahead of him the same as usual. The night came and they camped out once more.
The next day came and about noon they saw another house on the road ahead. When they came to this house they saw some people who invited them to eat, but they did not eat. This was the last house to be seen before they got to the place where they were going. They went on till they saw a great big house. The wife went in ahead and the man came in behind. When he got in he saw nothing but a big room full of little beds, but nobody was in the house. He went all over the house but could not find his wife so he went out and looked around. He saw another house nearby and went over to it. He rapped at the door and someone said, “Come in.” He went in and saw an old man sitting down who said to him, “You have come a long way to try and get your wife back. Once they get in that big house you can’t see them any more, but, if you want help I can help you a lot.” “I will be very much obliged if you will,” said the young man. “Well,” the old man said. “There will be a big dance in the big house to-night. They do that every time a new man or a new woman gets here. I will hide you in my pocket and at the dance I will catch her.” The night came. As soon as the sun went down people could be heard running around all over (spirits or ghosts).
This old man was the man who sang at the dance so he started the dance a little after dark. He who was sitting in the pocket was watching his wife. He saw her coming and dancing too. When she got near the old man caught her and got a very small box and put her in and went out. This broke up the dance. The old man took the box to his house. There were two little boxes, one for the wife, and another in which was an oil of some kind. The old man said to the young husband, “It took you four years to get here and you will get back in two days. Beware and do what I say. When you get home, get two small stones and make them hot, open the box of oil and let it melt on the stones. Cover yourself and the boxes with blankets. You listen till you hear her speak and then open the box. You will see her alive again.” The young husband did all this when he got back home and his wife came to life again. They came to where they started at first on the Island. There was nobody living there this time so they sat down and after a little while he said, “Do you see that point up there? Watch a little while and you will see two canoes coming this way. There will be our parents in them.” The canoes came out in the lake straight for the island and when they came near they stopped. The old people said, “Someone’s at the grave.” The two young people spoke, “Come on, we got back here again alive.” The old people almost jumped out in the water when they saw their children and heard them talking.
In olden times people used to believe in feeding the dead by burning some bread and meat over the grave, and this was what brought the parents back to the island at this particular time.
Source:
Ojibwa Myths and Tales, G.E. Laidlaw, 1915
Kotharian Lightning 