Passamaquoddy Legend
Kusk, the Crane, had two brothers: Lox, the Wolverine, also known as the Indian Devil, and Koskomines, the Blue Jay. Kusk was quite lazy, and one day, feeling hungry, he decided to go to Lox for dinner. Lox served him a kind of pudding-soup on a broad, flat platter. Poor Kusk found it difficult to get a mouthful, while Lox easily lapped it all up.
Not long after, Kusk prepared a fine soup and invited Lox to dinner. However, he served it in a jug, a long cylinder, and there was none left for Lox, so Kusk ate it all himself.
The next day, the two brothers decided to dine with Blue Jay. Blue Jay said, “Wait until I get our food.” He quickly ran out on a branch of a tree that stretched over a river and, in no time, fished out a large salmon. “Truly,” thought Lox, “that looks easy, and I can do it.”
The following day, Lox invited Blue Jay and Kusk to dine with him. He ran down to the river and hopped out on a tree, spotting a fine salmon. However, Lox had not mastered the technique and ended up falling into the river, where he was swept away by the rushing current.
This tale is reminiscent of Æsop’s fables but has been adapted with elements from myths attributed to both Manobozho and the Wabanaki Rabbit. Interestingly, the Wolverine bears a resemblance to Loki, as evidenced by Lox’s demise while attempting to catch a salmon. In the Norse Edda, Loki, in the form of a salmon, cast himself into the waterfall of Frânângr, marking his last act before being captured by the gods. Similarly, Otter in the Edda caught a salmon and was then caught by Loki.
While there is considerable overlap and confusion between these tales, the Indian legend remains a fragment, which, while pieced together, highlights the elements of fire and water; Lox, like Loki, represents the fire that ultimately perishes in the water.
