How the story of Glooskap and Pook-jin-skwess, the evil pitcher, is told by the Passamaquoddy Indians
In a village of the Passamaquoddy people, there lived a group who were known as the Black Cats, or Po’gum’k. Among them, one stood out for his cleverness and bravery. Armed with his bow, arrow, tomahawk, and knife, he would venture out daily to hunt moose and bear, sharing his catch with those in need. Upon his return, the villagers would eagerly gather to learn where the game lay, and they would set out with their toboggans to bring back meat. The chief of the Black Cats was the son of a bear through his mother. Among them was Pook-jin-skwess, a witch who could change from woman to man at will, though she was a man at this time. She envied the chief and plotted to usurp his position.
One day, as the camp was preparing to move, Pook-jin-skwess invited the chief to join her in gathering gulls’ eggs by the water. They paddled far out in a canoe until they reached an island. While the chief, known as Pogumk, searched for eggs, Pook-jin-skwess deceitfully paddled away, singing a song of betrayal, “I have left the Black Cat on an island, I shall be the chief of the Fishers now!” She returned to the village, and the people departed, leaving Pogumk alone. Pitcher took the chief’s place temporarily, and the villagers camped at night, expecting the chief to return.
On the thirtieth day, Pogumk remembered his friend the Fox, who possessed magical powers. Singing a special song, he called to the Fox, who heard him from miles away. The Fox swam to the island, offering to carry Pogumk back to the mainland. Holding tightly to the Fox’s tail, Pogumk closed his eyes as they swam through stormy waters conjured by Pook-jin-skwess. Though he doubted their progress, the Fox reassured him until they finally reached the shore. Pogumk then made his way to the camp, finding only ashes where the village had been. He soon caught up with the villagers, reuniting with his mother and younger brother, Sable, who recognized him from afar.
Pogumk instructed Sable to return to the camp and build a large fire. He told Sable to take Pitcher’s beloved child and throw it into the flames, then return quickly. Following his brother’s command, Sable carried out the task, inciting Pitcher’s wrath. She chased Sable with the ferocity of a starving wolf, but Pogumk intervened, confronting her. Though she tried to mask her fear with laughter, Pogumk used his magic to pin her to a tree. As she struggled to free herself, the Black Cats mocked her misfortune. Ashamed and furious, Pook-jin-skwess fled into the woods, reaching Bar Harbor, where she wished to become something that could torment all men. In that moment, she transformed into a mosquito, thus bringing these pests into the world.
It was said that Pook-jin-skwess bore children with sorcerers, giants, and monsters, but as they were all unattractive, she would steal the fairest children from the villagers, raising them as her own. Once, a young boy grew curious about his origins, noticing he was unlike his siblings. When he inquired about this, Pook-jin-skwess laughed and told him, “They were born in the night, but you are a child of the day and light.”
This retelling respects the cultural heritage of the Passamaquoddy people, from whom this legend originates.
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