|
 Glooscap - Parrsboro, NS Posted by:  T0SHEA
N 45° 24.395 W 064° 19.538
20T E 396261 N 5028972
Glooscap, a figure of Mi'Kmaq legend, appears in more than one place in Nova Scotia, this time at the Parrsboro Town Hall.
Waymark Code: WMPMBQ
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada
Date Posted: 09/19/2015
Views: 4
This much larger than life, as in 20 feet tall, fibreglass statue of Glooscap stands at the rear of the town hall near the northwest corner of the hall. Beside him is an interpretive sign, imparting a bit of information on his origin. One tidbit of information unfortunately missing is who the creator & artist of the statue was. The town's website is also not forthcoming with that information.
Glooscap figures in the mythology of many native peoples of Maine and Atlantic Canada, including the local Mi'Kmaq people. Further below is an account of the Mi'Kmaq vision of Glooscap.
GLOOSCAP
Town of Parrsboro
Glooscap is an important legendary figure of the Mi'Kmaq people. Many legends are strongly connected to the land and coast of the Bay of Fundy.
Since 1972, this sculpture of Glooscap has stood here to remind us of the importance of cultural connections. The inspiration and passion for this twenty-foot statue can be credited to both Reverend Edward Tuck, former pastor of our St. George's Anglican Church, and Lyle Yorke, a local merchant who, among others, took great interest in the stories of Glooscap. This artistic rendering of Glooscap has since served as the backdrop for countless photos and is widely known in the local area.
To learn more about Glooscap visit the town of Parrsboro website at www.town,parrsboro.ns.ca, visit the Fundy Geological Museum here in Parrsboro, or visit the Glooscap heritage centre in Millbrook, near Truro, Nova Scotia.
(A previous sign read as follows:
"Glooscap is best described as the chief god of the Mic Mac, a tribe of the Algonquin who lived in the woodlands of Eastern North America. The capricious and funloving spirit of these beautiful and exotic people is reflected in the Glooscap legends. Parrsboro, Nova Scotia.)
From the sign beside Glooscap
Mi'kmaq
In one version of the Mi'kmaq creation myth, Glooskap lay on his back, with arms outstretched and his head toward the rising sun, for 365 days and nights, then Nogami, the grandmother, was born as an old woman from the dew of the rock. The next day, Nataoa-nsen, Nephew, was born from the foam of the sea. On the next day was born the Mother of all the Mi'kmaq, from the plants of the Earth.
Glooscap was said by the Mi'kmaq to be great in size and in powers, and to have created natural features such as the Annapolis Valley. In carrying out his feats, he often had to overcome his evil twin brother who wanted rivers to be crooked and mountain ranges to be impassable; in one legend, he turns the evil twin into stone. Another common story is how he turned himself into a giant beaver and created five islands in the Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia by slapping his huge tail in the water with enough force to stir up the earth. His home was said to be Cape Blomidon. Yet another legend says that when Glooscap finished painting the splendor of the world, he dipped his brush into a blend of all the colours and created Abegweit, meaning "Cradled on the Waves" — his favorite island (Prince Edward Island).
When Glooscap slept, Nova Scotia was his bed, and Prince Edward Island his pillow.
Glooscap is remembered for having saved the world from an evil frog-monster, who had swallowed all the Earth's water. Glooscap killed the monster and the water was released. Some animals, relieved at the resurgence of water, jumped in, becoming fish and other aquatic animals. Of course, this legend, like many others did have some basis in fact. A massive earthquake converted a mountain on the east side of the Penobscot river into a new channel through a split in that mountain. The eastern side of this mountain became Verona island, and the new river channel passed in-between. Later, when explorers asked where the stone fort Norumbega was, they were told that it lay on the eastern side of the river (which it did prior to the earthquake), and so could never find the new location. It is now located in the north-west corner of the Sandy Point Animal Enhancement Area in Sandy Point, Maine.
Glooscap is also believed to have brought the Mi'kmaq stoneware, knowledge of good and evil, fire, tobacco, fishing nets, and canoes, making him a cultural hero.
From Wiki
Time Period: Middle Ages
Approximate Date of Epic Period: 1000 to 1900 AD
Epic Type: Mythical
Exhibit Type: Figure, Statue, 3D Art
|
Visit Instructions:
To post a log for this waymark, take a picture of the location and tell at least 'a little' bit about your encounter, impression or experience.
|