Post by vg on Mar 12, 2023 7:42:57 GMT
Story of Moshup, source: edportal.harvard.edu/public-art-mural-moshup
"Moshup is not a name many would recognize, nor his story and relevance to the very land they stand upon. A cultural folklore hero to the Wampanoag and nearby coastal tribes, Moshup was a benevolent giant that lived peacefully with the first peoples. In particular Moshup was important to the Wampanoag of Noepe (Martha's Vineyard), as he helped shape the land itself of Noepe, Nantucket, and other features of Cape Cod.
Moshup wanted the humans he lived alongside to thrive, and so taught them many skills related to the sea. Most important was his knowledge on whales, of which he knew everything about and could even transform into on a whim. Often he would pluck whales from the sea to give directly to the tribes as gifts, laying them on the beach to be utilized for a myriad of important purposes. When Moshup decided he had taught all he could, it was said he transformed into a great white whale and disappeared into the ocean for a final time, secure that his teachings would see the first peoples through"
