Penobscot legend: Gluscape and the Moose

This legend previously was written down, but many of the Penobscot legends have never been put into writing and continue to be passed on through the tribe’s strong oral tradition.

The stories have been told in different ways by different people over time, but the central meaning remains the same.

This legend was told by Penobscot Nation historian James Eric Francis Sr. as it was passed on to him.

The story is about how Gluscape slew a cow moose and then chased its calf, creating place names from Mount Kineo to Penobscot Bay.

Gluscape is an important figure in numerous Penobscot legends for teaching people about the world and how to live. Over time, his name has been spelled many ways, including Koluskap, Gluskap, Keloskape, Glooskap and Gluskabe.

The Kineo legend takes place in the winter, and Gluscape wanted to show his people that the cow moose was edible. He slew the moose, and its body became Mount Kineo.

Now motherless, the moose calf began to run, knocking over the kettle Gluscape had been using to cook. The kettle became known as nearby Kettle Mountain or Little Spencer. “Then Gluscape threw down his pack, which became Big Spencer Mountain,” Francis said.

With snowshoes strapped to his feet, Gluscape continued to chase the calf across the frozen landscape.

All the while, Gluscape’s dog had been running behind him, but when Gluscape jumped over Penobscot Bay, the dog couldn’t make the leap and the two became separated.

When Gluscape reached Cape Rosier, he killed the calf and threw his dog some of the moose entrails, which landed in the water.

They became landscape markers and were given names representing their color and shape.

Cape Rosier (Mosikatcik) became known as the moose’s rump.

Thrumcap Ledge (Osquoon sjrn), east of Cape Rosier can be seen due south of Orcutt Harbor. The rock is known as Osquoon, meaning “the liver.”

“It’s clear that it’s a marker, marking the entrance to an ancient portage route through Horseshoe Cove,” Francis said.

The moose’s entrails still can be seen today as a large vein of white quartz that runs under the water.

“If you travel across the bay, you’d go right to that,” Francis said. “It’s very visible from quite a distance.”

Gluscape also left his own mark on the landscape. When he landed after jumping the bay, his snowshoes left prints in the rocks at Dice Head in Castine. Veins of white quartz that run through the ledge there have the appearance of snowshoes cast in the rock.

“They’re still there,” Francis said. “You have to use your imagination, but I can see why they would say that for that place.”