To better connect with any country, it is essential to know its history, culture, and legends. Some aspects might astonish the casual traveler. Ottawa Future will share Ottawa’s most famous legends and myths that are genuinely worth knowing.
The Legend of the Trillium
The three-petaled Trillium flower is rare. According to legend, more than 400 years ago, one of the Jesuit fathers was sent by the King of France to Canada to teach Christianity to the Indigenous people. He soon realized there were far more Indigenous people in the West. To spread the Word of God to a larger audience, he started exploring unknown lands and crossed the Ontario River. The Indigenous people he met there understood no French. The Jesuit father, seeking a solution, noticed beautiful flowers with four petals forming a cross. Using the flowers (Trillium), he attempted to explain the story of Jesus, but the Indigenous people were simply dismayed and kept their distance.
He decided to continue, so he removed one petal from the flower and used it to teach the truth of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. He also used the star-shaped green leaves to explain the miracle of Christ’s birth.
The Jesuit father was incredibly joyful and amazed when he saw the tiny flowers he used in his teaching begin to grow with only three petals from then on.
The City’s Symbol
The provincial government of Ontario selected the Trillium flower as the city’s emblem. This beautiful, delicate flower has three pure white petals with a slight pinkish tint. Its history is steeped in legend, as shared above. Traditionally, the official flower of Canadian provinces is Trillium grandiflorum, which translates to Large-flowered Trillium.
The Legend of the Tribal Flower’s Origin
One of Ottawa’s most beloved legends begins with an old man living by a stream in a dense forest. It was winter, so the elderly man was dressed in fur as he searched for firewood to warm his home. Near the last embers, he called out to the Sky God (Kigi Manito Waw-kwi) to survive. Suddenly, a blizzard began, and the most beautiful girl he had ever seen appeared on the doorstep. Her large, shining eyes, rosy cheeks, and long black hair adorned with a crown of wildflowers made her striking. Instead of clothes, she was dressed in sweet grass and ferns, with white lilies for shoes. She breathed, filling the house with warmth and comfort.
The old man welcomed her, explaining that his home was cold and joyless, and shared his name, Manito, while offering two pipes of tobacco. As he smoked, he told her that when he exhales, the lakes and streams freeze. She explained that when she breathes, flowers bloom across the plains. When the old man exhales, snow covers the land, and when she shakes her hair, warm rains fall from the clouds. When the old man walks, leaves wither and fall, animals burrow underground, and birds migrate. He repeated his name, Manito.
When the girl walked, everything turned green, plants rose, trees revived, birds returned, and the world filled with joyful music.
The old man lowered his head to his chest and fell asleep. The house filled with warmth and fragrance as the girl stroked his head, turning him into a tiny dried plant. She placed her most cherished pink and white flowers beneath the faded leaves. According to legend, she breathed upon them, giving them virtues and sweetness in her breath. She proclaimed, “All who seek to choose you will kneel.”
Then the girl walked through the forest and across the plains under birdsong. Everywhere she stepped, the tribal flower of Ottawa, Arbutus—also known as wild strawberry—bloomed.
The Great Flood
This is another of Ottawa’s well-known legends, familiar to many residents. The story begins with Kwi-wi-sens Nenau-bo-chju, or “the biggest clown boy in the world.” He was not only a great prophet but also a giant with incredible strength. After becoming human, he wielded a mighty club, strong enough to shatter a pine tree to pieces. However, he was not alone; he was accompanied by a fearsome hunting dog—a wolf with moon-bright eyes, envied by the sea deity. Envious, the deity sought to kill the dog-wolf through deception.
The deity transformed into a deer, and when the dog attacked it, he captured and drowned him in the depths of the sea. He summoned a large company: sea monsters, whales, and serpents to celebrate the dog’s death. When Nenau-bo-chju learned of this, he decided to avenge the sea god. He went ashore to bask in the sun until the “deep-sea caravan” emerged.
The sea creatures fell asleep, and the prophet-boy took his bow and a poisoned arrow, striking the water god Niben Manito directly in the heart. The king rolled into the sea, crying out for revenge. The gathered creatures chased the slayer of their god. The prophet ran through the mountains, across the land, everywhere he could. However, a fierce flood prevented him from reaching dry land. He pleaded with the Sky God for help.
Legend has it that a canoe appeared before him, carrying pairs of land animals and birds. A beautiful girl, the most captivating he had ever seen, was rowing, and she lowered a rope to bring him aboard.
As the flood continued, the prophet was safe. After a few days of sailing, the boy commanded Au-milk (the beaver) to dive and check if he could reach the bottom. The beaver dove but resurfaced lifeless minutes later. The prophet breathed into his mouth after pulling him aboard, reviving him.
The next to attempt reaching the bottom was Waw-jashka (the muskrat). The prophet asked him to bring back some earth so he could create a new world. Once again, the creature resurfaced lifeless. The prophet revived the muskrat with a breath, who clutched a small bit of earth in his paw. The prophet rolled it into a ball and tied it around the neck of Ka-ke-gi (the raven). Soon, land emerged above the depths. According to legend, the world then regained its former appearance. The girl joined the prophet, and together, they repopulated the earth.
The History of People in Legends
These are the most famous legends of Ottawa. These legends are close to folktales, often perceived as truths. Whether to believe them or not is up to each person.