Legends of the Northern Woods

Jason Lee Willis, author and educator, taught world mythologies for the better part of three decades and brings passion for the mysterious and unknown to this collection of mythological, supernatural, and religious concepts. Ranging from epic tales in the days of the dawn to a comparison of End Times prophecies, this collection evaluates legends to not only find common ground but also to evaluate some of the unique features of variant tellings. In Legends of the Northern Woods, Willis uses the fictional character of Jesuit missionary Father Jean Nicholas Guerin to illustrate the legends of Hiawatha County in Minnesota. Through Father Guerin, the Norse, Oceti Sakowin, Anishinaabe, and Judeo-Christian cultures are juxtaposed to gain an understanding of the supernatural events impacting the residents of nearby Lake Manitou. Willis focuses on a dozen shared concepts told under the shade of elm and ash: all-seeing ravens, the weavers of fate, and the enigmatic little people. He examines tales from the beginning: magical stones and sacred trees, primordial hunters, watery horned serpents, and great cataclysms that changed the world. Finally, he delves into prophecy: underworld theories, ghosts and the undead, and various End Times predictions. Through Father Guerin, the lens is focused on the fictional world found in The Dreamcatcher Chronicles, but ever the educator, Willis seeks to share ideas that unite rather than divide humanity.