Description

The Song of Hiawatha (1899)—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (Second Edition) Author: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Year of publication: 1899 (Second edition) Publisher: Thomas Y. Cromwell and Co. Format: Leather First edition: No Dust Jacket: No, kid leather cover Illustrations: Yes Condition: Good. The inner cover is torn. Very tight binding. Discolored leafs. The cover has some tears and stains. Has a personal inscription on first page: “To Irene from Filo, June 18 th , 1913.” Story The Song of Hiawatha is an 1855 epic poem , in trochaic tetrameter , by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow , featuring a Native American hero. Longfellow's sources for the legends and ethnography found in his poem were the Ojibwe Chief Kahge-ga-gah-bowh during his visits at Longfellow's home; Black Hawk and other Sac and Fox Indians Longfellow encountered on Boston Common ; Algic Researches (1839) and additional writings by Henry Rowe Schoolcraft , an ethnographer and United States Indian agent ; and Heckewelder's Narratives. [1] In sentiment, scope, overall conception, and many particulars, Longfellow's poem is a work of American Romantic literature, not a representation of Native American oral tradition. Longfellow insisted, "I can give chapter and verse for these legends. Their chief value is that they are Indian legends." [2] Longfellow had originally planned on following Schoolcraft in calling his hero Manabozho , the name in use at the time among the Ojibwe of the south shore of Lake Superior for a figure of their folklore, a trickster -transformer. But in his journal entry for June 28, 1854, he wrote, "Work at 'Manabozho;' or, as I think I shall call it, 'Hiawatha'—that being another name for the same personage." [3] Hiawatha was not "another name for the same personage" (the mistaken identification of the trickster figure was made first by Schoolcraft and compounded by Longfellow), but a probable historical figure associated with the founding of the League of the Iroquois , the Five Nations then located in present-day New York and Pennsylvania. [4] Because of the poem, however, "Hiawatha" became the namesake for towns, schools, trains and a telephone company in the western Great Lakes region , where no Iroquois nations historically resided. [5] We have found these books going for $500 in much worse condition. A definite “must have” for the collector. Round out your Native American collection with our Navajo rugs. Make an offer to bundle the rugs and book. We take PayPal for payment and charge sales tax for all California buyers do not present a valid resale license number. Our postage stated is for US residents only. International buyers will have to inquire as to postage. California buyers will pay sales tax unless they present a valid resale number. We always throw in a little extra vintage gift with our orders. We attend estate sales at Trousedale Estates, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Bel Aire, and other excellent areas in order to pass on antique/vintage items to those who cannot buy from such areas. Many items come from homes of those who were in the entertainment industry. Look at our other items for sale. We can combine shipping if multiple items are purchased. We are the Manhattan Beach, California Antiques Company and list our items weekly. Follow us for vintage treasures of the rich and famous! We always throw in a little extra vintage gift with our orders.