Baykok

Thebaykok(orpau'guk,paguk,baguck;bakaakin theOjibwe languageandpakàkin theAlgonquin language) is amalevolent spiritfrom themythologyof theOjibwaynation.

In traditional culture

The Baykok is a character from theAnishinaabeaadizookaan(traditional stories). It is said to fly through the forests of theGreat Lakesregion. The cries of Baykok are also described as being shrill. Described as "Death" inThe Song of Hiawatha,it is said to appear as an extremely emaciatedskeleton-like figure, with thin translucent skin and glowing red points for eyes. The Baykok only preys upon warriors, but does so ruthlessly, using invisiblearrowsor beating its prey to death with a club. The Baykok, after paralyzing or killing its prey, then devours the liver of its victim. Baykok was also said to approach a sleeping hunter, gently cut an opening in the chest and remove a piece of the stomach, without waking the victim.

The wordbakaakin theAnishinaabe languagemeans "skeleton" in the sense of "bones draped in skin" rather than "bare-bones", such that it lends itself to words likebakaakadozo,meaning "to be thin/skinny/poor", andbakaakadwengwe,meaning "to have a lean/thin face". The nameBakaakoccasionally appears asBekaak(reflected inEnglishas "Baykok" ), which may be a shortening ofbekaakadwaabewizid,meaning "an extremely thin being".

The description ofBakaak's shrill cries (bagakwewewin,literally meaning "clear/distinct cries" ) is a pun of its name. The method theBakaakuses to subdue its victim is another pun of its name: the word for "to beat using a club" isbaagaakwaa'ige.A similar construct is found in the name for the basketry splints calledbaagaako'igan,prepared by poundingblack ash.Yet another pun on the name is the way theBakaak"flings its victim's chest open" (baakaakwaakiganezh) to devour the victim's liver.

In popular culture

First introduced to the non-Anishinaabe public throughThe Song of Hiawatha,the baykok is occasionally referenced in modern fiction. Elliot James' novelDaringfeatures a bakaak which hunts werewolves.

The Bakaak is depicted as a race of primordial homonins that preyed upon early humans in Gemma Files's short storyGrave Goods.

The Baykok also appears in the Japanese franchise of role-playing gamesMegami Tensei,in the first two installments of the Shin Megami Tensei series as a demon enemy.

Baykok is depicted in theMinecraft modTotemic, where it is a skeleton Boss with high health and a powerful bow that fires invisible arrows, and must be summoned using a ritual.

The Baykok is a variety of undead creature in thePathfinder RPG.

See also

• The Song of Hiawatha

External links

• List of words found inThe Song of Hiawatha

References

• Cuoq, Jean André.1886.Lexique de la Langue Algonquine.Montréal: J. Chapleau & Fils.
• Johnston, Basil. 2001.The Manitous: the spiritual world of the Ojibway.St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press.
• Nichols, John D. and Earl Nyholm. 1995.A Concise Dictionary of Minnesota Ojibwe.Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.