Heroes And Legends

Myth or reality?

What role does myth play in the story of the voyageurs? Were they truly the romantic, larger-than-life figures, as many see them today? With two centuries separating our time from the height of the fur trade, the boundary between myth and historical truth is blurred. Moreover, people's habit of embellishing stories to make them more appealing means that some feats are clearly exaggerated. But to what point?

History has forgotten many voyageurs. Historians have been more interested in the so-called "great" men and women who distinguished themselves by acts of heroism or leadership. It is important to remember that these people were not alone in accomplishing the extraordinary. They depended on the voyageurs, who in turn depended on the Natives.

Movers and shakers in the voyageur's world

Thanadelthur

Thanadelthur, ambassador of peace

Hired by the Hudson's Bay Company in 1713, this former Chipewyan slave succeeded in creating peace between two rival nations: her own and the Cree. With her wisdom and diplomatic talents, she brought an end to war between the tribes, which had been a major hindrance to the fur trade. She also assisted in the exploration of the continent's interior.

Alexander Mackenzie

Alexander Mackenzie

Mackenzie joined the fur trade in 1773. In 1801, he published his journals relating his voyages to the Arctic (1789) and Pacific (1793) oceans while a partner of the North West Company. His published journals raised awareness of the breadth of North America, and helped determine the continent's eventual political map. Mackenzie and his crew were the first white men north of Mexico to reach the Pacific coast by travelling overland.

Rock inscribed by Mackenzie upon his arrival on Canada's west coast.
Peter Skene Ogden

After the merger of the trading companies, the HBC hired this fur trader from the North West Company to promote trade in the Snake River district. Faced with territorial disputes, Ogden eliminated all furbearing animals from the region in order to make it less lucrative for other trappers. He also contributed to the development of the west by setting up colonies in what is now the state of Utah.

Legend: window on the soul

Because of their timeless qualities, many legends are still told to this day. Although they highlight the hopes and fears of our ancestors, even today they maintain a hold on our collective consciousness.

Attack of the grizzly, by George Catlin

Jean Cadieux, grizzly bears and a flying canoe

The legend of Jean Cadieux illustrates fear of a hostile wilderness. This legend tells the story of a voyageur who dies of starvation and exhaustion after saving his crew from an Iroquois ambush. In another legend, two voyageurs are canoeing down a turbulent river, chased by a grizzly. This tale evokes the fear of bears and rapids.

Chasse-galerie, by Réal Bérard

The legend of the chasse-galerie includes the themes of isolation and loneliness. It is the story of a group of voyageurs who attempt, through rather unorthodox means, to return home to their families.

Legend of the lost child

The voyageurs would recount this Aboriginal legend as they travelled along the French River. It tells of a group of Indians who were camping near the Little Parisien Rapids when one of their infants went missing. They were unable to find the baby, even though they heard it cry as though it were nearby. They even dug up the ground in a futile effort to rescue the lost child. They could only surmise that an evil spirit had seized the baby and carried it off. Nothing else explained how it vanished without a trace.

Did you know?

The following passage, oft-quoted but of uncertain origins, captures the spirit of the voyageur during the fur trade era:

"Said one of these men, long past seventy years of age: 'I could carry, paddle, walk and sing with any man I ever saw. I have been twenty-four years a canoe man, and forty-one years in service; no portage was ever too long for me. Fifty songs I could sing. I have saved the lives of ten voyageurs. Have had twelve wives and six running dogs. I spent all my money in pleasure. Were I young again, I should spend my life the same way over. There is no life so happy as a voyageur's life!"

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