Location Taken: Agawa Bay, Ontario
Time Taken: June 2012
I did not know it at the time, but right where the sun is setting, just a bit past where the land curves away out of sight, is a tall rock wall with ancient pictographs on it.
They’re all faded with the centuries they’ve seen, but the red pigment they were drawn in still stands out against the rock.
It’s a combination of human figures, canoes, animals, and mythical beings, drawn facing the lake. One of the key figures is Mishipeshu, the Great Lynx. Despite the feline name, which matched most of its features, this creature bore large horns, scales down its back and long tail, and was an aquatic reptile. According to myth, Mishipeshu was a temperamental Lord of the Lake, responsible both for many drownings and for assuring good fishing. It also guarded the native copper that is abundant and easily gathered in the region.
I find it interesting that while I had no clue about such things, I was still drawn to the area. It is beautiful, in that somewhat otherworldly way some spots have, where nature is in perfect balance and barely deigning to let you see its glory. I’d already wanted to visit the Provincial Park that this bay is part of again, just for its beauty. Now I have another place in the area I want to see.
