Great Hare Builds a Fire

One can imagine the awe and wonder that early civilizations must have felt when the northern lights lit up the night sky. The many stories that those cultures shared help to illustrate the mystery that surrounded the dancing lights, and the impact they had on their people. These legends were woven into the fabric of First Nations history, and passed down through generations in the oral tradition of storytelling, evolving along with the communities surrounding them. Modern science has found ways to explain the refraction of light, but for thousands of years it was veiled in natural wonder.

The many bands that comprise the Algonquin people share a number of stories about the northern lights and a cultural hero known as "Nanahboozho*" who would often shape-shift into the Great Hare. Nanahboozho was the Creator of Turtle Island after the great flood, and the Odawa people of ManitoulinIsland (Ontario) have a historical legend that when he was finished, he travelled north and built great bonfires. These bright fires were reflected as dancing colours in the sky, shining to remind his people that he was thinking of them.

This coin is the first issue of A Story of the Northern Lights collection.
The first coinof the series, released in 2013, depicts the Great Hare.
The second coin of the series, released in 2014, depicts the Howling Wolf.
The third and the last coin of the series, released in 2015, depicts the Raven.

A STORY OF THE NORTHERN LIGHTS - THE GREAT HARE - 2013 CANADA COINS 01 is categorised COINS AND PAPER MONEY / 08- ROYAL CANADIAN MINT / 10- FLORA, FAUNA & NATURE and sold by l'Imaginaire, a store and specialised website.