The Song of Hiawatha, written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, is a narrative poem which tells how Hiawatha is reared by the daughter of the moon, Nokomis. Longfellow based the metre of his poem on the Finnish epic, The Kalevala.
Nokomis helps Hiawatha acquire the power and wisdom he needs as an Indian leader. Upon reaching manhood, he seeks to avenge his mother, Wenonah, against his father, the West Wind. The combat fruitfully ends in reconciliation, with Hiawatha becoming the leader of his people. His rule is marked by prosperity and peace.
However, his wife, Minnehaha dies, and he follows her to the land of the North Wind. Before doing this, he advises his people to accept the white man, whose coming he has predicted.