Maritime Madams: Fog Woman

Fog Woman is a figure of Tlingit folklore. She has the power to turn from human form into fog and conjure up salmon. In Tlingit legends, Fog Woman is the creator and ruler of salmon. Her stories explain the annual salmon run. 

For Further Reading:

• Tlingit Women in Leadership: One Culture, Two Worlds 
• The Legend of the Fog Woman
• Tlingit Indians of Southeastern Alaska: Raven and the Fog Woman

This month, we’re talking about Maritime Madams. Whether through scientific study, aquatic exploration, or legendary prowess, they harnessed the power of the bodies of waters that cover our earth. 

History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should.

Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we’ll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more. Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:04):
Hello from Wonder Media Network. I'm Jenny Kaplan and this
is Womanica. This month we're talking about maritime madams. Whether
through scientific study, aquatic exploration, or legendary prowess, these women
harness the power of the bodies of water that cover
our earth.

Speaker 2 (00:27):
A raven flies over a series.

Speaker 1 (00:28):
Of islands separated by the icy Gulf of Alaska. A
heavy blanket of fog covers them. The raven lands on shore,
and the mist clears. He spots a woman. Her hair
is long and black. As she sits in her canoe.
The fog rolls in again, and when it dissipates, the
woman is gone. Today's Womaniquin is a mystical figure, a

(00:52):
guardian of salmon and as mysterious as the substance she's
named after. Please welcome Fog Woman. Woman is a mythical
figure from Clinket folklore. The tribe lives along the coast
of southeastern Alaska and among the more than one thousand
nearby islands. This area sees about three hundred and forty
cloudy days a year, so it's no surprise that fog

(01:14):
is personified in their folklore. Fog Woman appears in a
few stories and is always tied to salmon, the tribe's
main source of food. There are several iterations of Fog
Woman's origin story, but many of them begin with Raven.
In Clinkett folklore, Raven is a creator. He is the
reason there's dry land and fresh water, but he's also

(01:36):
a trickster. He's selfish, impatient, and easily frustrated. Raven reflects
the duality both the good and the bad of humans themselves.

Speaker 2 (01:46):
The story starts something like this.

Speaker 1 (01:48):
Raven asked the chief if he knew of an eligible
woman to marry. The chief offered his daughter. But the
chief had a condition and told Raven that he must
respect his daughter. If he didn't, she would lead.

Speaker 2 (02:02):
Clinking.

Speaker 1 (02:02):
Culture is matrilineal, and women are equal to men. Raven
agreed and married the chief's daughter. The two spent the
summer and fall together in harmony. Then the winter swept in.
During the long dark days, they ran out of food.
Raven became hungry and angry. On a cold, rainy day,
Raven noticed his wife weaving a basket. He snapped, what

(02:25):
do we need a basket for if we don't have
any food. His wife ignored him and continued weaving The
next morning, Raven woke up to the sound of splashing.
He looked over and his wife was washing her hands
in the basket. He looked into the basket and saw fish.
Their bodies were long and narrow, with silvery scales. It
was the first salmon. Raven was relieved. They were no

(02:49):
longer hungry. The smell of dried salmon filled their cabin.
Every day, his wife washed her hands in the basket
and came up with fistfuls of fish. Some tellings of
the story, Raven, now fat and well fed, started taking
his wife for granted.

Speaker 2 (03:05):
He argued with her.

Speaker 1 (03:07):
One day, during a heated fight, he threw a piece
of dried.

Speaker 2 (03:09):
Salmon at her.

Speaker 1 (03:10):
His wife fled. Raven followed after her. He tried to
grab her, but every time he reached out, his wings
went through her body. His wife had transformed into a
thin veil of mist. Soon she was nowhere to be seen.
The legend a fog woman expands beyond her ability to
produce salmon. Versions of her story also explained the annual

(03:32):
salmon run. In one story, a chief was out fishing
in the ocean with two slaves. They had only managed
to catch a few fish, and the fog around them
was thick, making it impossible to find their way home.
Suddenly a canoe appeared beside them, surprising the chief.

Speaker 2 (03:49):
In it was a woman.

Speaker 1 (03:50):
The chief complained to her about the impenetrable fog and
the low catch. The woman reached over in his canoe and.

Speaker 2 (03:56):
Took the chief's hat.

Speaker 1 (03:58):
She waved her hand over it, and a suddenly the
fog lifted and they all paddled back to shore.

Speaker 2 (04:04):
The chief was still displeased that he.

Speaker 1 (04:06):
Had so few fish, so the woman took his hat again,
waving her hand over it. Out spilled two fat, shimmery
pink salmon. The chief and villagers were elated. The chief
married fog Woman and they had two daughters. Fog Women
proved to be a better hunter than the chief, and
the villagers laughed at him. Fog Woman, ashamed of having

(04:29):
brought her husband embarrassment, left without her there, the salmon
dried up and the town grew hungry. Fog Woman's daughter
searched for her. When they found her, they pleaded with
her to return with the salmon. Fog women agreed to
return the fish, but only once a year. Regardless of

(04:50):
the varying details, in her story, fog Woman is to
be respected. Today, Totem Poles still stand strong with her,
holding up the base in her hands. Are two sam
All month, we're talking about maritime Madams. For more information,
find us on Facebook and Instagram at Wamanica Podcast Special
thanks to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister and co creator.

Speaker 2 (05:11):
Talk to you tomorrow