Mondamin (deity) facts for kids
Mondamin (or Mandaamin) is a special spirit or god from the stories of the Anishinaabe and Miami Native American groups. Mondamin is known as the spirit of maize, which is another word for corn.
In traditional Native American and First Nations legends, Mondamin is believed to have given humans the gift of corn. The story says that Mondamin turned into a cornfield after being defeated in a challenge. This gift was very important for people to grow food.
Mondamin in Famous Works
Mondamin became more widely known because of a famous poem. The poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote "The Song of Hiawatha". In this poem, Mondamin appears as the spirit of corn. This helped many people learn about this important Native American figure.
A crater on the dwarf planet Ceres is even named after Mondamin!
Mondamin's Name Around the World
In Germany, the name Mondamin is mostly known as a brand of cornstarch products. This brand is now owned by a large company called Unilever. The company chose the name Mondamin in 1913 to connect with the "Hiawatha" stories, as the brand started in 1896.
The name of Mondawmin Mall, a shopping center in Baltimore, Maryland, is also thought to come from Mondamin. This mall opened in 1956. The mall is on land that was once a 19th-century estate called Mondawmin Manor. It is said that the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow encouraged the estate's owner to name it after Mondamin, who is mentioned in his poem.
