Bloody Knife: From Ghost Stories at Americanfolklore.net

A Novia Scotia Ghost Story

From the Micmac Tribe

retold by

S.E. Schlosser

Many and many a year ago, two Micmac warriors from rival villages got into a terrible argument. Harsh words were exchanged, and then knives were pulled. The warriors battled back and forth on the banks of a small creek. They fought with the ferocity of grizzlies, tearing at each other with their knives, ripping at each others clothes and hair.

Suddenly, one of the warriors slipped on the muddy bank and fell into the waters of the creek. His bloody knife slipped from his hand and sank down and down to the bottom, landing upon a rock just beyond his reach. The warrior strained his pain-wracked body towards the knife as his blood filled the waters of the creek, but it was just beyond his fingertips. He thrashed and clawed towards his knife, desperate to reach it before his rival killed him, but no matter how he stretched, it always slipped out of reach.

On the bank above, the victorious Micmac warrior saw his rival sink into the blood-stained waters and lay still, the knife just a hair-breadth beyond his fingertips. He did not rise again. The fallen man's people found him a few hours later and tenderly rescued his body from the rippling waters of the creek. But when they tried to retrieve his bloody knife from the rock beneath him, it always slipped beyond their reach, though the creek was not deep.

Many and many a year has passed since that bloody day by the creek, and still the blood-stained knife lies beneath the rippling waters of the creek. Whenever anyone tries to reach it, the knife slips out of reach. It is like trying to touch something on the bottom of the sea, although the creek itself is not deep. Even the rushing waters of the spring season do not move the mysterious knife or wash away the blood staining its blade.

For this reason, the creek is called Wokun - meaning "knife" by the Micmac people, and the white men call it "Bloody Creek".

You can read more Canadian folktales and ghost stories in Spooky Canada by S.E. Schlosser.

Comments

i didnt really understand this story as much.

Posted by: giggles :D | July 22, 2010 02:58 PM

ummm this was generally a really creepy story but i like more ghostly stories... ???

Posted by: yuuppppp | July 24, 2010 09:11 PM

Not even scary

Posted by: Gabi | July 25, 2010 12:00 AM

and......? this was really anti-climactic.

Posted by: Victor | July 27, 2010 06:34 PM

please put up scary stories. this is not scary at all.. they are good stories, but not scary

Posted by: Anonymous | August 10, 2010 04:43 PM

I thought that there was a scary story with the knife I thought the knife would like kill somebody or something but it just sat there in a river

Posted by: Was expecting more | August 14, 2010 04:48 AM

thought it was a good story but a little diforint

Posted by: cody | August 19, 2010 05:08 PM

wow!!!!!
what an awesome story...!!!!

Posted by: ariane | August 27, 2010 02:56 AM

Ummmm wow

Posted by: Jay | September 1, 2010 11:23 AM

i thought it was interesting!111

Posted by: cassie | September 10, 2010 11:33 AM

it is a great story.

Posted by: Anonymous | September 10, 2010 01:36 PM

the story is the best.

Posted by: shsha | September 10, 2010 01:37 PM

ohhh ok so basically this shizz was about a dude who couldn't get to his knife in time and got killed!

Posted by: tiara | September 13, 2010 02:51 PM

this was very interesting to me though if the dtory may be true i would love to go try and get the bloody knife from the creek.LOL

Posted by: Kayla | September 14, 2010 02:44 PM

ummm......not sure what to say

Posted by: awesome2244 | September 20, 2010 07:59 PM

pretty wierd about the knive not being washed away

Posted by: Anonymous | September 22, 2010 09:23 PM

wierd story

Posted by: noah hernandez | September 22, 2010 09:24 PM

that was not scary and for those who thought it was watch treehouse of horror xx

Posted by: zzzzzzzz | September 22, 2010 11:06 PM

awesomely cool

Posted by: 123456 | September 23, 2010 07:35 AM

wierd wonder how does the knife keep slipping away

Posted by: derrick | September 28, 2010 09:10 PM

todally belevable!!in my case any way.

Posted by: just a fith grader | October 9, 2010 06:04 PM

very scary

Posted by: Anonymous | October 11, 2010 09:22 AM

omg

Posted by: logan Lybarger | October 12, 2010 02:12 PM

cool but not so awsome

Posted by: Anonymous | October 15, 2010 01:32 PM

i liked this story its not scary but its s mystery and its good

Posted by: anonymous | October 23, 2010 01:28 PM

that was wierd!

Posted by: Brett | October 24, 2010 02:51 PM

IS IT TRUE

Posted by: Desire | October 24, 2010 05:03 PM

I am now inspired to go try and get that Knife!!! good story

Posted by: Jazlyn McCool | October 26, 2010 09:49 AM

o m g that was totaly wicked
h y o
d

Posted by: Anonymous | October 26, 2010 08:01 PM

ok thats nice

Posted by: Anonymous | October 28, 2010 11:22 AM

this sucks

Posted by: Anonymous | October 30, 2010 06:17 AM

yeah but, why was the knife out of reach?

Posted by: Anonymous | November 16, 2010 09:40 PM

that was kinda disturbing i liked it (:

Posted by: aaagz | November 18, 2010 12:47 PM

I liked that story.....I think im goin to try and catch the knife.

Posted by: Anonymous | November 27, 2010 05:19 PM

Creeeeeeeeeepy!

Posted by: Sara | December 1, 2010 12:18 PM

awesome story

Posted by: poodlemaster | December 1, 2010 09:20 PM

I loved this story!!! This is the most awesome dtory I have ever read!

Posted by: danielle | December 5, 2010 06:43 AM

im goin to get that knife!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: gery | December 7, 2010 10:55 AM

omg thats wierd

Posted by: chelsea | December 8, 2010 11:22 AM

good story

Posted by: makayla | December 15, 2010 01:36 PM

a weird story

Posted by: george | January 5, 2011 10:58 AM

weird

Posted by: Alexis | January 5, 2011 01:01 PM

that is so sweet

Posted by: tanner | January 5, 2011 01:03 PM

this was weird

Posted by: Anonymous | January 5, 2011 06:12 PM

sweet

Posted by: nick | January 6, 2011 10:22 AM

very nice could be more scary though.:0

Posted by: peps | January 17, 2011 03:14 PM

FUNNY LOL HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAS

Posted by: Anonymous | January 19, 2011 04:01 PM

wow....creepy:p

Posted by: Kuvasz:) | January 25, 2011 12:59 PM

weird story but good

Posted by: james | January 26, 2011 08:42 AM

I liked the story alot.

Posted by: Anonymous | January 26, 2011 09:33 AM

Posted by: fjhwebajk | January 26, 2011 09:35 AM

I liked this story.

Posted by: Clay | January 26, 2011 09:37 AM

soooooooooooo sad

Posted by: Anonymous | January 31, 2011 03:01 PM

confused

Posted by: Anonymous | February 1, 2011 11:08 PM

did not like

Posted by: polly | February 4, 2011 03:31 PM

loved it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: Anonymous | February 11, 2011 07:52 PM

wow graet story I give it 999

Posted by: Anonymous | February 14, 2011 03:35 PM

this is the best story ever

Posted by: anonymos | March 8, 2011 11:13 AM

This was a good story i wish other people from around the world could read this

Posted by: joe bizer | March 18, 2011 10:07 AM

People who say "this isn't scary!" are missing the point. The stories are supposed to tell a story about something and maybe explain why a something happens OR it could tell why something has a name. This story is the last one. It's not really supposed to scare people.

Posted by: Martha Kay | March 23, 2011 06:49 PM

creepy but not scary.

Posted by: Anonymous | April 4, 2011 02:49 PM

wow scary

Posted by: vivienne | April 7, 2011 01:52 AM

it a great story i think the knife a ghost or something :)

Posted by: rebeca | May 17, 2011 08:50 AM

awsome

Posted by: Anonymous | June 7, 2011 12:17 AM

i thought it was cool not scary

Posted by: jodie | July 21, 2011 10:27 PM

wow