The Legend of the Northern Lights | Alaska Legend - YouTube

It is said that not long after their creation, the salmon lost their way.

Aimlessly, they swam in the rivers and waters of Alaska.

But in their wanderings they found neither home nor rest.

Then, one day, a legendary being appeared to them at the base of the Great Mountain—a

beast of unspeakable wisdom and healing: the White Bear.

The bear came to the edge of the waters and called to the salmon: "Look to the light and

swim to the top of the Great Mountain.

There you will find your home.

There you will swim in the eternal river of the sky."

The smallest of the salmon peeked up out of the water and spoke to the bear.

"How can we swim upstream?

It is against our nature.

We do not have the strength.

"If you look upward and fight onward," replied the bear.

"You can conquer the Great Mountain."

And so it was that those who chose to follow the bear began the long journey to the summit

of the Great Mountain.

Swimming upstream was tiring and painful, some of the salmon turned back.

Those who remained began to feel discouraged.

"Look to the heavens," reminded one of the salmon.

The other salmon looked up.

High above them was the night sky filled with numberless, glittering stars.

Despite the darkness of the hour, the light from these stars reminded the salmon of the

bear's promise.

With renewed energy, the salmon fought to swim upstream.

As they moved forward, the salmon discovered that they were being filled with a beautiful

new light—changing colors from silvers and greys, to magnificent greens and reds.

After a long time of difficult swimming, the salmon made it to the very top of the Great

Mountain.

And as they peeked out from the water to look upon the stars, they found—to their astonishment

and joy—that they could touch the night sky.

It was not an endless expanse of air as they had assumed, but an endless expanse of water.

It was an eternal river.

These former wanderers wanted more than anything to swim in that water—to live among the

stars—but something inside of them held them back.

They looked down the mountain to the valley below and distantly saw the other salmon lost

in the darkness below.

"What about them?"

they wondered aloud.

As they said this, the White Bear once again appeared before them.

He told them that in order for the salmon to help those who were struggling below they

must swim in the eternal river and become a light for those who were wandering in darkness.

Knowing what they truly wanted, the salmon let go of all their doubts and fears and dove

into the night sky.

Then, they who had become so full of life and light themselves became the Northern Lights—a

river of light to guide the way for others who wander in darkness.