Creation Myths of Primitive America: In relation to the Religious History and Mental Development of MankindCurtin, Jeremiah
Religion
Creation Myths of Primitive America: In relation to the Religious History and Mental Development of Mankind
Curtin, Jeremiah
Creation -- Mythology; Indian mythology -- North America; Indians of North America -- Folklore
Tsaroki found Kanhlalas's sweat-house on the trail. He heard music
inside, beautiful music. He stood awhile listening, then went in and
saw an old man lying on his back playing. The old man stopped playing,
but did not speak. Tsaroki touched him on the shoulder and said,--
"My grandfather, I have come for you. Waida Dikit, my grandfather,
sent me to ask you to visit him."
"I will go," was all that the old man said. No questions were asked or
answered. "I have come for you," "I will go;" no more. Those people of
long ago talked in that way; they didn't talk much.
Tsaroki went home. Kanhlalas made ready to go, and went under the
ground. Waida Dikit was lying in his house when on a sudden Kanhlalas
rose at his feet. Waida Dikit sat up when he saw him, took a pipe, and
told him to smoke. Kanhlalas smoked, and the two old men talked a good
while. The young men played, first one, then the other. It was dark in
the sweat-house, but after Kanhlalas came he shone and gave light like
a torch in a dark house. You could see some, but not very much.
Kanhlalas was a grandfather of Waida Werris.
"I sent for you," said Waida Dikit, "for I thought you might teach my
grandsons to play better. They like to make music. They think of
nothing else."
"I am old," said Kanhlalas. "I am not as I used to be. I cannot play
much now. When I was a boy, when I was young, I could play. But I will
play a little."
About dark he said a second time, "I will play a little." So he lay
on his back, took his own flute, which he had brought with him, and
began. The two brothers lay and listened. Kanhlalas never took the
flute out of his mouth from the dark of evening until daylight. Next
day he played, and all night again. When morning came there was a
light stripe down his breast, and when the sun rose his breast was
white, for the breath was nearly out of his body. That morning old
Waida Dikit said,--
"Now we will invite all people in the world who can play, to come
here."
"If you invite all people in the world who can play," said Tsaroki,
"this house will be too small for them."
"No," said the old man, "it will not be too small. You will find it
large enough when they come."
Tsaroki was sent to the northwest to invite people. He went very fast.
In a little while he was at a place just this side of where the sky
touches the earth. He went to Nop Hlut. When near the sweat-house he
heard stamping in a dance. He went in and saw a very big house full of
people sitting around at the wall. Only one woman and a young girl
were dancing in the middle of the house, Nop Pokte and Nop Loimis. The
girl was very small, and had fawn's feet tied behind her head. These
rattled so sharply that you could hear them when far away. As Tsaroki
was coming in through the door on the south, he saw an old man lying
on the north side. This was Nop Kiemila, the master of the house.
Tsaroki went straight to him, put his hand on his shoulder, and
said,--
"I have come for you."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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