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
The old woman was Waida Dikit's sister; she lived north of her
brother's, not far away. There was a rock at that place, with a spring
in it. The rock was her house. Water rose in that rock to the surface
and went into the earth again in another part of the same house. The
old woman had two baskets; the smaller one held water for drinking,
the larger one water for washing. Great crowds of people drank from
the smaller basket and washed from the other; each used what he
needed, the water never grew less; it remained the same always in
quantity.
"Have all washed and drunk?" asked Waida Dikit.
"We have all washed and drunk."
The old man removed the baskets, and set out two others which the old
woman had just brought,--one of cooked venison, and another a very
small basket of acorn porridge. He put the baskets in the middle of
the sweat-house and said,--
"Now, all people, I ask you to eat."
"I will try that food," said Karkit. He went and ate. Next Hus ate,
then Yipokos. Now these three men ate deer meat since that time, and
will always find meat by the smell,--this was the first time they ate
venison. Tsihl and Wima, called also Bohemba, ate all they could from
the little basket, yet the food was not less by one bit. Patit ate
plenty. Hus ate, and so did Sedit. All ate as much as they could;
still each basket was full. The food grew no less. Waida Dikit kept
saying,--
"You people, here is food. I do not need it. Come and eat what there
is."
He sent Tsudi around to ask each man if he had eaten. All said they
had eaten till Tsudi went half around, when he found one man,
Memtulit, who said that he had not eaten, but was willing to eat.
"I will eat if I see anything good," said he.
"Well, go and eat," said Tsudi.
"What kind of food have you?"
"Venison and acorn porridge."
"I do not eat that kind of food."
"Here is a man who has not eaten," said Tsudi; "he cannot eat that
food."
Farther on was found Kiriu, who had not eaten, and a third, a very
young man, Tsararok. "I should like to eat," said he, "but I am timid.
There are so many people here eating."
"What kind of food do you eat, Kiriu?" asked Tsudi.
"I cannot eat venison. I eat what lives in the water." The other two
men said the same.
Waida Dikit went to his old house, where he had dried fish. He caught
besides a net full of little fish. He cooked both kinds and carried
them to the sweat-house, set them down in the middle, and said, "Now
come and eat."
Memtulit ate, so did Kiriu. Tsararok came after a while. He began to
eat the little fish, didn't see the other kind; this is why Tsararok
likes small fish to this day.
The old man asked again, "Have all eaten?"
"We have," answered all.
There was as much food in the two baskets as at first, and the old man
put them outside the house. Sedit saw this, and was angry. He said
that people should leave nothing.
"Don't talk so," said Patkilis. "What is done is right."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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