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
They stayed awhile, travelled through the country, and when Olelbis
sent people down here, coyotes, jack rabbits, deer, red-foxes, and
black bear came to Tede Puyuk, and there were many of them ever after
around that whole country.
NORWANCHAKUS AND KERIHA
PERSONAGES
After each name is given that of the creature or thing unto which the
personage was changed subsequently.
=Eltuluma=, ----; =Hubit=, wasp; =Kériha=, ----; =Kuntihlé=, a small
bird unknown; =Lasaswa=, large spider; =Nodal Mónoko=, ----;
=Norwanchakus=, ----; =Norwinte=, ----; =Patkilis=, jack rabbit;
=Pawnit=, kangaroo rat; =Pom Norwanen Pitchen=, daughter of the
Southern Border, the same as =Norwan=; =Puriwa=, dark; =Supchit=,
----; =Sanihas=, daylight; =Tsaik=, blue jay; =Tsiwihl=, blue-breasted
lizard; =Waida Werris=, polar star.
* * * * *
The two brothers Norwanchakus and Keriha were on this earth before any
place or thing had a name. When Olelbis took the sky pole and made a
deep furrow from the foot of Bohem Puyuk to the lower valley, and a
river came, the two brothers were at the end of the furrow and started
toward the north. Norwanchakus was the elder; Keriha was very small.
When the brothers started, they could not see well. There was no sun
then; there was only a kind of dim twilight. Waida Werris was in the
sky, and saw the brothers. Fish had got into all rivers now from the
southern pond, where Kuntihle Herit had caught the first fish.
"There are fish in the river," said Keriha; "let us catch some. Let us
take a net up the river and come down with it."
"We have no net, and there is no light; we cannot see anything," said
the elder brother.
"Go, my brother," said Keriha, "to where the sky comes down on the
northwest; go out under it. You will find there the plant kúruti;
bring it."
"I cannot go there," said Norwanchakus; "you go, my brother."
Keriha went through the air quickly; brought the plant--brought all
there was.
"We must have more," said Norwanchakus.
"Well, go and get it," answered Keriha. "It grows beyond the sky in
the southwest."
"I cannot go there; go you," said the elder brother.
Keriha went beyond the sky on the southeast; found plenty of kúruti.
The elder brother made strings of the fibre.
"I am in a hurry to fish," said Keriha. "You are slow, my brother."
"Go straight east beyond the sky," said the other, "and get ash wood
while I am making a net."
Keriha brought the ash. Norwanchakus had the net made, and now he
fixed the ash stick.
"My brother," said Keriha, "we cannot see anything. How can we fish?
There are people around us in the world, perhaps, but we have no good
light to find them."
There was a kind of dim light all the time. The two brothers started,
came north as far as Nomlopi, opposite Pas Puisono, and sat down.
Keriha heard voices in the north and asked, "Do you hear shouting?"
"No; I hear nothing," answered Norwanchakus.
"Let us go toward the shouting," said Keriha.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account