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
"I will build a sweat-house for him," thought Kele, at last. "He may
go through as I have. I don't think he will, but I can let him try."
The next night Kele made all sleep soundly. He went north a short
distance and wished for a sweat-house. A mountain stood in front of
him next moment. Kele went home before daylight and lay down. That day
Sedit talked on as before.
"Come," said Kele; and he took him to the new mountain. "You can live
here if you like. This is your house." Kele left him then.
Sedit made a fire, found a pipe and tobacco, smoked, stayed many days
and nights by himself there. "I should like to know how Kele got his
sons," thought he one night. "I must ask him."
"I come to tell you," said Sedit one morning, "that I am lonesome. I
want to know how you got your sons and daughters."
Kele made no answer for a long time. At last he told him how he got
his daughters.
Sedit went home, did exactly as Kele had done, then lay down without
sleeping. Toward morning he heard some one jump to the floor; next he
got a blow on the back, then a second. The two persons went away and
sat down. Sedit rose, made a big fire, and began singing for a
sweat-dance. Two girls stood near the fire, sweated, then went to the
creek, swam, and went home. They had very long hair and were nice
looking. Sedit gave them wooden combs and mink-skins for their hair,
gave them food and nice baskets painted red, told each to dig roots
and cook them.
Sedit lived a while with his daughters, till he thought once, "I want
to have sons." He went to Kele, and Kele told how he had got sons,
told carefully.
Sedit cut the sticks, did everything as Kele said, and lay by the
fire, but he could not keep from looking up; the moment he looked all
the sticks fell to the ground. Sedit put them in place again, lay by
the fire, looked up. The sticks fell a second time; he put them up
again, lay down, looked a third time. The sticks fell a third time. He
was putting the sticks up till daylight, when he had to stop. Sedit
went to Kele that day. "My sticks were falling all night," said he.
Kele knew what had happened already. "Why not do as I told you? I told
you not to look up."
"I will not look any more," said Sedit.
Next night he put up sticks again and waited, took the blows till the
last one of the second ten was giving him ten blows, then he sprang up
and screamed. All the twenty sons dropped down and were sticks again.
It was just daylight. Sedit gathered the sticks into a basket, and
looked to see if the girls were awake. They were sticks as well as the
others.
Sedit felt very sorry, could not tell what to do. He put the two
sticks with the other twenty, took one at a time, held it up, and
said, "This was my son, this was my daughter." He was sorry and
wondered if he could make others. He went to Kele and said,--
"My brother, I could not stand it."
"What did I tell you?"
"Can I not make more?"
"Perhaps you cannot endure it." Kele did not want him to try.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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