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
"Oh," said Tuina, "I know now why Halai Auna's husband can smoke my
tobacco. I know that old Igupa Topa this long time. I know what that
old fellow can do."
They put plenty of food before Igupa Topa, but he would eat none of
it. Pun Miaupa killed five deer that morning and brought them in. The
two old men were glad to see such nice venison, and see so much of it.
Igupa Topa sat by himself, and ate nothing.
"Uncle, why do you not eat?" asked Pun Miaupa.
He made no answer, but watched till all were asleep; then he stood up
and ate, ate the whole night through, ate all the acorn bread, all the
roots, ate all that there was in the house, except venison. That was
not his kind of food; he would not touch it. He sat down on the north
side of the central pillar when he had finished eating.
"You must work hard to cook food enough," said Tuina next morning to
the women. "Some one in this house must be very hungry."
The women worked hard all that day; in the evening the house was full
of good food again. Pun Miaupa's uncle would not eat a morsel placed
before him, but when night came he ate everything there was except
venison.
"There must be some one in this house who is very hungry," said Tuina,
when he rose the next morning. "Make ready more food to-day, work
hard, my daughters."
"We will not work to-day; that nasty old fellow eats everything in the
night time. We will not carry wood and water all day and have nothing
to eat the next morning."
"I don't like him, either," said Tuina; "he will go very soon, I
hope."
Igupa Topa heard these words and remembered them. Tuina's wife and
Wakara's wife, both old women, had to work that day without
assistance. In the middle of the forenoon a great cloud rose in the
south. Pun Miaupa's uncle raised it. "Let rain come, thick heavy
rain," said he in his mind. "I want darkness, I want a big storm and
cold rain."
The cloud was black; it covered all the sky; every one came in, and
soon the rain began. It rained in streams, in rivers; it filled the
valleys, filled all places. The water reached Tuina's sweat-house,
rushed in, and filled the whole place; all had to stand in water; and
the rain was very cold.
Old Tuina and Wakara were shivering; their teeth knocked together;
their wives and daughters were crying. Igupa Topa had taken his nephew
and Halai Auna up to his place on the north side, near the roof of his
sweat-house, where they were dry.
The sweat-house was nearly full of water. All were crying now. Some
time before daylight one of Tuina's daughters was drowned, and then
the other two, and Wakara's two daughters. About dawn Tuina and Wakara
with their two wives were drowned. All were dead in the sweat-house
except Igupa Topa, his nephew, and Halai Auna. At daylight the rain
stopped, the water began to go down, and all the bodies floated out
through the doorway. The place was dry. Pun Miaupa made a fire. Halai
Auna came to the fire and began to cry for her father, her mother and
sisters.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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