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 younger sister was angry at this; hurried down the tree, ran home,
and told her father that her sister and Hapawila were talking to each
other in the tree-top.
Old Kedila said nothing, and went to bed. A few minutes later the
elder sister was at home. She, too, ran from Hapawila when she saw him
the third time.
Early next morning Kedila was very angry. He caught his elder
daughter, thrust her into the fire, burned her, and threw her out of
doors. The younger sister took up her sister's body, and cried
bitterly. After a while she carried it to a spring, crying as she
carried it. She washed her sister's body in the water. It lay one
night in the spring. At daylight next morning the elder sister came
out of the water alive, with all her burns cured and not a sore left
on her.
"Where can we go now? Our father is angry; he will kill us if we go
home," said the younger sister.
Both started west, singing as they travelled.
"I wish that I had a basket with every kind of nice food in it," said
the younger sister toward evening. Soon a basket was right there. It
dropped down in front of her. She looked. There were pine nuts in the
basket, different roots, and nice food to eat.
Now, Jewinna lived in the west. He had a very large sweat-house and
many people. His youngest and only living son he kept wrapped up and
hidden away in a bearskin.
At sunset the two girls came to Jewinna's house, and put down their
basket of roots near the doorway. Jewinna's wife went out and brought
in the two girls. Jewinna himself spread out a bearskin and told the
girls to sit on it. He said to his son, who was wrapped up and hidden
away,--
"Come out and sit down with these two young girls who have come to
us."
The youth looked through a small hole in his bearskin; saw the two
women, but said nothing; didn't come out. When night fell, the two
girls went to sleep. Next morning they rose, washed, dressed, and
combed nicely. Then they went eastward, went toward their father's
house.
Jewinna's son, Jewinpa, came out soon after, swam, dressed, ate, and
followed the two girls. They went very fast, went without stopping;
but Jewinpa caught up and went with them to their father's house.
Kedila was pleased with Jewinpa, and treated both his own daughters
well. He spoke to them as if nothing had happened.
Old Jewinna in the west called all his people and said: "I want you,
my people, to sweat and swim, then come here and listen to me."
After they had done this, Jewinna said: "I am sorry that my son has
gone. I must follow him to-morrow. I don't know why he went. I do not
wish him to go far from this place. Be ready, all of you, and we will
go to-morrow."
Jewinna rose before daylight, called all his people, and said: "I
cannot eat. I am sorry that my son has gone."
All took plenty of arrows and beads and otter-skins and red-headed
woodpecker scalps, and started to follow the young man. As he started,
Jewinna sang,--
"I-no-hó, i-no-hó no-há, i-no-hó!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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