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 fought till near sunset. All were killed now but eight men, four
on each side,--Jewinna, his half-brother, and two more western people.
Kedila and three others of the eastern people were alive yet.
These eight closed once more in fight; both chiefs fell with Jewinna's
half-brother and Kedila's youngest son-in-law. Matsklila was so sorry
for this last one that he threw away bow and arrows and fell to the
ground crying bitterly. Seeing this, Chikpina picked up a rock and
beat Matsklila's brains out. Wirula on Kedila's side killed Chikpina,
and there were only two left,--Chichepa, the last of Jewinna's men,
and Wirula, the last on Kedila's side.
"Now," said Wirula, "we have fought enough. You are alone. Go home and
tell the women that your people are all killed. I am alone. I will go
home and say that all our people are dead."
Jewinna had taken his son with him when he left Kedila's house, and
he, too, had been killed in the struggle.
Now Wirula and Chichepa started off in opposite directions; went a
little way; lay down and rolled along the ground, crying and
lamenting. Wirula sprang up and said,--
"I will kill that Chichepa. I will kill him surely, and there will not
be one left of our enemies."
Wirula turned and followed Chichepa slowly; drew his bow and sent an
arrow after him. But Chichepa dodged; the arrow missed. Then Wirula
ran away.
"I will kill that Wirula now," said Chichepa.
He turned and followed carefully, cautiously; came up with him, and
struck him fairly on the skull. Wirula dropped dead.
Chichepa turned homeward now, crying all the time. When he was near
home, the women saw him stagger, then saw him fall. When he reached
the top of the sweat-house, he fell in, rolled along the floor, and
cried. He ate nothing that night; he was too sorry for his people. He
slept a while and then woke up crying.
Early next morning he took ten otter-skins; went back to the dead
people, pulled one hair from the head of each one of them, and filled
the ten otter-skins with the hairs. He had the work done before
sunset.
"Build a good fire," said he to the women when he reached home that
night. "Give me four big water-baskets." They gave the baskets. He
filled these with water, and put hot rocks in them. Then he emptied
the ten otter-skins into the water.
"Stay all night in your houses. Let no one put a head out. I will stay
in the sweat-house," said he.
The four baskets boiled hard. Just at daylight the largest basket fell
over; then the second, the third, and the fourth fell. After that
there were voices all around the sweat-house, hundreds upon hundreds
of them.
"We are cold; open the door," cried the voices.
When full daylight had come, Chichepa opened the door, and all hurried
in. Jewinna came first, and with him his son. All followed them,
dressed as they had been when they went to Kedila's; all alive and
well, strong and healthy. Jewinna laughed. He was glad.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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