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 elder sister went with the younger, but she wanted to go back to
Metsi, she wished to go with him; she liked his dress, his words
pleased her, she believed him. Both went on, though the elder went
against her will.
"You will see two black bearskins hanging over the sweat-house door,"
said the father, when his daughters were starting. "Stop there; that
is Sukonia's house, that is the house to which you are going."
Toward sunset they came near the place where the Ichpuls lived.
"Let us stop here," said the elder sister, "and get something to eat.
I am hungry."
"Our father told us to pass this house; he told us not to stop near
it, not to go to it, not to look at it," said the younger sister; and
she went on without looking, she went straight ahead.
The elder sister followed her, but followed unwillingly. At last both
came near Sukonia's, and saw the two bearskins hanging out over the
sweat-house.
Chikpitpa, Sukonia's little brother, was on the roof, and Tsore Jowa,
his sister, was at work making a house for herself a little way off at
one side. Chikpitpa ran into the house, calling loudly,--
"Two girls are coming! Two girls are coming with baskets!"
The old man, Sukonia's father, brought bearskins for the young women
to sit on, and waited. The sisters came in and took the places shown
them. Chikpitpa was in a corner when the sisters sat down. He ran to
one and then to the other, looked at them, sat on their laps. He was
very glad that the sisters had come; he liked to be with them and talk
to them.
Old Sukonia went out and called to Tsore Jowa, "Come, my daughter;
bring food to our guests, to the young women who have come to us."
She brought deer's marrow; she brought other kinds of food, too. The
sisters had put down their baskets outside, near the door. On the way
they had said to the baskets, "Let the food in you be nice;" and when
leaving them at the door, they said, "Be large and be full."
The two small baskets stood outside now, very large and full of every
good food. Sukonia came home with, his men about sunset. Chikpitpa
sprang up to the roof of the house, and called to his brother,--
"Two guests have come to our house. Two women are sitting inside. They
are sitting in your place."
The men came in, and Sukonia sat down with the sisters. They pleased
him; he liked their looks.
"Have you brought food to our guests?" asked Sukonia.
"I brought some," said Tsore Jowa.
"Oh, give more. Bring plenty of everything!" The two baskets which
Jahtaneno's daughters had brought were carried into the house. The
sisters invited all present to try their food. All the men ate food
from the baskets and praised it. Sukonia, the chief, was pleased more
and more with the sisters that evening, and married them.
After all the people had eaten next morning, Sukonia went to hunt. He
took many men with him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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