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
Titindi Maupa wished his elder sister to marry Topuna, his great
friend, who was a good hunter and killed many deer. One day Titindi
Maupa told his two sisters to make ready much food,--roots, acorns,
and pine nuts.
The women made these things ready and put them into a round basket. He
put the basket on his back, took two otter-skins as presents, and went
to Motiri Mauna.
Old Topuna was sitting at home. His son had gone off before daylight
to hunt deer in the mountains. Titindi Maupa saw a great deal of
venison and deer fat hanging around in all parts of the sweat-house.
He looked in from the top of the sweat-house, and saw the old man
cutting meat, breaking bones, and taking marrow out of them. He went
in. Topuna stood up to meet him, made a fire, cooked meat, put it in a
basket, and set it down before Titindi Maupa. He gave him also fat and
dried venison.
"I have food on the top of the sweat-house," said Titindi Maupa. "I
left my basket there."
Topuna went and brought it, put it down, then ate of it himself. The
visitor ate much, and the two sat long together talking and eating;
sat till midday, when young Topuna came home. He had killed five deer
and was glad.
"You came to see us," said he, sitting down near the visitor.
"Yes," answered Titindi Maupa, "and you will come soon, I hope, to my
house. You will come to-night, perhaps?"
Topuna gave Titindi Maupa nice venison and deer fat,--a great deal of
it. "Be light and small till he takes you home," said Topuna to the
meat; "then be as big as you now are or bigger."
He gave the visitor a beautiful buckskin dress, and Titindi Maupa went
home.
The pack was light till he set it down at home. Then it grew as big as
a small house. His elder sister would not eat Topuna's venison; she
did not like her brother's friend; she loved young Hitchinna, and
would not look at the other man.
Topuna put on three pairs of moccasins, three pairs of thick buckskin
leggings trimmed with beads; put on three buckskin blankets, and at
dark he went out of the door to go to Kurulsa Mauna.
"My son," said old Topuna, when his son was going, "you will come back
sorry; you will be angry in the morning; I know that woman well."
All were asleep at Titindi Maupa's when Topuna came; but Titildi
Marimi had wished the whole house outside to be covered with sharp
rocks and thorny brush, for she knew that Topuna was coming.
When he reached the place, he could not go in; he could not find the
door, even; everything was hidden with sharp rocks and thorns. He was
outside all night, and never stopped trying to find the way in; he
wore out his three pair of moccasins, tore his three pair of leggings
and three blankets; bits of them were scattered all around the
sweat-house. At last he was naked and nearly frozen.
Topuna went home before daylight, very angry. Titildi Marimi had heard
him, but said not a word. He lay down in his father's sweat-house and
stayed there all day.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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