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 rose before dawn the next morning, took a deer head, and
went hunting to a mountain. He put on the head. Deer came and stood
before him, ten, then ten more, and soon there were a hundred. He
killed the hundred deer. Taking the smallest, he opened it, made the
others very little, and put them into the small one, which he carried
in one hand.
All were sleeping in the sweat-house when Titindi Maupa came. He threw
down the small deer, and the ninety-nine others were as big as at
first; they burst out of the small one, made a great noise, and filled
all the space before the sweat-house. Wakara's wife had got up to make
acorn bread. She tried to go out, but could not, there were so many
deer lying around everywhere. She hurried back and called her husband.
"There is something outside," said she; "I do not know what it is. Get
up and look, get up quickly!"
Wakara went out and saw piles of deer; he ran back, took his knife and
sharpened it. Then going to the top of the house, he called to the
whole village, "Come here; come, all of you!"
All the people of the village came soon, and there were so many that
the venison was dressed quickly. They cooked and ate in company.
Others came from beyond the river south of them, and ate all the
venison they wanted. Many sat down under oak-trees and gambled; some
shot arrows at marks, and others raced.
All day they amused themselves; all day they feasted, and went home at
sunset very glad and praising Titindi Maupa.
West of Wakaruwa, was a large village and many people, all Wakara's
sons-in-law, all married to his daughters; and the chief was Lawalila.
"I wonder what my father-in-law is doing," said each of these people;
"he has very loud talk in his sweat-house. There has never been such
talk there before."
Lawalila called his two sons and said: "Go and see what your
grandfather is doing. Your youngest aunt has a husband; perhaps that
is why there is such loud talk at the sweat-house."
The two boys stole up to the house carefully, and peeped into it. The
younger saw Paiowa, his aunt, in one corner, and Titindi Maupa sitting
near her. Wakara saw the boy peeping in, and hurled a stick at him.
The two boys ran home.
"My aunt has a husband," said the younger boy.
"She has not," said the elder.
"I saw him," said the younger.
"You did not," said the elder.
Lawalila stopped the boys; he was satisfied. He went out, and calling
to all said, "Paiowa, the youngest daughter of Wakara, is married!"
All were very angry now, all were enraged, for there were many in that
village who wanted Paiowa.
Next morning Lawalila roused the village early, and said: "I want you,
my people, to play to-day. You must play your best; you must beat
Titindi Maupa, Wakara's new son-in-law."
After they had eaten he called all his people together and said, "We
will go over to my father-in-law's, to Wakara's, and shoot at a mark
there with arrows."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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