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
"You would better stay at home. My nephew, stay at home; you would
better not go for those sisters. Forget them; don't think of those
girls," said Jupka. "If you go, you will never come back. The place
where they live is a bad one; every stranger gets killed who goes
there. I have seen many men on the way to Damhauja's; many a man has
passed here to look for those sisters, but never have I seen any come
back with or without a woman. I have been in that country myself, I
know it well. I had to fight for my life there, and came near being
killed. I am many times stronger than you, know people better than you
do, and I would not go to that country."
"No matter what kind of country that is, no matter what kind of
people live in it, I must find those two sisters. I have dreamt of
them. There is no use in trying to hold me back. I must go; I cannot
stop, I cannot help myself."
"Well," said Jupka, "if you must go, I will go with you; you would be
lost without me. I must save you, my nephew. I will make myself small;
you can put me on your head, you can tie me up in your hair easily."
The old man made himself small, and Juiwaiyu put him on the top of his
head, bound him firmly in his hair, bound him so that no one could see
him. Then he went up on the sweat-house and turned toward the sun.
"Sun, O Sun, I wish you to be slow," said he. "I must go very far; I
wish the day to last long."
"I will tell you now of the road," said Jupka. "When you come near a
small mountain east of Wahkalu, there will be three roads there before
you; one on the right hand very narrow. You can hardly see that road,
it is so little beaten, but you must find it, for you cannot go by
another. There is a middle road, smooth and wide; you will see fresh
clover scattered on the road, just as if women had carried some over
and dropped a little here and there. If you go over that road, you
will be killed by lice and wind. On the left hand is a road; if you
take that, you will lose yourself and never reach any place."
"I will sing now," said Juiwaiyu, "and my song will be heard
everywhere, north, south, east, and west."
He began, and rose in the air as he sang; he rose, and as he moved
forward, the whole world heard him; every one looked up to see who was
singing, but no one saw anything.
"That sounds like the song of Juiwaiyu," said some of the people. "I
think that is the voice of Periwiriwaiyu's son," said others; "I think
that is he, for that's how he sings when he travels."
They tried to see who was singing, but saw no one. The song seemed
just above them, but it was high up, very high in the air.
"Hurry, my nephew, hurry," said Jupka; "I don't like to camp on the
journey, I want to be at that place before sunset."
Juiwaiyu sang faster now; he could not move without singing. He moved
swiftly, and soon they were east of Wahkalu.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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