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
"I don't know what sort of man this is," thought Damhauja; "I have
never seen such a person. I think he must have come to fight with me;
I will try him once more."
He filled the pipe a second time, and gave it to his daughters. They
handed it to Juiwaiyu. This time they could not change the tobacco.
Damhauja was watching too carefully. Jupka smoked this pipe. No smoke
could hurt him. Damhauja, who hoped to see Juiwaiyu fall dead, became
frightened when he saw him as well as ever.
"What am I to do?" thought he. "I give this tobacco to every man who
comes for my daughters, and every man who smokes dies right away. I am
afraid of my new son-in-law. I will not fight with this man. Let my
other sons-in-law try him. My daughters, I want you to give nice food
to your husband; give him good things to eat, take the best care of
him, treat him well. My boys, I want you to bring plenty of nice food
to my son-in-law."
"I will give venison now to these sisters," thought Jupka; and he took
out a small piece of fat venison as large as a walnut. This he gave to
Juiwaiyu, and told him to ask for a large basket. They brought it.
"You, venison, keep this size," said Juiwaiyu; "be no smaller, you
must not be gone;" and then he cut slices.
Damhauja carried off three great baskets of meat, then went out on the
housetop and called all his sons.
"Come for venison, my sons," said he. "There is plenty for all of
you."
Damhauja had a great many sons-in-law on the west beyond a river. All
his daughters were married except two. These sons-in-law heard him
call and wondered. "What has happened?" asked they of one another.
"We've never heard the old man talk that way before. He must have
found a new son-in-law; he must have found a husband for Halaia and
Pahnino Marimi."
All Damhauja's sons came into the sweat-house.
Kechowala, a son-in-law and chief on the west side, sent his two sons,
Kechowala and Darijua, to see what was happening at the sweat-house.
When the boys came and looked in, the elder saw a man, he thought, but
did not know him. Damhauja's sons were dancing a fire-dance. The two
brothers looked around carefully, but the younger did not see the
strange man. They ran down from the sweat-house, and on the way home
began to quarrel.
"I think our grandfather has a new son-in-law; I saw him," said
Kechowala, the elder.
"You did not," said the younger.
"Why do you try to hide him, why do you deny? I saw him surely."
"When we get home, you will say that you saw a stranger in the
sweat-house; but if you do, you will lie."
"We shall see great trouble, I think," said the elder; "there will be
fighting now our grandfather has a new son-in-law, there will be great
fighting."
The two boys ran very fast, disputing as they went. They got to the
river, swam across, ran home.
"There is a strange man over there; grandfather has a new son-in-law,"
said Kechowala.
"Don't believe what he says," cried Darijua to his father; "I could
not see any man."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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