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
Hehku looked north and saw Wahkalu (Mount Shasta), Jupka's Igunna, his
great new house which he made by saying "lililim." Wahkalu was white,
shining. Hehku had never seen anything so beautiful, so great. She had
never seen it before, neither had any one else.
The bone was there in her open left hand on the north side, she could
not deny. She could not change her play, she could not help herself.
Jupka seized the bone, threw it to the floor. The earth trembled;
there was a roar like thunder; the bone bounded up and killed Hehku.
Jupka threw her out of the sweat-house.
"You must play too," said Jupka to Miniau Marimi.
He put the bone behind his back; she guessed, lost her life, and was
thrown out of the sweat-house.
Jupka walked away southward, went to the creek, washed and swam. When
he came out of the water, he grew very beautiful and large. He took
then the stem of a wild rose-bush and went home; he went to the north
side of the sweat-house. There he found the bodies of the Mapchemainas
who had played with Hehku and lost. He gave each a blow of the
rose-bush, and all came to life; all went to the sweat-house, not one
was missing.
At dawn the dead Hehku began to move and sing. At clear daylight she
stood up, struck Miniau with her right foot. That moment she rose up
alive. The two women started for the rocky mountain. Hehku was raging.
She was terribly angry because Jupka had beaten her.
"I had all," said she, "but Jupka fooled me; now I have nothing."
She grew so angry that she turned into a great head and bounded off to
the east. She went a whole mile every jump she made. She screamed with
rage and shouted as she went, and her sister Miniau (the fire-drill)
kept pace with her.
Haka Kaina heard the noise and said, "I wonder what troubles Putokya
to-day."
THE FIRST BATTLE IN THE WORLD AND THE MAKING OF THE YANA
PERSONAGES
After each name is given that of the creature or thing into which the
personage was changed subsequently.
=Ahalamila=, gray wolf; =Bohkuina=, silver-gray fox; =Chichepa=,
spotted hawk; =Chuhna=, spider; =Hehku=, horned serpent; =Hitchinna=,
wildcat; =Howichinaipa=, a small bird; =Hurskiyupa=, orphan; =Jewina=,
reddish chicken hawk; =Jihkulu=, large owl; =Jupka=, butterfly of wild
silkworm; =Kaítsiki=, ground squirrel; =Kaltsauna=, swift (kind of
lizard); =Kechowala=, bluejay; =Lawalila=, large hawk; =Maibyu=, dove;
=Malewula=, wolf; =Mapchemaina=, first people; =Pakalai Jawichi=,
water lizard; =Petaina=, skunk; =Popila=, duck; =Topuna=, mountain
lion; =Tsanunewa=, a little bird; =Tuina=, the sun; =Wihlaina=,
chipmunk.
* * * * *
After Hehku had risen from the dead and gone home, Jupka said to all
the Mapchemaina: "Sweat now and swim. You will go to hunt to-morrow
early."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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