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
The second party hunted toward the east and then toward Jigulmatu.
After a while they came to Ketmatu, where Malewula killed a deer, and
Topuna killed one, and Tsanunewa killed a terribly ugly big deer which
seemed as though all its flesh and body were swollen. Hitchinna,
Kaitsiki, Wihlaina, and others killed deer; each person killed one
deer. The whole party turned toward Jigulmatu then, and there was
great gladness in Jupka's sweat-house. The women prepared acorns and
mice to eat.
Jupka himself never went hunting; he stayed at Jigulmatu always, just
lay in the house there, told all what they were to do, and showed them
how to do what was needed. When they came in from hunting, all put
their venison in front of the chief, put down before him all the deer
they had killed. Jupka took his flint knife then, and cut the meat
into pieces. He roasted ribs of it, roasted all they brought in. When
it was cooked, the Mapchemaina sat down and ate the meat together.
Jupka placed out before them three very large baskets of mice in three
different places, and in front of each basket were people to deal the
mice out to each person who wished some. When they had eaten, Jupka
stood up and talked to all present.
"I wish you all to come into the sweat-house to-night," said he; "I
wish to tell you where you are to hunt to-morrow."
They went into the sweat-house that evening, sat down and smoked, and
while they were smoking Jupka rose up and spoke to them. Jupka himself
never ate anything of any kind; he smoked tobacco, smoked all the
time; that was the only thing that he ever took into his body. When he
spoke, he said,--
"I think it is better to hunt in the north to-morrow."
"We do not like to go north when we hunt," said some of the people.
"Well, let another tell where to go. To-night I will have
Howichinaipa sing and dance for deer."
Then Jupka thought a while and said: "No, I will get Ahalamila; he is
a good person to dream and sing about deer and to dance. I will tell
Ahalamila to sing and dance to-night. He will tell where you ought to
go, he will say which road to take. I want you all to lie down and
sleep to-night, old men and young, and all the women; let all sleep
till morning, sleep till I call you to the hunt."
When the time came that evening, Ahalamila made a fire and took his
pipe. He blew smoke around in every direction. He put down his pipe
then and took fir-leaves; these he threw on the fire, and while they
were burning he sang,--
"Wílichuláina kúlmachi, Wílichuláina kúlmachi
(A quartz rock, a white rock, a quartz rock, a white rock)."
and he put a beautiful white quartz rock on the ground; at each side
of it he thrust into the earth a small twig of fir and one of blue
beech; he put these on the east, west, north, and south sides of the
quartz.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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