Creation Myths of Primitive America: In relation to the Religious History and Mental Development of Mankind — John Shaqi
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
When they went into the sweat-house, the perfume was delightful. The
two old women said then:
"All people to come in the world below will talk of this house, and
call it Olelpanti Hlut when they tell about it and praise the house on
high."
Olelbis said: "I want to lay something lengthwise on each side of the
door. What shall I get?"
The two said: "We will get sau" (acorn bread made in a great round
roll like a tree-trunk).
They got sau, and put a roll at each side of the door; these rolls
were put there for people to sit on.
Olelbis walked around, looked at everything, and said,--
"I want this house to grow, to be wide and high, to be large enough
for all who will ever come to it."
Then the house began to extend and grow wider and higher, and it
became wonderful in size and in splendor. Just as daylight was coming
the house was finished and ready. It stood there in the morning dawn,
a mountain of beautiful flowers and oak-tree branches; all the colors
of the world were on it, outside and inside. The tree in the middle
was far above the top of the house, and filled with acorns; a few of
them had fallen on every side.
That sweat-house was placed there to last forever, the largest and
most beautiful building in the world, above or below. Nothing like it
will ever be built again.
"Now, my grandson," said the old women, "the house is built and
finished. All the people in the world will like this house. They will
talk about it and speak well of it always. This house will last
forever, and these flowers will bloom forever; the roots from which
they grow can never die."
The world fire began on the morning after the sweat-house was
finished. During the fire they could see nothing of the world below
but flames and smoke. Olelbis did not like this.
"Grandson," said the old women, "we will tell you what to do to put
out that terrible wakpohas. There is a very old man, Kahit Kiemila,
and he lives far north toward the east, outside the first sky. He
stays there in one little place; he is all alone, and always in the
same place. Tell him what to do, and he will do it. If you don't like
the fire and smoke down below, tell the old man to turn his face
toward you, to come this way and to bring with him Mem Loimis. He sits
with his head between his hands and his face to the north, and never
looks up. The place where he sits is called Waiken Pom Pui Humok Pom."
The first person who came to Olelbis on the day of the fire was Kiriu
Herit. He came about daylight.
"You have finished the sweat-house, my nephew," said he.
"I have," said Olelbis, "but we are going to have trouble, and do you,
my uncle, go up on the west side of the sweat-house, look around
everywhere, and tell me what you see."
Kiriu went to the top of the house and looked. Soon another man came
and said, "My brother, you have finished the sweat-house."
"Yes," said Olelbis, "and do you, my brother, go up on the east side
of the house, stand there, and call to Kahit."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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