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
Olelbis went to the top of the sweat-house and stood looking toward
the north. Sula Kiemila and Toko Kiemila had come that morning. "Take
your places north of the sweat-house," said Olelbis, and they did so.
Olelbis saw everything coming toward him in the water from the north,
all kinds of people who could swim. They were so many that no one
could count them. Before he had built the sweat-house, the two
grandmothers had said to Olelbis: "Go far south and get pilok, which
is a tall plant with a strong fibre, and make a cord." He did so, and
twisted a strong cord from pilok. Of this he made a sling. He put his
hand to the west, and kilson came on it, a round white stone an inch
and a half in diameter. He put the stone in the sling, tied the sling
around his head, and kept it there always.
He took this sling in his hand now, and stood watching ready to throw
the stone at something that was coming in the water. Olelbis threw
with his left hand. He was left-handed, and for this reason was called
Nomhlyestawa (throwing west with the left hand).
Mem Loimis went forward, and water rose mountains high. Following
closely after Mem Loimis came Kahit. He had a whistle in his mouth; as
he moved forward he blew it with all his might, and made a terrible
noise. The whistle was his own; he had had it always. He came flying
and blowing. He looked like an enormous bat, with wings spread. As he
flew south toward the other side of the sky, his two cheek feathers
grew straight out, became immensely long, waved up and down, grew till
they could touch the sky on both sides.
While Kahit flew on and was blowing his whistle, old Yoholmit lay in
her basket; she floated in it high on the great waves, and laughed and
shouted, "Ho! ho!"
"How glad my aunt is to see water; hear how she laughs!" said Olelbis.
And he gave her two new names, Surut Womulmit (hair-belt woman) and
Mem Hlosmulmit (water-foam woman). "Look at my aunt," said Olelbis
again. "She is glad to see water!"
As Yoholmit was laughing and shouting she called out,--
"Water, you be big! Grow all the time! Be deep so that I can float and
float on, float all my life."
Olelbis was watching everything closely. Sosini Herit was coming. He
held a bow and arrows in one hand and swam with the other. He was next
behind old Yoholmit.
"Look at my brother, Sosini, look at him swimming," said Olelbis. When
mountains of water were coming near swiftly, Olelbis said to the two
old women, "Go into the sweat-house." The two brothers, Kuntihle and
Tede Wiu, went in also. Olelbis stood ready to use his sling. When
Yoholmit was coming near, he hurled a stone at her. He did not hit
her. He did not wish to hit her. He hit the basket and sent her far
away east in it until the basket struck the sky.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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