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 will tell you," said Yilahl. "When the fire began, I went west, I
went under the sky where it touches the lower world, I went out to
the other side. The fire did not go there. There is earth now in that
place."
"My uncles," said Olelbis, "I want you both to go down, to go west,
and get that earth for me."
"I will go," said Klabus; and turning to the two old women he said:
"Give me two baskets, very large round baskets."
The old women made two very large baskets. Klabus took these and went
west with Yilahl. As soon as they started Olelbis took a great sky net
(kolchi koro), and it spread out; it reached to the ends of the sky in
every direction; it was full of small, fine holes, like a sieve. He
spread it out in Olelpanti; put it under his sweat-house. It is above
this world yet, but we cannot see it.
Klabus and Yilahl went west to where the earth was. Klabus dug it up
and filled the baskets quickly; went to the north side of the
sweat-house and threw the earth into the great net, then hurried back
and brought more earth and threw it on the net. It went through the
net and fell down here, fell on the rocks in this world like rain.
Klabus hurried back and forth very quickly, carrying one basket on
each arm. He was going and coming for five days and five nights; fine
earth was falling all this time, till the rocks were covered, and
there was plenty of earth everywhere.
Yilahl gave no help. He went down the first time with Klabus, showed
him the earth, and stayed there, but he did not help to carry earth or
to dig it.
When Klabus had covered all the rocks with good earth, Olelbis told
him to rest.
"Go west and tell Yilahl to help you," said Olelbis to Klabus the next
morning, after he had rested. "Tell him to work with you, fixing the
earth which you have thrown down. Go, both of you; make mountains,
hills, and level country; arrange everything."
No fire was visible anywhere; every bit had been quenched by the flood
which came in after Lutchi propped up the sky. Yilahl came out into
this world below from under the edge of the sky in the west, and
Klabus came out from under it in the east. Both met and went to work.
Yilahl made the small hills and fixed the rolling country. Klabus
raised the great mountains and mountain ranges. There was nothing but
earth and rock yet; no people at work only these two, Klabus and
Yilahl.
Olelbis stood watching and looking; he looked five days, found no fire
in any place. Next day he saw a little smoke in the southwest coming
straight up as if through a small opening. Olelbis had a Winishuyat on
his head tied in his hair, and the Winishuyat said to him,--
"My brother, look; there is a little fire away down south; a woman
there has fire in a small basket."
This woman was Yonot, the mother of Pohila, who had gone back to live
in her old house.
"My brother," said Olelbis, turning to Tede Wiu, "do you see that
place there? Go and bring fire from it."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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