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
Tede Wiu went quickly to the place where Olelbis had seen the smoke.
He found a house, and looking through a crack he saw the glow of fire,
but not the fire itself.
Tede Wiu stayed five days and nights watching. He could not get into
the house where the basket was. That house was closed firmly, and had
no door. At last he went back to Olelpanti without fire.
"I should like to catch the fish which I see jumping in that southern
water," said Kuntihle, "but we could not cook fish if we had it, for
we have no fire."
"You would better go yourself and try to get fire," said Olelbis.
Kuntihle went and watched five days. He could not get into the house,
and no fire fell out. He went back to Olelpanti.
"We need fire," said Olelbis, "but how are we to get it? Go again and
try," said he to Tede Wiu; "watch till fire falls out, or go in and
take some."
Klabus and Yilahl were at work yet.
Tede Wiu went, crept under the house, watched five days and nights,
stayed right under the basket in which Pohila was. On the sixth
morning, very early, just at daybreak, a spark of fire fell out. Tede
Wiu caught the spark, ran off quickly to Olelbis, and gave it to him.
They had fire in Olelpanti now, and were glad. Neither Yonot, the
mother, nor Tilikus, the father of Pohila, knew that fire had been
carried away to Olelpanti.
Klabus and Yilahl were still at work making the mountains and
valleys, and had almost finished.
Now that there was fire in Olelpanti, Kuntihle said: "I will go and
see that fish. Tilitchi, will you come with me?"
Tilitchi went. Before they started Olelbis gave them a fish net. They
caught a fish, and went back, dressed, cooked, and ate it.
"This is a good fish," said Olelbis. "How did it get into that water?
That pond in the rock is small and round; there is no water to run
into it. Grandmothers, what shall we do with this pond and the fish in
it?"
"We will tell you," said the old women. "Go to the west under the sky,
break off a strip of the sky, bring it here, and make a pointed pole
of it."
Klabus and Yilahl were just putting the top on Bohem Puyuk; all the
other mountains in the world were finished.
Olelbis went west, got the sky pole, and pointed one end of it. He
stuck the pole down at the foot of Bohem Puyuk, drew the point of it
along southward, making a deep furrow. Then he stuck the pole far
north, and made a second furrow to join the eastern end of the first
one. There was no water in either furrow yet, and Olelbis said,--
"Now, my grandmothers, what shall I do next?"
"Take this grapevine root," said they. "Throw it to the place where
you thrust in the pole at the foot of Bohem Puyuk."
He threw the root. One end of it went into the mountain, the other
hung out; from this water flowed.
"This will be called Wini Mem," said the grandmothers. "The country
around it will be good; many people will go there to live in the
future."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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