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
"My grandson, in a place southeast of this is a house in which people
live. The place is called Hlihli Pui Hlutton [acorn eastern
sweat-house place]. An old man lives there. Send Tsurat to bring that
old man to us."
"I will," said Olelbis; and he sent Tsurat, who brought Hlihli
Kiemila, who had lived all his life in that eastern sweat-house. When
Olelbis looked at the old man, he said to Tsurat: "Go to the world
beneath us with Hlihli. Carry him all over it,--north, south, east,
and west."
Hlihli was like an old worm-eaten acorn outside; inside he was like
meal or snuff, and when he moved this inside sifted out of him. He had
a daughter, Hlihli Loimis, and she had many sons.
Tsurat carried Hlihli all over the world, and when he had carried him
five days little oak bushes were springing up everywhere from the dust
which fell from him. They took seeds of clover growing around the
sweat-house in Olelpanti and scattered them; clover grew up in every
place. Olelbis threw down all kinds of flower seeds from the flowers
blossoming in Olelpanti.
A little way east of Olelbis's sweat-house lived Sedit. At the time of
the fire he ran through under the sky in the south and went up on the
sky to Olelpanti. He stayed there with Olelbis until the fire and
water stopped. Then he went east a short distance, and made a house
for himself. During the great water Sedit caught Wokwuk, and afterward
built a house near his own for him.
There was a big rock east of Sedit's house. Olelbis saw Chuluhl
sitting on this rock, and he said,--
"My brother, I have put clover on the earth. I want you to go down
there and stay with that clover, stay with it always. The place is a
good one for you." This place was Tokuston on Pui Mem. "Take this
pontcheuchi [headband made of dew], wear it around your head, wear it
always, guard the clover, put your head among its leaves, and keep the
grass and clover wet and green all the time. I will take that rock
from near Sedit's house, and put it down on the earth for you." (The
rock stands now about fifty miles above Paspuisono. It is called Pui
Toleson--rock leaning east.)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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