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
"We cannot catch these clouds," said the older brother; "they go
through our fence, they escape, we cannot catch them; they have gone
to the north, they will stay there and become a new people. We have
caught only one, a white cloud. Those that have escaped will become a
new people; they will be Yola Ka" (snow clouds).
The Katkatchilas stripped the skin from the white cloud and gave it to
Olelbis. He went around north, south, east, and west, tanning it in
the same way that he had tanned the black skin. After he had tanned it
well he spread the skin, stretched it, straightened it; then he gave
it to the other grandmother.
Both old women were glad now. Both said: "We shall sleep warm at night
now all the time."
Next day the two brothers caught a third cloud, a red one, but they
kept that skin for themselves. They did not give it to Olelbis,
because he told them to keep it. We see this skin now often enough,
for the brothers hang it up when they like in the west and sometimes
in the east.
"Now," said the two old women, "we have this white skin and this black
one. When we hang the white skin outside this house, white clouds will
go from it,--will go away down south, where its people began to live,
and then they will come from the south and travel north to bring rain.
When they come back, we will hang out the black skin, and from it a
great many black rain clouds will go out, and from these clouds heavy
rain will fall on all the world below."
From that time the old women hang out the two skins, first the white,
then the black skin, and when clouds enough have gone from them they
take the skins into the sweat-house again; and from these two skins
comes all the rain to people in this world.
"The cloud people who went north will stay in the northwest," said
Olelbis, "and from them will come snow to people hereafter."
All this time the people in Olelpanti were singing and talking. Any
one could hear them from a distance. Olelbis had brought in a great
many different kinds of people, others had come themselves, and still
others were coming. After the tanning of the two cloud skins a man
came and took his place above the sweat-house door, and sat there with
his face to the east. This was Kar Kiemila. Right after him came
Tsararok, and took his place at the side of Kar. Next came Kau; then
the two brothers Hus came, and Wehl Dilidili. All these people in the
sweat-house and around it asked one another,--
"What shall we do? Where shall we live? We should like to know what
Olelbis will do with us."
"You will know very soon where we are going," said Toko and Sula.
"Olelbis will put us in our places; he is chief over all."
Next morning Olelbis said: "Now, my grandmothers, what do you think
best? What are we to do with the people here? Is it best for them to
stay in Olelpanti?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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