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
"Our grandson," answered the old women, "send all that are not needed
here to the lower world; turn them into something good for the people
who are to come soon,--those fit for this place up here. The great
people, the best ones, you will keep in Olelpanti, and send down only
a little part of each of them to turn into something in the world
below and be of use to people there."
Olelbis called all who were in the sweat-house to come out, and he
began to send them to their places.
To Kar he said: "Go and live on Wini Mem. Be a gray heron there; that
is a good country for you." (Before white people came there were many
of these birds on that river.)
To Toko he said: "Go to Kawiken on Pui Mem. Be a sunfish and live
there always. You, Sula, go to the south of Bohem Puyuk on Wini Mem.
Be a trout, and live at Sulanharas."
To Torihas he said: "You will be a blue crane," and to Chalilak: "You
will be a goose. You both will have two places to live in, one in the
south and the other in the north. You will go north in the spring and
live there all summer; you will go south in the fall and live in the
south all winter. Do this always; travel that way every year."
To Kiriu he said: "Go and live along the water. You will be a loon,
and you will go up and down great rivers all your life."
To Katsi he said: "You will be a fish hawk, catch fish and eat them,
live along rivers."
Olelbis plucked one small feather from the neck of Moihas. This he
threw down and said, "Be an eagle, and live on high mountains." All
bald eagles on earth came from that feather, but the great Moihas
remained above with Olelbis, where he is now.
From Lutchi Olelbis plucked one feather, threw it down, and said: "You
will be a humming-bird. Fly around in spring when the green grass
comes and the trees and flowers bloom. You will be on blossoms and
dart from one to another everywhere." Lutchi himself stayed in
Olelpanti.
Olelbis pulled a feather from Kau, threw it down, and said: "You will
fly along rivers, be a white crane, and live near them always." The
great Kau stayed in Olelpanti with Olelbis.
From the elder Hus brother Olelbis plucked a feather from the right
side, sent the feather down on this earth, and said,--
"You be a buzzard down there, and in spring go up on Wini Mem and look
for dead salmon and other fish along Pui Mem, Bohema Mem, and other
rivers, eat dead salmon and other fish. When people kill a snake or
something else which they do not like, you will go and eat the snake
or other dead thing. The Wintu, the coming people, will feed you
always with what is dead."
Tilitchi had been sent for three persons, and now he brought the
first.
"Who is this?" asked Olelbis of the old women.
"This is Dokos," said they; "he is bad."
Dokos was placed a little northeast of the sweat-house. He sat looking
toward the west. Tilichi brought in a second and third person.
"Who are these?" asked Olelbis.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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