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
"These are both bad people," said the old women. "These are Wima
Loimis and Klak Loimis."
"Put them with Dokos," said Olelbis. After he had called all the
people out of the sweat-house to send them to their proper places,
Olelbis had put something on their teeth to make them harmless.
"Come here, Wima Loimis," said Olelbis. "I have something to put on
your teeth so that they may harm no one."
"I want nothing on my teeth," said Wima Loimis. "If something were put
on them I could not eat." He asked again, but she shook her head,
saying: "I want nothing on my teeth, I could not eat if anything were
put on them."
"If she will not come, come you, Klak Loimis." Klak Loimis would not
go to him.
"Why not come when I call you?" asked Olelbis.
"My sister Wima will not go. She says that she could not eat if her
teeth were touched. I want nothing on my teeth. I am afraid that I
could not eat."
"Very well," answered Olelbis, "you, Wima, and you, Klak, want to be
different from others. Come, Dokos, I will touch your teeth."
"My sisters, Klak and Wima, want nothing on their teeth. I want
nothing on mine. I am angry at my sisters; my heart hates them. I do
not wish to be good. I am angry at my sisters. I will be wicked as
well as they." Then turning to his sisters he said: "After a while
people will employ me against you whenever they are angry at you.
Whenever you bite people or hurt them, they will call me to fight
against you, and I will go with them. I will go into your bodies and
kill you. Then you will be sorry for what you have done to-day.
Olelbis asked you to be good. He wants you to be good, but you are not
willing. I will be bad to punish you."
When the two women heard these words they cried, and Wima said, "Well,
my brother, we can put something on our teeth yet."
Dokos placed his head between his hands and sat awhile in that
posture. Then he straightened himself and said,--
"You two have talked enough; you would better stop. You are not like
me; I am stronger than both of you, and I shall be so always. You,
Wima, and you, Klak, will hate people only, but I shall hate all
living things. I shall hate you, hate every one; kill you, kill every
one. I want nothing of any one. I want no friend in any place."
"Well," said Olelbis, "you go as you are."
"I will go first," said Dokos.
"Go," said Olelbis, "to Koiham Nomdaltopi, be flint there, and spread
all around the place. You, Klak Loimis, will go to Klak Kewilton, be a
rattlesnake there, increase and spread everywhere. I will send you,
Wima, to Wima Wai Tsarauton; you will be a grizzly bear there. After a
while a great family will come from you and spread over all the
country. You will be bad; and, Klak, you will be bad, but, Dokos, you
will be the worst, always ready to hurt and kill; always angry, always
hating your sisters and every one living.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account