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
Norbis went home to the southeast without Norwan, the woman he called
his wife; and when the Tede Wiu brothers went back to their house in
the evening, they found that Norwan had escaped to Norwan Buli.
This was the end of the first battle on earth. None gained anything,
and many were killed. Later there was another battle among the first
people, and afterward many among the Wintus when they came up.
After Norwan had been at home awhile she said one day to Hessiha,--
"My brother, I did wrong. When I think of it now, I see that I did
wrong. I understand all to-day. I see that if I had not danced with
Tede Wiu, if I had not gone home with him, there would have been no
fighting, no trouble in this world. If I had gone with Norbis at the
dance, there would have been no battles, there would have been no
killing; but I did not want to go with Norbis. I do not know why; but
in some way I did not like him. I was dancing with Tede Wiu, and
sitting with him, and going away with him before I knew what I was
doing."
Sehinom Chabatu, after the close of the first great battle, went home
and lived on Wini Mem five years before any trouble came to him. While
helping Tede Wiu in his fight with Norbis, Sehinom killed Saias Saias
and Chuchu, two of the best men among Norbis's forces.
All the southern people talked of these two, and told how they had
died. A great man, far off in the southeast, heard of this. He was
chief of the two when they were living, and his name was Chulup Win
Herit. He was a slender, strong person. When he had heard the whole
story, he said,--
"I have never liked fighting, I do not like fighting now. I have never
gone to war, but I am going to war now. Norbis attacked Tede Wiu, he
fought with him. Norbis has shown me what fighting is, and I am going
to fight now."
Chulup inquired everywhere to discover who had killed these two men;
he wished to be sure. All people said everywhere, "Sehinom Chabatu did
it."
It was really Chir Chuma who had killed them. But Chir Chuma was under
Sehinom Chabatu, and the blame was put on Sehinom.
They talked it all over, talked a whole night, and Chulup sent this
message to Sehinom,--
"I should like to see you, I want you to come to Miol Tapa, near
Puidal Pom. I will meet you there. If you want to fight, I will fight
with you at that place."
The messenger was Tsotso Tokos Herit. While Chulup was instructing his
messenger, Sehinom's grandmother was talking to him. This grandmother
was a very old woman, Chir Pokaila; she was called also Kahi Buli
Pokaila. She knew what was happening far away in the east, and what
was going to happen soon, though nobody had told her: she knew with
her own mind.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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