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," said she, "you have been fighting, you have been at
war, and people will talk much of you. My grandson, you will hear
something very soon. You must do what is best, take care of yourself.
I will tell you what to do: when you go hunting or fishing, never go
toward the east. Go north, west, and south, but never go east; the
people in the east are talking of you. My grandson, I did not know
that you were going to do the things that you have done. When I was
rearing you and you were a baby yet, I told you how to hunt and fish;
no more. I did not think that you would fight and strike down strong
people. But there is a woman at Norwan Buli who brought all this
trouble into the world; this fighting began for her, and now it will
continue always and everywhere; there will never be an end to fighting
in this world now. This place where we are living would have been good
but for that woman. Now, from this time on, all these trees,
mountains, rocks, all people in this world, will be bad and will hurt
others. (This means that people will use stones, sticks, and
everything to fight with when they are angry.)
"Now, my grandson, you must do as I tell you. My brother lives near
by, he lives at Kahi Buli, his name is Kahit. Go and see him every
morning early. And there is a man who lives a little farther away, up
at Waitami. He is your brother. Go and see him every evening. He is a
great man, he can do everything. His name is Katsi Herit. My two
sisters live at Waiti Nomken. They have been in the war and have seen
all the fighting. They are the Kawas Loimis sisters.
"My grandson, we cannot live as we used to live. We must live
differently. I am getting very angry. We cannot eat, we cannot sleep
as in the old time. When you went to war you killed two great men,
two of the best men. Long, long ago Chulup, a great chief, went far
away east, and has lived there since that time. He is going to come
soon to see you. Take care of yourself; be on your guard. When he
started east Chulup went to the edge of the great water and went under
the ground to it, he went through the ground, and he lives in the east
now on the bed of the great water.
"I will tell you what is going to happen soon. I am getting angry, and
when I am angry you will feel a cold wind coming from the north. That
wind comes because I am angry."
When Sehinom Chabatu went south, he was young yet, not grown; and now,
when his grandmother knew what was happening in the east, she was
instructing him. The place where they lived was Dau Paki Olel, a mile
higher up than the mouth of Wini Mem.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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