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
"I don't know," answered another. "It looks like some person. Let us
throw at it and see if it will move."
Notudui Ulumus, who always wore a sling around his head, took it off,
put a stone in it, and said,--
"There must be some one there. I have never seen that thing on a limb
before."
"Oh, that is nothing; that is always there," said others.
"I have never seen anything there before. I will sling a stone at it."
Notudui hurled a stone, which just passed Bulibok's head; he didn't
move. Notudui hurled another stone, almost grazed Bulibok's nose, but
he never moved.
"Oh, that is a part of the limb," said some of the people: "it sticks
up in that way."
"A man would move if a stone came so near him," said others.
"That is somebody; that is somebody watching us," cried a third party;
and they disputed. The people watched for a while, but Bulibok sat
there as motionless as the limb till, tired of watching, they went
away, and forgot all about him. He slipped down from the tree then,
went home, and said,--
"I sat on a tree, saw everything, and know now the best way to go.
People saw me and hurled stones. They came near hitting me twice, but
I did not stir, and they let me go."
"Now, my people," said Sehinom Chabatu, "this war was not made by me.
I hate to take you to a place like that which is before us, but we
must go there. I will go first; I will go alone and look at the
place." He mounted the ridge, and from the top of it went underground
till he came out in the chief house of the enemy. Then, thrusting his
head up, he looked and saw a great many people. Soon someone saw him
and said,--
"Why do you people not watch? Sehinom Chabatu may come. You say that
he is dead--that you burned him to death in the sweat-house; but I
don't believe that you killed him."
"Oh, he is dead long ago. We killed him; we burned him!"
Sehinom stuck out his head a second time. Again some one saw him and
asked,--
"What is that over there? Maybe it is Sehinom Chabatu. I think he
might come."
"Oh, he is dead long ago. Let's throw at that and see what it is."
Some one hurled a stone. It grazed Sehinom's nose and he dropped into
the ground. "That is only a squirrel!" said a number of people,
"Sehinom Chabatu is dead."
Sehinom went back to his army, and said to Nom Sowiwi,--
"I saw a great many people. They are the same who killed our friends.
They will kill us unless we kill them. We will move to-morrow at
daybreak and fight. My brother, Tede Wiu, you must find Sutunut. When
he came to my place he boasted greatly. He said that I could fight
nobody. I want to see Sutunut. We must find him. Never mind others.
Let us find Sutunut and Koip Herit, who boasted that they had killed
so many of our people."
"I will go and look at that camp before dark," said Hau Herit.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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