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
Next morning before daylight, he went a short distance to the south
from his grandmother's, took his bow and arrow, strung the bow and
shot his arrow toward the east.
After the little arrow had left the bow it became a humming-bird as it
went through the air. Before the bird reached Sas's house it turned to
an arrow again.
A little way from Saskewil old Sas had his sweat-house with only one
door to it. That door looked toward the south. The arrow dropped east
of the door and stuck fast in the ground there. It dropped before
daybreak, while Sas was in the sweat-house. He heard something fall
outside the door, something that struck the ground with weight like a
great rock. He knew not what to think. He had never heard such a noise
before.
When daylight came old Sas rose and went out of the sweat-house. He
had slept all the night there. He looked around to see what had made
the great noise, and saw the little arrow. He looked at the arrow,
went up, grasped it, tried to pull it out. He took a firm hold, tried
hard, twisted and pulled, but could not draw the arrow. He rested and
then did his best. He pulled, braced himself. His hands slipped and he
fell on his back.
Sas had to leave the arrow where it was; he could not draw it out. He
went to his house, where his wife and daughters were. The two girls
were very beautiful. Sas took his old wooden pipe, filled it with
tobacco, and began to smoke.
"My old woman," said he, "and my daughters, I will tell you what I
have seen just now. I have seen a thing such as I have not seen for a
long time, a very long time. Long ago I used to see things such as I
have seen just now outside my sweat-house. Something must be wrong.
Some one must be thinking of us, some one must be thinking of our
house. I believe that some day soon we shall see some person coming. I
saw a little arrow, and tried to pull it out of the ground, but I was
not able. I tried till I fell and hurt my back. Now, my daughters, you
may go if you wish, and look at that arrow."
The girls went out, they looked at the arrow, and said, "Oh, that is a
nice arrow;" and they tried to pull it out of the ground. It did not
come, and they went back to their father's house.
"Now, my grandmother," said Tulchuherris in Eli Tsarauton, "I am going
to leave you. I am going away. I am going to the east. I am going to
Saskewil."
The old woman did not like to lose her grandson.
"Oh, my grandson," said she, "you will be killed. You will never come
back to me."
"My grandmother, I am going," said Tulchuherris. "I am going, for I
must go, and I will do the best I can."
He went west, and found flint, put pieces of it on each finger, made
finger-nails of it, and made them very sharp. Then he went west a
second time, got the marrow of Hunhunut (no one knows now what
creature Hunhunut is), brought home the marrow, rubbed it between his
hands, then rubbed himself with it, face, head, all his body except
his legs.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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