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
A little before noon of the sixth day the two brothers saw something
moving from the southwest. When it came near they saw a man with
mempak around his neck. He wore an otter-skin headband, an otter-skin
quiver, and a Sedit skin, which he wore like a coat. He had on
buckskin leggings ornamented with kobalus, and his shirt was stuck
full of kobalus, the sharp end of the shell out. He was dressed
beautifully. When this man had come near, he watched the two brothers
at work. They did not speak to him.
This was Sedit. At last he said,--
"My grandsons, stop work; rest awhile; come and tell me what you are
doing. Come and sit awhile here with me, and we will talk. When an
uncle or a grandfather comes, people always stop work and talk with
their relative."
The brothers made no answer; kept on at their work; paid no heed to
Sedit.
"Grandsons," said he again, "stop awhile; come and talk with me; tell
me what you are doing. I want to learn, come and tell me what you
know; rest awhile. I might tell you something better than what you
know. Perhaps you think, grandsons, that I don't know anything. Come
and sit down and I will tell you something wise. If you don't come, I
will spoil your work. I will destroy what you are doing."
When the two brothers heard this, they were frightened; they thought
that he might injure their work, and they came. When they reached the
ground and walked up to Sedit, they asked,--
"Which way did you come, grandfather? Where do you live?"
"My grandsons," said Sedit, "I came from a place not very far from
this. I was walking around to see if I could see something. I heard
people talking last night about you. They said that you were making a
road, and I thought that I would come here to look at your work, and
talk to you."
"Very well," said the brothers. "This work which we are doing is not
for us. It is for others. Perhaps you think this work is for us; it is
not, it is done at command of another. This work is for Olelbis.
Olelbis sent us down here to make this great road."
"What!" cried Sedit, "are you working for Olelbis? Did he send you
down here to do this? Did he tell you to make this road, and have you
come here to make it for him, my grandsons? Do you believe what
Olelbis says to you? Do you believe what he says to other people? Do
you mind him and work for him? I don't believe in Olelbis. I don't
believe what he says, I don't care for what he says."
"My grandfather," said the elder Hus, "hold on, stop talking. I don't
like to hear you say such words, I don't like to hear you talk in that
way. I am going to tell you why all this work is done, why this road
is made. I have told you nothing."
Sedit sat down and said: "Well, tell me. I am glad to hear what you
say. I am glad to hear why you are making this road."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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