Indians of North America -- Folklore; Modoc Indians -- Folklore; Modoc Indians -- Religion; Modoc mythology
For ages the reverence and enthusiasm of primitive men have been given
to elemental heroes, and they are given them yet by every tribe which
preserves its ancient beliefs and ideas.
Fortunately we know all of the characters in this story of the
elements.
Tcûskai, who represents spring, thought that he could cut off North
Wind’s head. When Wind put his head out Tcûskai died.
Tskel killed South Wind, made a cap of his skin, put it on and went to
North Wind’s house and killed him.
Since the death of North Wind and South Wind the wind that comes from
the south is South Wind’s spirit, and the wind that comes from the
north is North Wind’s spirit.
The Warm Spring Indians of Oregon have a beautiful myth about the
Southwest Wind brothers and the Northeast Wind brothers and their
sister, Tekstye. When Southwest Wind had killed Tekstye’s brothers she
ran away. Southwest Wind overtook her just as she reached a river; he
struck her and she fell into the water. Then he said: “You’ll no longer
be a person and freeze people. You can blow once in a while, then I
will come and overpower you. Rain will be your enemy, too. You will
blow and freeze up everything, then he and I will come, we will thaw
out the ground, warm it up, and make it green and beautiful.”
GÁUKOS AND KÛLTA
Gáukos, the moon, is afraid of the big-mouthed people, the grizzly
bears (clouds). He takes Weketas to protect him. He says: “If only a
bit of me is left in Lok’s mouth Weketas can bring me to life.” In the
old time nearly every tribe of Indians on the western continent
believed that an eclipse was caused by an animal’s attempt to swallow
the sun, or the moon. Some tribes believe it yet and think that the
animal is a grizzly bear. In Guatemala, when there is an eclipse, the
Indians assemble in their villages, beat on drums, scream and make as
much noise as possible, “to scare the bear away.”
In “Tulchuherris,” a Wintu myth, Olelbis, the creator, warns Sas, the
Sun, against the grizzlies; he says: “While coming from the east you
will see thick brush along the road. In that brush are grizzly bears.
Be on your guard against them; they will kill you if they can.”
DJÁKALIPS—RED CLOUDS
In this myth it is not told who the two sisters are, but in most myths
that describe rope-makers it is stated that when the great change came
they turned to spiders. The Kaltsik (spider) people play a prominent
part in “The Star Brothers.” In a Wintu Myth Norwanchakus hires the
spider people to go to Sun’s house and ask where Keriha is. In
Látkakáwas they made a basket and would have fastened it to the sky,
but misfortune came from looking back.
MOASÄM BEPS, THE DAUGHTER OF SOUTH WIND
Moasäm Beps is a myth in which Winter and Spring are the characters.
The fate of Tsákiak is pathetic, but we may be sure that if we knew
what he represented, and had all the details of the myth, we should
find it consistent, and true to nature.
WEST WIND’S WIVES
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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