Myths And Legends Of California And The Old Southwest — Part 2

The Search for the Middle and the Hardening of the World Zuni (New Mexico) As it was with the first men and creatures, so it was with the world.

It was young and unripe.

Earthquakes shook the world and rent it.

Demons and monsters of the under-world fled forth.

Creatures became fierce, beasts of prey, and others turned timid, becoming their quarry.

Wretchedness and hunger abounded and black magic.

Fear was everywhere among them, so the people, in dread of their precious possessions, became wanderers, living on the seeds of grass, eaters of dead and slain things.

Yet, guided by the Beloved Twain, they sought in the light and under the pathway of the Sun, the Middle of the world, over which alone they could find the earth at rest(1).

When the tremblings grew still for a time, the people paused at the First of Sitting Places.

Yet they were still poor and defenceless and unskilled, and the world still moist and unstable.

Demons and monsters fled from the earth in times of shaking, and threatened wanderers.

Then the Two took counsel of each other.

The Elder said the earth must be made more stable for men and the valleys where their children rested.

If they sent down their fire bolts of thunder, aimed to all the four regions, the earth would heave up and down, fire would, belch over the world and burn it, floods of hot water would sweep over it, smoke would blacken the daylight, but the earth would at last be safer for men.

So the Beloved Twain let fly the thunderbolts.

The mountains shook and trembled, the plains cracked and crackled under the floods and fires, and the hollow places, the only refuge of men and creatures, grew black and awful.

At last thick rain fell, putting out the fires.

Then water flooded the world, cutting deep trails through the mountains, and burying or uncovering the bodies of things and beings.

Where they huddled together and were blasted thus, their blood gushed forth and flowed deeply, here in rivers, there in floods, for gigantic were they.

But the blood was charred and blistered and blackened by the fires into the black rocks of the lower mesas(2).

There were vast plains of dust, ashes, and cinders, reddened like the mud of the hearth place.

Yet many places behind and between the mountain terraces were unharmed by the fires, and even then green grew the trees and grasses and even flowers bloomed.

Then the earth became more stable, and drier, and its lone places less fearsome since monsters of prey were changed to rock.

But ever and again the earth trembled and the people were troubled.

"Let us again seek the Middle," they said.

So they travelled far eastward to their second stopping place, the Place of Bare Mountains.

Again the world rumbled, and they travelled into a country to a place called Where-tree-boles-stand-in-the-midst-of-waters.

There they remained long, saying, "This is the Middle."

They built homes there.

At times they met people who had gone before, and thus they learned war.

And many strange things happened there, as told in speeches of the ancient talk.

Then when the earth groaned again, the Twain bade them go forth, and they murmured.

Many refused and perished miserably in their own homes, as do rats in falling trees, or flies in forbidden food.

But the greater number went forward until they came to Steam-mist-in-the-midst-of-waters.

And they saw the smoke of men's hearth fires and many houses scattered over the hills before them.

When they came nearer, they challenged the people rudely, demanding who they were and why there, for in their last standing-place they had had touch of war.

"We are the People of the Seed," said the men of the hearth-fires, "born elder brothers of ye, and led of the gods."

"No," said our fathers, "we are led of the gods and we are the Seed People..."

Long lived the people in the town on the sunrise slope of the mountains of Kahluelawan, until the earth began to groan warningly again.

Loath were they to leave the place of the Kaka and the lake of their dead.

But the rumbling grew louder and the Twain Beloved called, and all together they journeyed eastward, seeking once more the Place of the Middle.

But they grumbled amongst themselves, so when they came to a place of great promise, they said, "Let us stay here.

Perhaps it may be the Place of the Middle."

So they built houses there, larger and stronger than ever before, and more perfect, for they were strong in numbers and wiser, though yet unperfected as men.

They called the place "The Place of Sacred Stealing."

Long they dwelt there, happily, but growing wiser and stronger, so that, with their tails and dressed in the skins of animals, they saw they were rude and ugly.

In chase or in war, they were at a disadvantage, for they met older nations of men with whom they fought.

No longer they feared the gods and monsters, but only their own kind.

So therefore the gods called a council.

"Changed shall ye be, oh our children," cried the Twain.

"Ye shall walk straight in the pathways, clothed in garments, and without tails, that ye may sit more straight in council, and without webs to your feet, or talons on your hands."

So the people were arranged in procession like dancers.

And the Twain with their weapons and fires of lightning shored off the forelocks hanging down over their faces, severed the talons, and slitted the webbed fingers and toes.

Sore was the wounding and loud cried the foolish, when lastly the people were arranged in procession for the razing of their tails.

But those who stood at the end of the line, shrinking farther and farther, fled in their terror, climbing trees and high places, with loud chatter.

Wandering far, sleeping ever in tree tops, in the far-away Summerland, they are sometimes seen of far-walkers, long of tail and long handed, like wizened men-children.

But the people grew in strength, and became more perfect, and more than ever went to war.

They grew vain.

They had reached the Place of the Middle.

They said, "Let us not wearily wander forth again even though the earth tremble and the Twain bid us forth."

And even as they spoke, the mountain trembled and shook, though far-sounding.

But as the people changed, changed also were the Twain, small and misshapen, hard-favored and unyielding of will, strong of spirit, evil and bad.

They taught the people to war, and led them far to the eastward.

At last the people neared, in the midst of the plains to the eastward, great towns built in the heights.

Great were the fields and possessions of this people, for they knew how to command and carry the waters, bringing new soil.

And this, too, without hail or rain.

So our ancients, hungry with long wandering for new food, were the more greedy and often gave battle.

It was here that the Ancient Woman of the Elder People, who carried her heart in her rattle and was deathless of wounds in the body, led the enemy, crying out shrilly.

So it fell out ill for our fathers.

For, moreover, thunder raged and confused their warriors, rain descended and blinded them, stretching their bow strings of sinew and quenching the flight of their arrows as the flight of bees is quenched by the sprinkling plume of the honey-hunter.

But they devised bow strings of yucca and the Two Little Ones sought counsel of the Sun-father who revealed the life-secret of the Ancient Woman and the magic powers over the under-fires of the dwellers of the mountains, so that our enemy in the mountain town was overmastered.

And because our people found in that great town some hidden deep in the cellars, and pulled them out as rats are pulled from a hollow cedar, and found them blackened by the fumes of their war magic, yet wiser than the common people, they spared them and received them into their next of kin of the Black Corn....

But the tremblings and warnings still sounded, and the people searched for the stable Middle.

Now they called a great council of men and the beasts, birds, and insects of all kinds.

After a long council it was said, "Where is Water-skate?

He has six legs, all very long.

Perhaps he can feel with them to the uttermost of the six regions, and point out the very Middle."

So Water-skate was summoned.

But lo!

It was the Sun-father in his likeness which appeared.

And he lifted himself to the zenith and extended his fingerfeet to all the six regions, so that they touched the north, the great waters; the west, and the south, and the east, the great waters; and to the northeast the waters above, and to the southwest the waters below.

But to the north his finger foot grew cold, so he drew it in.

Then gradually he settled down upon the earth and said, "Where my heart rests, mark a spot, and build a town of the Mid-most, for there shall be the Mid-most Place of the Earth-mother."

And his heart rested over the middle of the plain and valley of Zuni.

And when he drew in his finger-legs, lo!

there were the trail-roads leading out and in like stays of a spider's nest, into and from the mid-most place he had covered.

Here because of their good fortune in finding the stable Middle, the priest father called the town the Abiding-place-of-happy-fortune.

(1) The earth was flat and round, like a plate.

(2) Lava.

Origin of Light Gallinomero (Russian River, Cal.

) In the earliest beginning, the darkness was thick and deep.

There was no light.

The animals ran here and there, always bumping into each other.

The birds flew here and there, but continually knocked against each other.

Hawk and Coyote thought a long time about the darkness.

Then Coyote felt his way into a swamp and found a large number of dry tule reeds.

He made a ball of them.

He gave the ball to Hawk, with some flints, and Hawk flew up into the sky, where he touched off the tule reeds and sent the bundle whirling around the world.

But still the nights were dark, so Coyote made another bundle of tule reeds, and Hawk flew into the air with them, and touched them off with the flints.

But these reeds were damp and did not burn so well.

That is why the moon does not give so much light as the sun.

Pokoh, the Old Man Pai Ute (near Kern River, Cal.

) Pokoh, Old Man, they say, created the world.

Pokoh had many thoughts.

He had many blankets in which he carried around gifts for men.

He created every tribe out of the soil where they used to live.

That is why an Indian wants to live and die in his native place.

He was made of the same soil.

Pokoh did not wish men to wander and travel, but to remain in their birthplace.

Long ago, Sun was a man, and was bad.

Moon was good.

Sun had a quiver full of arrows, and they are deadly.

Sun wishes to kill all things.

Sun has two daughters (Venus and Mercury) and twenty men kill them; but after fifty days, they return to life again.

Rainbow is the sister of Pokoh, and her breast is covered with flowers.

Lightning strikes the ground and fills the flint with fire.

That is the origin of fire.

Some say the beaver brought fire from the east, hauling it on his broad, flat tail.

That is why the beaver's tail has no hair on it, even to this day.

It was burned off.

There are many worlds.

Some have passed and some are still to come.

In one world the Indians all creep; in another they all walk; in another they all fly.

Perhaps in a world to come, Indians may walk on four legs;

or they may crawl like snakes; or they may swim in the water like fish.

Thunder and Lightning Maidu (near Sacramento Valley, Cal.

) Great-Man created the world and all the people.

At first the earth was very hot, so hot it was melted, and that is why even to-day there is fire in the trunk and branches of trees, and in the stones.

Lightning is Great-Man himself coming down swiftly from his world above, and tearing apart the trees with his flaming arm.

Thunder and Lightning are two great spirits who try to destroy mankind.

But Rainbow is a good spirit who speaks gently to them, and persuades them to let the Indians live a little longer.

Creation of Man Miwok (San Joaquin Valley, Cal.

) After Coyote had completed making the world, he began to think about creating man.

He called a council of all the animals.

The animals sat in a circle, just as the Indians do, with Lion at the head, in an open space in the forest.

On Lion's right was Grizzly Bear; next Cinnamon Bear; and so on to Mouse, who sat at Lion's left.

Lion spoke first.

Lion said he wished man to have a terrible voice, like himself, so that he could frighten all animals.

He wanted man also to be well covered with hair, with fangs in his claws, and very strong teeth.

Grizzly Bear laughed.

He said it was ridiculous for any one to have such a voice as Lion, because when he roared he frightened away the very prey for which he was searching.

But he said man should have very great strength; that he should move silently, but very swiftly; and he should be able to seize his prey without noise.

Buck said man would look foolish without antlers.

And a terrible voice was absurd, but man should have ears like a spider's web, and eyes like fire.

Mountain Sheep said the branching antlers would bother man if he got caught in a thicket.

If man had horns rolled up, so that they were like a stone on each side of his head, it would give his head weight enough to butt very hard.

When it came Coyote's turn, he said the other animals were foolish because they each wanted man to be just like themselves.

Coyote was sure he could make a man who would look better than Coyote himself, or any other animal.

Of course he would have to have four legs, with five fingers.

Man should have a strong voice, but he need not roar all the time with it.

And he should have feet nearly like Grizzly Bear's, because he could then stand erect when he needed to.

Grizzly Bear had no tail, and man should not have any.

The eyes and ears of Buck were good, and perhaps man should have those.

Then there was Fish, which had no hair, and hair was a burden much of the year.

So Coyote thought man should not wear fur.

And his claws should be as long as the Eagle's, so that he could hold things in them.

But no animal was as cunning and crafty as Coyote, so man should have the wit of Coyote.

Then Beaver talked.

Beaver said man would have to have a tail, but it should be broad and flat, so he could haul mud and sand on it.

Not a furry tail, because they were troublesome on account of fleas.

Owl said man would be useless without wings.

But Mole said wings would be folly.

Man would be sure to bump against the sky.

Besides, if he had wings and eyes both, he would get his eyes burned out by flying too near the sun.

But without eyes, he could burrow in the soft, cool earth where he could be happy.

Mouse said man needed eyes so he could see what he was eating.

And nobody wanted to burrow in the damp earth.

So the council broke up in a quarrel.

Then every animal set to work to make a man according to his own ideas.

Each one took a lump of earth and modelled it just like himself.

All but Coyote, for Coyote began to make the kind of man he had talked of in the council.

It was late when the animals stopped work and fell asleep.

All but Coyote, for Coyote was the cunningest of all the animals, and he stayed awake until he had finished his model.

He worked hard all night.

When the other animals were fast asleep he threw water on the lumps of earth, and so spoiled the models of the other animals.

But in the morning he finished his own, and gave it life long before the others could finish theirs.

Thus man was made by Coyote.

The First Man And Woman Nishinam (near Bear River, Cal.

) The first man created by Coyote was called Aikut.

His wife was Yototowi.

But the woman grew sick and died.

Aikut dug a grave for her close beside his camp fire, for the Nishinam did not burn their dead then.

All the light was gone from his life.

He wanted to die, so that he could follow Yototowi, and he fell into a deep sleep.

There was a rumbling sound and the spirit of Yototowi arose from the earth and stood beside him.

He would have spoken to her, but she forbade him, for when an Indian speaks to a ghost he dies.

Then she turned away and set out for the dance-house of ghosts.

Aikut followed her.

Together they journeyed through a great, dark country, until they came to a river which separated them from the Ghost-land.

Over the river there was a bridge of but one small rope, so small that hardly Spider could crawl across it.

Here the woman started off alone, but when Aikut stretched out his arms, she returned.

Then she started again over the bridge of thread.

And Aikut spoke to her, so that he died.

Thus together they journeyed to the Spirit-land.

Old Man Above and the Grizzlies Shastika (Cal.

) Along time ago, while smoke still curled from the smoke hole of the tepee, a great storm arose.

The storm shook the tepee.

Wind blew the smoke down the smoke hole.

Old Man Above said to Little Daughter: "Climb up to the smoke hole.

Tell Wind to be quiet.

Stick your arm out of the smoke hole before you tell him."

Little Daughter climbed up to the smoke hole and put out her arm.

But Little Daughter put out her head also.

She wanted to see the world.

Little Daughter wanted to see the rivers and trees, and the white foam on the Bitter Waters.

Wind caught Little Daughter by the hair.

Wind pulled her out of the smoke hole and blew her down the mountain.

Wind blew Little Daughter over the smooth ice and the great forests, down to the land of the Grizzlies.

Wind tangled her hair and then left her cold and shivering near the tepees of the Grizzlies.

Soon Grizzly came home.

In those days Grizzly walked on two feet, and carried a big stick.

Grizzly could talk as people do.

Grizzly laid down the young elk he had killed and picked up Little Daughter.

He took Little Daughter to his tepee.

Then Mother Grizzly warmed her by the fire.

Mother Grizzly gave her food to eat.

Soon Little Daughter married the son of Grizzly.

Their children were not Grizzlies.

They were men.

So the Grizzlies built a tepee for Little Daughter and her children.

White men call the tepee Little Shasta.

At last Mother Grizzly sent a son to Old Man Above.

Mother Grizzly knew that Little Daughter was the child of Old Man Above, but she was afraid.

She said: "Tell Old Man Above that Little Daughter is alive."

Old Man Above climbed out of the smoke hole.

He ran down the mountain side to the land of the Grizzlies.

Old Man Above ran very quickly.

Wherever he set his foot the snow melted.

The snow melted very quickly and made streams of water.

Now Grizzlies stood in line to welcome Old Man Above.

They stood on two feet and carried clubs.

Then Old Man Above saw his daughter and her children.

He saw the new race of men.

Then Old Man Above became very angry.

He said to Grizzlies: "Never speak again.

Be silent.

Neither shall ye stand upright.

Ye shall use your hands as feet.

Ye shall look downward."

Then Old Man Above put out the fire in the tepee.

Smoke no longer curls from the smoke hole.

He fastened the door of the tepee.

The new race of men he drove out.

Then Old Man Above took Little Daughter back to his tepee.

That is why grizzlies walk on four feet and look downward.

Only when fighting they stand on two feet and use their fists like men.

The Creation of Man-Kind and the Flood Pima (Arizona) After the world was ready, Earth Doctor made all kinds of animals and creeping things.

Then he made images of clay, and told them to be people.

After a while there were so many people that there was not food and water enough for all.

They were never sick and none died.

At last there grew to be so many they were obliged to eat each other.

Then Earth Doctor, because he could not give them food and water enough, killed them all.

He caught the hook of his staff into the sky and pulled it down so that it crushed all the people and all the animals, until there was nothing living on the earth.

Earth Doctor made a hole through the earth with his stick, and through that he went, coming out safe, but alone, on the other side.

He called upon the sun and moon to come out of the wreck of the world and sky, and they did so.

But there was no sky for them to travel through, no stars, and no Milky Way.

So Earth Doctor made these all over again.

Then he created another race of men and animals.

Then Coyote was born.

Moon was his mother.

When Coyote was large and strong he came to the land where the Pima Indians lived.

Then Elder Brother was born.

Earth was his mother, and Sky his father.

He was so powerful that he spoke roughly to Earth Doctor, who trembled before him.

The people began to increase in numbers, just as they had done before, but Elder Brother shortened their lives, so the earth did not become so crowded.

But Elder Brother did not like the people created by Earth Doctor, so he planned to destroy them again.

So Elder Brother planned to create a magic baby....

The screams of the baby shook the earth.

They could be heard for a great distance.

Then Earth Doctor called all the people together, and told them there would be a great flood.

He sang a magic song and then bored a hole through the flat earth-plain through to the other side.

Some of the people went into the hole to escape the flood that was coming, but not very many got through.

Some of the people asked Elder Brother to help them, but he did not answer.

Only Coyote he answered.

He told Coyote to find a big log and sit on it, so that he would float on the surface of the water with the driftwood.

Elder Brother got into a big olla which he had made, and closed it tight.

So he rolled along on the ground under the olla.

He sang a magic song as he climbed into his olla.

A young man went to the place where the baby was screaming.

Its tears were a great torrent which cut gorges in the earth before it.

The water was rising all over the earth.

He bent over the child to pick it up, and immediately both became birds and flew above the flood.

Only five birds were saved from the flood.

One was a flicker and one a vulture.

They clung by their beaks to the sky to keep themselves above the waters, but the tail of the flicker was washed by the waves and that is why it is stiff to this day.

At last a god took pity on them and gave them power to make "nests of down" from their own breasts on which they floated on the water.

One of these birds was the vipisimal, and if any one injures it to this day, the flood may come again.

Now South Doctor called his people to him and told them that a flood was coming.

He sang a magic song and he bored a hole in the ground with a cane so that people might go through to the other side.

Others he sent to Earth Doctor, but Earth Doctor told them they were too late.

So they sent the people to the top of a high mountain called Crooked Mountain.

South Doctor sang a magic song and traced his cane around the mountain, but that held back the waters only for a short time.

Four times he sang and traced a line around the mountain, yet the flood rose again each time.

There was only one thing more to do.

He held his magic crystals in his left hand and sang a song.

Then he struck it with his cane.

A thunder peal rang through the mountains.

He threw his staff into the water and it cracked with a loud noise.

Turning, he saw a dog near him.

He said, "How high is the tide?"