Native American myth

The aspect of legends is a key percentage of the homegrown American or the Indian American hi figment. These stories were told and handed dash off from generation to generation to expose pardon certain phenomena that Indian Americans at the season con situationred to be strange. In approximately instances, these tales were told in proportion to the things that happened around the various Indian American tribes. Among these legends were the plant, wight and creation myth. This essay at that placefore confabulateks to examine the kinship between Indian American myths and nature.Long ago, onward there were ant slew, the world was young and water cover everything. The footing was a great island floating in a higher place the seas, suspended by four rawhide ropes representing the four inspirational directions. It hung down from the crystal sky. There were no commonwealth, unless the fleshlys lined in a home preceding(prenominal) the rainbow. Needing space, they sent Water Beetle to front for means under the seas. Water Beetle dove down deep and brought up mud that spread rapidly, go into land that was tight and similarly soft and m mavinyed for the animals to live on. (Andrews, 1988196+) Grandfather Buzzard was sent to cop if the land hardened. When he flew over the terra firma, he lay down the mud had become solid he flapped in for a closer look. The wind from his wings holdd v t kayoed ensembleeys and mountains, and flat is why the Cherokee territory has so many another(prenominal) mountains today. (Andrews 1988196+)As the earth stiffened, the animals came down from the rainbow. It was s savings bank dark. They needed light, so they pulled the solariseshine extinct from fanny the rainbow, simply it was too fulgent and hot. A solution was urgently needed. The Shamans were told to place the sun higher in the sky. A path was do for it to drop dead from east to west so that exclusively inhabitants could sh ar in the light. Th e plants were placed upon the earth. The Creator told the plants and animals to assuage awake for seven days and seven nights. (Andrews 1988196+)Only a few animals managed to do so, including the owls and mountain lions, and they were rewarded with the power to see in the dark. Among the plants only the cedars, spruces, and pines remained awake. The Creator told these plants that they would keep their haircloth during the winter, while the other plants would lose theirs. People were created last. The women were commensurate to nurse babies every seven days. They reproduced so quickly that the Creator feared the world would in short become too crowded. So subsequently that the women could halt only champion child per year, and it has been that way ever since.Looking at the infixed American myths of creation we see that, the basic exposit of aboriginal American creation mythology are intertwined with the inherent world and frequently include animals that act as creators, me ssengers, protectors, guardians, and advisers. (Andrews, 1988196+) They were often intellection to possess human qualities and had the great power to speak, think, and act like humans. Animals such as the coyote, bear, raven, spider, and tip over are often rig in stories apprisal the origin of a tribe. (Andrews, 1988196+)They were thought of as ghostly guides or important players in the communitys daily existence. In some instances they try to prune what nature had created. For instance, The Mojave, for example, believe that long ago, people lived under background signal. When their regimen diminished, they sent a hummingbird to the upper world to search for more. The bird found much food, and the people climbed expose of the ground and moved into this new worldAlso, according to the in getation of numerous tribes, animals locomoteed the earth prior to man. They helped to Shape, t severally, feed and spiritually nurture the people who later lived with them. Animals played a vital component in the life of the congenital people, and honoring their spirits could bring blessings, life balance, and abundance. (Ella, 1966112) numerous Native Americans believed in the special medicine, or power, that each animal held. The mythic beasts were often given the highest regard that could be bestowed on a spirit the role of creator. When an individual or tribe needed assistance, it called upon an animals knowledge, power, and spirit. To this day, animals are considered sacred by the Native American peoples and are appealed to in times of need. (Ella, 1966112)According to the prairie wolf myth common to Nez Perce, who lived in Idaho, Washington, and Oregon, they trace their beginning bum to the magic tricky prairie wolf. In the beginning, Old humanity Coyote stood alone with water surrounding him. twain ducks swam by, and Coyote asked if they had seen anyone else. (Andrews, 1988196+) The ducks said no save thought that something might exist under the w ater. Coyote asked if they would travel underwater for him and report on what they motto.The ducks did as they were asked, conclusion nothing. He asked again, and the ducks returned with a root. On the third try, they found mud and Coyote was happy. He told the ducks that they could build with it, and he began to shape and mold the mud into an island. He blew on it, and it expanded. He blew again, and it grew into the earth. The ducks said they did not like the earths emptiness, so Coyote created grass and trees come on of the roots that came from the water. (Andrews 1988196+)Coyote and the ducks loved the earth, but it was fiat. They wanted rivers, valleys, mountains, and lakes. So it was done. Soon Coyote and the ducks do a complete(a) earth, but they grew lonely, with only the three of them to sit and whoop it up the land. So Coyote molded dirt to form men and thusly more mud to create many types of male ducks. Soon, they realized that without women, the males could not ha ve children. So with more dirt he made women and female ducks to populate the earth. (Andrews 1988196+) This myth does not explain the origin of water, the two ducks and the mud. This probably could be joined to nature.Among the Coyote tales also, is one in, which it is told how the Coyote visited the Porcupine, who scratched his nose until rakehell flowed freely out over it he hence roasted it until it turned into a piece of graceful meat. Coyote invited his host to return the visit in two days. He tried to copy the Porcupine, but failed ignominiously. He next visited the Wolf, who roasted two cursor points that were transformed into minced meat. (Bruchac 19995-9)Again the Coyote tried to imitate his host, but failed. Compare with this the tradition of the Chinook, who tell how Bluejay tried to imitate his host that of the Comox, Nootka, and Kwakiutl of Vancouver island, and of the Bella Coola and Tsimshian of Northern British Columbia, who tell the alike(p) story of the Raven that of the Ponca, who tell the same story of Ictinike, and that of the Micmac, who relate how the Rabbit tried to imitate his host. Although the preposterous method of producing food by magic is not eternally the same, the whole stories are identical to all intents and purposes. (Bruchac 19995-9)Later on it is told how the Coyote was playing with his eyes, tearing them out of their sockets and throwing them up then they fell bet on into their sockets. We nonplus the identical incident among the Shuswap in the interior of British Columbia and among the Blackfeet. Once upon a time the Coyote met the cook Giant. He proposed to him that they should vomit. He placed a large piece of pine bark before each as a dish, and bade the brownish Giant keep his eyes shut till he was told to open them. (Bruchac 19995-9) Coyote vomited bugs and worms, while the Brown Giant vomited fat venison. Coyote exchanged the dishes, and then told the Giant to open his eyes. The Shuswap ascribe the same trick to Coyote when he met the Cannibal Owl. (Bruchac 19995-9)The people sought-after(a) to divine their fate. (Clements 1986220) They threw a hide scraper into the water, saying, If it sinks, we perish if it floats, we live. It floated, and all rejoiced. Then Coyote repeated the same turn out with a stone. It sank, and therefore people die. Among the Black feet, the setoff adult female asked the Old Man if people would be immortal. In order to decide this question he threw a buffalo chip into the water, saying that if it floated people would resurrect on the fourth day after their remainder. It floated. Then the woman took a stone, saying, If it floats, we will always live it sinks, people must(prenominal) die. It sank, and therefore people died. (Clements 1986220) This again tends to explain the mystery of death thereby emphasizing the point that, Native American myths are closely tied to nature as death is natural.There also existed the myth of plant among the Indian Americ ans. This specifically was the give myth and was common among North Carolina-Cherokee Indians. It held that, many geezerhood ago there was an old woman who lived happily with her grandson until the boy turned seven years old. On his birthday she gave him a bow and cursor with which to trace. (White 1993164) On his first expedition he came back with a small bird. She was very proud of him and told him so.The grandma went out to her storeroom behind the lodge in which they lived. She soon came back with corn in a basket. She made a delicious soup with the corn and the little bird. (Bruchac 19995-9) Everyday that the boy brought home the fruits of his hunt his grandmother would go to the storehouse and bring back the corn to make the meal. The boy became very suspect and decided to follow her. He watched her as she stood in front of her basket and rubbed her hand along the side of her proboscis. As she did this the corn filled the basket. He became horrified and thought that sh e might be a witch. He hurriedly returned to the lodge. (Bruchac, 19995-9)When the Grandmother came in she knew that he had seen what she had done. She told him that because of this she must die and leave him. She would tell him what to do so that there would always be food for their people. She said, When I die, go to the south side of the lodge and clear-cut the Earth until it is completely bare. Then drag my body along the Earth seven times and go under me in the ground. (Bruchac, 19995-9)The boy did as he was told. He dragged her body over the Earth and wherever a drop of her blood fell to the ground a small plant would appear. He kept the ground cleared around each plant and soon they grew very tall with long tassels of silk at the summit meeting which reminded him of his Grandmothers long hair. Eventually ears of corn grew and his Grandmothers promise came true. Even though the Grandmother has passed from this Earth she is still present as the corn plant to feed her people. (Bruchac, 19995-9)Native American Indian also had the horse myth, which was part of the animal myths. This myth was generally cognize as the sky tail myth as it holds for other animals. This myth holds that, a long, long time ago we had to walk and walk from sky to sky, from camp to camp. (Dutton, 1996 94) Our dogs carried our rawhide bags and pulled our travois sleds. We walked so much that we wore out many moccasins going across the plains. Of a sudden, one day, coming from Old Mans quiescence room, west of the mountains, we saw some strange feel beasts. (Yolen, 199062) They were as big as elk and they had tail coat of straw.Lying across the backs of these beasts were two Kutani men. One beast was draw a travois sled. We became afraid because we did not understand. My best friend, Jumps-Over-the-Water hid behind his mothers skirt. The bravest of all of us known as Running Bear, ran behind the nearest teepee to hide. I was so frightened I could not move. I was away from the safety of my fathers tipi. The men in our tribe yelled that we were not to be afraid that we were the mighty Piegans who took the land run from the Kutani. As I looked around I saw that they were afraid. They all had big eyes and four of them had their hunting bows aimed. Then our chief Long Arrow laughed. He said, These are from Old Man. They are a giving like the elk, antelope, buffalo and bighorn sheep they are called cant over Dogs. (Yolen, 1990 62)To wrap up this discussion, it worthy to note that most Native American myth were a scream to provide an explanation for what nature had created. It is for this reason that we have the creation myth, the sky dog myth, and the plant myth, to stimulate these. Thus the contention that, literary analysis of Native American myths emphasizes a bond with nature.BIBLIOGRAPHYBruchac J. (1991) Native American Stories. Colorado Fulcrum Publishing.Clements M.W. (1986) Native American Folklore in Nineteenth-Century Periodicals.Athens depre ss PublicationElla C. (l966) Indian Legends from the Northern Rockies, Oklahoma University ofOklahoma Press.Yolen J. (1990) Sky Dogs. Harcourt CA 92101.Dutton B. and Olin C. (1996) Myths and Legends of the Indians of the Southwest. SantaBarbara Bellerophon Books.White H.M. (1993) Everyday Life of the North American Indian, brand-new York Indian HeadBooks.MagazinesAndrews T. J. (1998) World and I. Share in the gay Native American Stories ofCreation.vol.13 News World communication theory