Myths and Legends of the Great Plains

Part 1

Produced by David Edwards, Sam W. and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from scanned images of public domain material from the Google Print project.)

MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF THE GREAT PLAINS

SELECTED AND EDITED BY

KATHARINE BERRY JUDSON

AUTHOR OF "MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF CALIFORNIA AND THE OLD SOUTHWEST," "MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST," "MONTANA," "MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF ALASKA," AND "WHEN THE FORESTS ARE ABLAZE."

ILLUSTRATED

CHICAGO A. C. McCLURG & CO. 1913

Copyright A. C. McCLURG & CO. 1913

Published November, 1913

W. F. Hall Printing Company Chicago

BY THE SAME AUTHOR

MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF CALIFORNIA AND THE OLD SOUTHWEST. Over fifty full-page illustrations. Small quarto. $1.50 net.

MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF ALASKA. Beautifully illustrated. Small quarto. $1.50 net.

MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. Especially of Washington and Oregon. With fifty full-page illustrations. Small quarto. $1.50 net.

MONTANA: "The Land of Shining Mountains." Illustrated. Indexed. Square 8vo. 75 cents net.

WHEN THE FORESTS ARE ABLAZE. Illustrated. Crown 8vo. $1.35 net.

A. C. McClurg & Co., Publishers

(Kiowa Drawing)

The ghost-dance among the Sioux was based on the belief that the dead Indians would all come to life and drive out the white intruders. Then the buffaloes, which were disappearing, would come back in the immense herds of the olden time.

The vision of one of the dreamer priests is represented. After reaching the spirit world, Bianki found himself on a vast prairie covered with innumerable buffaloes and ponies. He went through the herds (dotted lines) until he came to a large Kiowa camp, with its ornament tepees. He met four young women who had died years before, and asked about two of his brothers, also dead. He soon met them coming into camp, with buffalo meat hanging from their saddles.]

PREFACE

From the edge of the Darkening Land, where stand the mountains which encircle the earth-plain, eastward toward the Sunland, lie the great plains of America. Smooth and flat and green they stretch away, hundreds of miles, rising from a dead level into a soft rolling of the land, then into the long green waves of the prairies where rivers flow, where the water ripples as it flows, and trees shade the banks of the gleaming water.

Here, amidst the vast sweep of the plains which stretch away to the horizon on every side, boundless, limitless, endless, lived the plains Indians. Standing in the midst of this vast green plain on a soft May morning, after the Thunder Gods have passed, when the sun is shining in the soft blue above, and the sweet, rain-swept air is blown about by the Four Winds which are always near to man, day and night,--standing far out on the plains with no hint of the white man or his work--one sees the earth somewhat as the Indian saw it and wonders not at his reverence for the Mysterious One who dwelt overhead, beyond the blue stone arch, and for the lesser powers which came to him over the four paths guarded by the Four Winds. It was Wakoda, the Mysterious One, who gave to man the sunshine, the clear rippling water, the clear sky from which all storms, all clouds are absent, the sky which is the symbol of peace. Through this sky sweeps the eagle, the "Mother" of Indian songs, bearing upon her strong wings the message of peace and calling to her nestlings as she flies. Little wonder that to some tribes song was an integral part of their lives, and that emotions too deep for words were expressed in song.

Other songs there were, with words, songs of the birds which fly through that soft, tender blue:

All around the birds in flocks are flying; Dipping, rising, circling, see them coming. See, many birds are flocking here, All about us now together coming.

The power to fly has always inspired Indians of all tribes and of all degrees of civilization with wonder and reverence. The bird chiefs have their own places in Indian myths. Owl is chief of the night; Woodpecker, with his ceaseless tattoo on the trees, is chief of the trees; Duck is chief of the water; but Eagle is chief of the day. It is always Eagle who is chief of the birds, even though Wren may outwit him in a tale told by the fire glimmering in the tepee, when the story tellers of the tribe tell of the happenings in the days "way beyond." It is Eagle who inspires admiration, and becomes the most sacred bird.

Round about a tree in ever widening circles an eagle flies, alert, watching o'er his nest; Loudly whistles he, a challenge sending far, o'er the country wide it echoes, there defying foes.

In the breeze that rippled the long grass of the prairie and fluttered the flaps of the graceful tepee, waved also the corn, sent by Old-Woman-Who-Never-Dies, the ever returning life of the green thing growing. In the ravines and on the lower slopes of the grassy waves of the prairie bellowed the buffalo, or grazed in silence, having long since come up from the underground world and become the source of the Indian's food, clothing, home, utensils, and comfort. Endless were the charms and enchantments to bring the buffalo herds near his camping ground. Severe was the punishment meted out to the thoughtless warrior whose unguarded eagerness frightened the herds and sent them away.

Part 2

Over the plains and prairies, at other times, swept the Thunder Gods, with their huge jointed wings, darkening all the land, and flashing fire from angry eyes which struck down man and beast. Terrified were the Indians when the Thunder Gods rolled. Vows made to them must be kept, for relentless were they.

"Oh, grandfather," prayed the Indian when the sky was black and the lightning flashed, as he filled a pipe with tobacco and offered it skyward, "Oh, grandfather! I am very poor. Somewhere make those who would injure me leave a clear space for me." Then he put the sacred green cedar upon the fire--the cedar which stayed awake those seven nights and therefore does not lose its hair every winter--and the smoke from the sacred, burning wood, rolling upward, appeased the rolling Thunders.

* * * * *

The authorities used in this compilation are those found in the annual reports of the Bureau of American Ethnology and the Publications of the United States Geographical and Geological Survey: contributions to North American Ethnology. Of the various ethnologists whose work has been used, those of especial importance are Alice C. Fletcher, whose wonderful work among the Omaha and Pawnee Indians is deserving of the most careful study, J. Owen Dorsey, James Mooney, and S. R. Riggs.

No claim whatever is made for original work. Indeed, original work of any kind in a compilation such as this would impair the authenticity of the myths, and therefore destroy the value of this work. Nor has any effort been made towards "style." The only style worth having in telling an Indian legend is that of the Indian himself.

K. B. J.

Seattle, Washington.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page The Creation Osage 19 How the World was Made Cherokee 22 The Flood and the Rainbow Lenni-Lenapi (Delaware) 26 The First Fire Cherokee 28 The Ancestors of People Osage 31 Origin of Strawberries Cherokee 32 Sacred Legend Omaha 34 The Legend of the Peace Pipes Omaha 38 A Tradition of the Calumet Lenni-Lenapi (Delaware) 41 The Sacred Pole Omaha 43 Ikto and the Thunders Teton 46 The Thunder Bird Comanche 47 The Thunder Bird Assiniboin 48 Song to the Thunder Gods Omaha 49 Songs of the Buffalo Hunt Sioux 50 Origin of the Buffalo Teton 53 The Buffalo Being Teton 55 The Youth and the Underground People Omaha 57 The Buffalo and the Grizzly Bear Omaha 68 My First Buffalo Hunt Omaha 71 Bird Omens Sioux 73 The Bird Chief Omaha 74 Song of the Birds Pawnee 75 Song of Kawas, the Eagle Pawnee 77 The Eagle's Revenge Cherokee 78 The Race between Humming Bird and Crane Cherokee 80 Rabbit and the Turkeys Omaha 82 Unktomi and the Bad Songs Dakota 84 How the Pheasant Beat Corn Cherokee 88 Why Turkey Gobbles Cherokee 89 Omaha Beliefs Omaha 90 Pawnee Beliefs Pawnee 92 A Song of Hospitality Sioux 95 A Song of the March Sioux 96 Song of the Prairie Breeze Kiowa 97 Old-Woman-Who-Never-Dies Mandan 98 Legend of the Corn Arikara 101 Tradition of the Finding of Horses Ponca 105 Dakota Beliefs and Customs Dakota 108 Why the Tetons Bury on Scaffolds Teton 110 The Ghost's Resentment Dakota 111 The Forked Roads Omaha 116 Tattooed Ghosts Dakota 117 A Ghost Story Ponca 118 The Ghost and the Traveler Teton 119 The Man who Shot a Ghost Teton 120 The Indian Who Wrestled with a Ghost Teton 122 The Wakanda, or Water God Yankton 126 The Spirit Land Arapahoe 129 Waziya, the Weather Spirit Teton 131 Kansas Blizzards Kansa 132 Ikto and the Snowstorm Teton 133 The Southern Bride Cherokee 135 The Fallen Star Dakota 136 Quarrel of Sun and Moon Omaha 147 Why the Possum Plays Dead Cherokee 148 Bog Myth Dakota 150 Coyote and Snake Omaha 151 Why the Wolves Help in War Dakota 153 How Rabbit Escaped from the Wolves Cherokee 155 How Rabbit Lost His Fat Omaha 157 How Flint Visited Rabbit Cherokee 158 How Rabbit Caught the Sun in a Trap Omaha 161 How Rabbit Killed the Giant Omaha 163 How Deer Got His Horns Cherokee 167 Why the Deer has Blunt Teeth Cherokee 169 Legend of the Head of Gold Dakota 171 The Milky Way Cherokee 175 Coyote and Gray Fox Ponca 176 Ictinike and Turtle Omaha 178 Ictinike and the Creators Omaha 181 How Big Turtle Went on the War Path Omaha 186

Continue reading Myths and Legends of the Great Plains free in the Wunder reader →