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

ILLUSTRATIONS

Page Bianki's Vision Frontispiece Woman's Costume 32 An Elderly Omaha Beau 33 Tattooing, Showing Conventional Design of the Peace Pipe 42 Bull Boat 43 German Knights and Indian Warriors 56 Rivalry over the Buffalo 70 Capture of a Wandering Buffalo 71 Five Chiefs of the Ogalla Sioux 84 Old Horse 85 Siouan Tents 96 An Arapahoe Bed 97 Indian Scaffold Cemetery on the Missouri River 110 An Omaha Village, Showing Earth Lodge and Conical Tepees 111 Black Coyote 122 Ornamentation on the Reverse of an Arapahoe "ghost-dance" Shirt 123 "Killed two Arikara chiefs" 132 Many Tongues, or Loud Talker 133 Petroglyph in Nebraska 144 Plains Indians Dragging Brush for a Medicine Lodge 156 An Earth Lodge 157 Kansa Chief 168 Big Goose 169 Omaha Assault on a Dakota Village 186 "Killed ten men and three women" 187

MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF THE GREAT PLAINS

THE CREATION

Osage (Wazha zhe group)

Way beyond, once upon a time, some of the Osages lived in the sky. They did not know where they came from, so they went to Sun. They said, "From where did we come?"

He said, "You are my children."

Then they wandered still further and came to Moon.

Moon said, "I am your mother; Sun is your father. You must go away from here. You must go down to the earth and live there."

So they came to the earth but found it covered with water. They could not return up above. They wept, but no answer came to them. They floated about in the air, seeking help from some god; but they found none.

Now all the animals were with them. Elk was the finest and most stately. They all trusted Elk. So they called to Elk, "Help us."

Then Elk dropped into the water and began to sink. Then he called to the winds. The winds came from all sides and they blew until the waters went upwards, as in a mist. Now before that the winds had traveled in only two directions; they went from north to south and from south to north. But when Elk called to them, they came from the east, from the north, from the west, and from the south. They met at a central place; then they carried the waters upwards.

Now at first the people could see only the rocks. So they traveled on the rocky places. But nothing grew there and there was nothing to eat. Then the waters continued to vanish. At last the people could see the soft earth. When Elk saw the earth, he was so joyous, he rolled over and over on the earth. Then all the loose hairs clung to the soil. So the hairs grew, and from them sprang beans, corn, potatoes, and wild turnips, and at last all the grasses and trees.

Now the people wandered over the land. They found human footsteps. They followed them. They joined with them, and traveled with them in search of food.

(Hoga group)

The Hoga came down from above, and found the earth covered with water. They flew in every direction. They sought for gods who would help them and drive the water away. They found not one. Then Elk came. He had a loud voice and he shouted to the four corners of the sky. The four winds came in answer. They blew upon the water and it vanished upwards, in a mist. Then the people could see the rocks. Now there was only a little space on the rocks. They knew they must have more room. The people were crowded. So they sent Muskrat down into the water. He did not come back. He was drowned. Then they sent Loon down. He did not come back. He was drowned. Then they sent Beaver down into the water. The water was too deep. Beaver was drowned. Then Crawfish dived into the water. He was gone a long time. When he came up there was a little mud in his claws. Crawfish was so tired he died. But the people took the mud out of his claws and made the land.

HOW THE WORLD WAS MADE

Cherokee

The earth is a great floating island in a sea of water. At each of the four corners there is a cord hanging down from the sky. The sky is of solid rock. When the world grows old and worn out, the cords will break, and then the earth will sink down into the ocean. Everything will be water again. All the people will be dead. The Indians are much afraid of this.