Myths of the Modocs / by Jeremiah Curtin.

  • Curtin, Jeremiah, 1835-1906.
Date:
[1912]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Myths of the Modocs / by Jeremiah Curtin. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    f ran away- Komtichass followed them to their own country and llled them. The Indian woman who related this myth believed that if the brothers had let Komtichass alone, there would have been no such thing as old age. lem£is AND NUL-WE In this myth Lemeis is described as a man-eater. In Indian myths lightning thunder, earthquake, and cyclone are man-eaters. Every effort was made to* find out who Nul-we and his grandmother were. Old Ko-a-lak-ak-a, who told the story, said that when she was young she knew, but she had forgotten. In a Nosa myth, somewhat similar in construction, but where Lightning is the chief personage, the old grandmother is Pom, the earth. WIND AND THUNDER 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. Tcuskai, who represents spring, thought that he could cut off North Wind’s head. When Wind put his head out Tcuskai 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 South- west Wind brothers and the Northeast Wind brothers and their sister, Tekstye. When Southwest Wind had killed Tekstye’s brothers she ran away. South- west Wind overtook her just as she reached a river; he struck her and she fell into the water. Then he said: i 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. gAukos and kulta Gdukos, 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 Guatamala, 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.”