Maidu Folklore Myths and Legends - 18 legends of the Maidu people E-Book

Anon E. Mouse

• Herausgeber: Abela Publishing
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2020

Beschreibung

The Maidu live in the central Sierra Nevada of California, to the north of Yosemite. They were not particularly numerous to begin with and were decimated by the incursion of Europeans.

These 18 folklore stories, myths and legends were collected by linguist, Roland B. Dixon at the beginning of the 20th century. In these texts Coyote is the central character. He is first seen in the company of Earth-Maker, giving him advice about how to build the world.

The 18 stories in this volume are:
Creation Myth. Part I,
Creation Myth. Part II,
Coyote's Adventures,
Coyote And Muskrat,
Coyote, The Mountain-Tossing People, And The Wind-Man,
Thunder-Boy And Lizard-Man,
Thunder-Boy And Lizard-Man (Variant),
Thunder And Mosquito, And The Theft Of Fire,
Sun-Man And Frog-Woman,
The Girls Who Married The Stars,
Rolling Skull,
Night-Hawk-Man,
The Serpent-Lover,
Bat-Man,
The Frightener,
Fisher-Man,
Mountain-Lion And His Children,
Mouse-Man.

Of particular interest in Native American folklore is their Creation Myths. The volcano, Mount Lassen (also known as Lassen Peak), erupted often enough in prehistoric times to form the mountain, so it is little wonder the Indians in the northeast corner of California believed the world began there at the desire of a Great Man back when the earth resembled a molten mass. When it cooled, they believed that the deity made a woman to live with him, and from those two came all humans, including the Maidu.

A second belief existed among some Maidu as to their origin. This legend starts with the belief that the tribe once inhabited the Sacramento Valley. One day an immense body of water overcame everyone, and everything in the valley was swept away. This ocean covered the entire valley and allowed only two persons to escape. The Great Man blessed this pair and they produced offspring from which the present people came.

While both myths have parallels with the biblical stories of creation, whatever the truth, Maidu folklore are an important part of Native American culture. So join with us and journey back to a time when these stories were told around campfires, to the delight of young and old alike.

10% of the net sale will be donated to charities.
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KEYWORDS/TAGS: Maidu, Folklore, fairy tales, myths and legends, fables, central, Sierra Nevada, California, Yosemite, Creation Myth, Part I, Part II, Coyote, Action, Adventure, Muskrat, Mountain-Tossing People, Wind Man, Thunder Boy, Lizard Man, Thunder, Mosquito, Theft Of Fire, Sun-Man, Frog Woman, Girls, Marry, Stars, Rolling Skull, Night Hawk Man, Serpent Lover, Bat Man, Frightener, Fisher Man, Mountain Lion, Children, Mouse Man, campfire stories, mount lassen, lassen peak, Sacramento Valley, Great Man, Roland B. Dixon, earth maker, Native American, American Indian, culture, North America, USA, American Indian children, native American children, native American tribe, American Indian tribe, native American stories, American Indian stories,

Leseprobe

MAIDU FOLKLORE, Myths & Legends

VOLUME IV

Collated By

Roland B. Dixon

A Publication of the

American Ethnological Society

Edited by FRANZ BOAS

Originally Published By

E. J. Brill Publishers and Printers, Leyden

[1912]

* * * * * * *

Resurrected By

Abela Publishing, London

[2020]

Maidu Folklore, Myths & Legends

Typographical arrangement of this edition

© Abela Publishing 2020

This book may not be reproduced in its current format in any manner in any media, or transmitted by any means whatsoever, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, or mechanical ( including photocopy, file or video recording, internet web sites, blogs, wikis, or any other information storage and retrieval system) except as permitted by law without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Abela Publishing,

London

United Kingdom

2009

ISBN-13: 978-X-XXXXXX-XX-X

Email:

[email protected]

Website:

http://bit.ly/GetB00ksHere

Acknowledgements

The Publisher acknowledges the work that

Roland B. Dixon

did in compiling this unique collection of

Maidu Folklore, Myths & Legends

in a time well before any electronic media was in use.

* * * * * * *

10% of the net from the sale from this bookwill be donated to charities

Contents

Introduction.

Creation Myth. Part 1.

Creation Myth. Part II.

Coyote's Adventures.

Coyote nd Muskrat.

Coyote, The Mountain-Tossing People, and The Wind-Man.

Thunder-Boy and Lizard-Man.

Thunder-Boy and Lizard-Man (Variant).

Thunder and Mosquito, and The Theft Of Fire.

Sun-Man and Frog-Woman.

The Girls Who Married The Stars.

Rolling Skull.

Night-Hawk-Man.

The Serpent-Lover.

Bat-Man.

The Frightener.

Fisher-Man.

Mountain-Lion and His Children.

Mouse-Man.

INTRODUCTION

THE texts here presented form a part of the linguistic material collected during the years 1902 and 1903 for the California Expedition of the American Museum of Natural History in New York, which was maintained through the liberality of the late Mr. C. P. Huntington. All of the texts were secured at Genesee, Plumas County, California, from Tom Young, a half Maidu, half Atsugewi man, who, although only about thirty years of age, possessed an extensive knowledge of the myths of the Maidu of this region. The dialect in which the myths are recorded is that of the Northeastern Maidu, of which a grammatical sketch has been published in the "Handbook of American Indian Languages." 1 English versions of many of these myths have already been published, 2 and also a discussion of the main features of Maidu mythology and its relation to that of the surrounding tribes. 3

The order of arrangement followed, places first the Creation Myth, obtained in two parts in successive years. The various tales relating particularly to Coyote come next, after which the order is in general dependent on relative importance, or wideness of relationship. The nineteen myths given form but a small part of those known to the Maidu of this region, but are apparently those most commonly told, and best known to the stock as a whole.

In the translation an attempt has been made to give a reasonably free rendering, redundant words or repetitions being occasionally omitted, and words needed to complete the sense being supplied. 4 To the first part of the Creation Myth a pretty close interlinear translation is given as well; and it is believed that, with this as an indication, there will be little difficulty in following the other translations. The paragraphs and sentences in text and translation correspond in all cases. Some forms are still obscure; and where a tentative translation is given, it is indicated by a query. It will be noticed that in the text the same word is often spelled in different ways, or given a varying accent. It has seemed best to record these different forms just as they were heard at the time, rather than to try to reduce them to a single, normal form. The accent has always been placed at the end of the stressed syllable.

In the preparation of these texts, the interest and helpful counsel of Dr. Franz Boas has been unfailing; but the author, and the author alone, is responsible for whatever sins of omission or commission the volume may contain.

ALPHABET.--The phonetic system of the Maidu is only moderately extensive. It possesses but one series of k-sounds, of which only the k is frequent, and is lacking in velars and lateral (l) sounds. The consonant system includes palatals, alveolars, dento-alveolars, labials, and laterals. The sonants and surds are as a rule not very clearly differentiated, and it is sometimes difficult to determine in a given case which is intended. Surds are more common than sonants in the pairs g-k and d-t, g in particular being quite uncommon. Although in most groups of consonants there is a sonant, surd, and fortis, yet the fortis is often by no means strongly marked, and is difficult to separate from the surd. The glottal catch is but little used. A peculiar feature of the Maidu is the existence of two weak inspirational sonant stops B and D. The exact method of formation of these sounds is not clear. However, it is certain that inspiration proceeds no further than the soft palate, the peculiar quality of the sound being produced by a "smack" formed by a slight vacuum in the mouth. The B and D occur only as a rule before ö, and the difference between them and the ordinary b and d is, in the case of some speakers and in some words, very slight; in other words, or in the same words by other and generally older speakers, the difference is strongly marked. The consonant system of the Maidu may be shown in tabular form as follows:

Sonant.

Surd.

Fortis.

Spirant.

Inspirant.

Nasal.

Palatal

g

k

k!

x

---

ñ

Alveolar

d

t

t!

---

D(ö)

n

Dento-alveolar

---

ts

---

s, c

---

---

Labial

b

p

p!

---

B(ö)

m

Lateral

l

---

---

---

---

---

Glottal catch

(?)

h, y and w.

The vowels are quite variable. One of the most characteristic features of the use of vowels is the fondness for the ö, ä, and ü sounds. The vowels are as follows:

ü

u

ū

i

ī

e

ē

ä

E

ö

a

o

ā

â

ō

Footnotes

1 Roland B. Dixon, Maidu, an Illustrative Sketch (Bureau of American Ethnology, Bulletin 40, Part I, pp. 679-734). Washington, Government, 1911.

2 Roland B. Dixon, Maidu Myths (American Museum of Natural History, Bulletin, Vol. XVII, pp. 33-118). New York, 1902.

3 Journal of American Folk-Lore, Vol. XVI (1903), pp. 32-36.

4 Words thus added to complete the sense are enclosed in parentheses.

I CREATION MYTH Part 1

When this world was filled with water, Earth-Maker floated upon it, kept floating about. Nowhere in the world could he see even a tiny bit of earth. No persons of any kind flew about. He went about in this world, the world itself being invisible, transparent like the sky.

He was troubled. "I wonder how, I wonder where, I wonder in what place, in what country, we shall find a world!" he said. "You are a very strong man, to be thinking of this world," said Coyote. "I am guessing in what direction the world is, then to that distant land let us float!" said Earth-Maker.

In this world they kept floating along, kept floating along, hungry, having nothing to eat. "You will die of hunger," said Coyote. Then he thought. "No, I cannot think of anything," he said. "Well," said Earth-Maker, "the world is large, a great world. If somewhere I find a tiny world, I can fix it up."

Then he sang, "Where, little world, art thou?" It is said he sang, kept singing, sang all the time. "Enough!" he said, and stopped singing. "Well! I don't know many songs (?)," he said. Then Coyote sang again, kept singing, asking, for the world, singing, "Where, O world, art thou."' He sang, kept singing; then "Enough!" he said, "I am tired. You try again."

So Earth-Maker sang. "Where are you, my great mountains, my world mountains?" he said. He sang, and all the time kept saying, "Where are you?" He stopped singing. "Enough!" he said. "You try also." Coyote tried, kept singing. "My foggy mountains, where one goes about," he said. "Well, We shall see nothing at all. I guess there never was a world anywhere," said he. "I think if we find a little world, I can fix it very well," said Earth-Maker.

As they floated along, they saw something like a bird's nest. "Well! That is very small," said Earth-Maker. "It is small. If it were larger, I could fix it. But it is too small," he said. "I wonder how I can stretch it a little!" He kept saying, "What is the best way! How shall I make it larger!" So saying, he prepared it. He extended a rope to the east, to the south he extended a rope, to the west, to the northwest, and to the north he extended ropes.

When all were stretched, he said, "Well, sing, you who were the finder of this earth, this mud! 'In the long, long, ago, Robin-Man made the world, stuck earth together, making this world.' Thus mortal men shall say of you, in myth-telling." Then Robin sang, and his world-making song sounded sweet. After the ropes were all stretched, he kept singing; then, after a time, he ceased.

Then Earth-Maker spoke to Coyote also. "Do you sing too," he said. So he sang, singing, "My world, where one travels by the valley-edge; my world of many foggy mountains; my world where one goes zigzagging hither and thither; range after range," he said, "I sing of the country I shall travel in. In such a world I shall wander," he said.

Then Earth-Maker sang--sang of the world he had made, kept singing, until by and by he ceased. "Now," he said, "it would be well if the world were a little larger. Let us stretch it!"--"Stop!" said Coyote. I speak wisely. This world ought to be painted with something, so that it may look pretty. What do ye two think?"

Then Robin-Man said, "I am one who knows nothing. Ye two are clever men, making this world, talking it over; if ye find anything evil, ye will make it good."--"Very well," said Coyote, "I will paint it with blood. There shall be blood in the world; and people shall be born there, having blood. There shall be birds born who shall have blood. Everything--deer, all kinds of game, all sorts of men without any exception--all things shall have blood that are to be created in this world. And in another place, making it red, there shall be red rocks. It will be as if blood were mixed up with the world, and thus the world will be beautiful," he said. "What do you think about it?"--"Your words are good," he said, "I know nothing." So Robin-Man went off. As he went, he said, "I shall be a person who travels only in this way," and he flew away.

Earth-Maker spoke: "You had better lie down here on your face."--"All right!" said Coyote, and, kneeling down, he lay on his face. Then Earth-Maker stretched the world with his foot. Stretching it once, he extended it towards the east, extended it on that side; then to the south, then to the west, he stretched it; then to the northwest and to the north he stretched it. Having extended it only a little ways, he said, "All right!"

Coyote stood up and looked around. "Well, I think it would be better if this world were just large enough to go around it." By and by Earth-Maker said, "You had better kneel down again, and lie flat on your belly. Do not look up. You must not!"--"Very well," said Coyote, "I will not look up." He lay down; and Earth-Maker, stretching the earth with his foot eastward, stretched it as far as it would go. He extended it fully toward the south, toward the west, toward the northwest, toward the north. "All right!" said he.

Coyote stood up, and, having risen, started to walk hither eastward. Earth-Maker, when he was left alone, stood for a time, then, departing, he went toward the south. In the direction of the sunset he went far around, going over to the northwest, going around to the north, going all the way around to the east. And having gone around, having returned to the spot where he had first turned off, he prepared things.

He made two white men; then he made others, white, but a little different. As he made them, he counted them. He kept on making them--made one black, then another almost black. Two of each only he made. Then he counted all the countries, and, as he counted, assigned them, gave them to the countries. "You are a country having this name, you shall have this people," he said. "This sort of people, naming you, shall own the country. These people shall grow, shall keep on growing through many winters, through many dawns. They shall continue to grow until, their appointed winters being past, their dawns being over, this people having finished growing, shall be born," he said. "Very many winters will have passed before they shall be born. And they shall have children, girls and boys; and these children, growing up, shall have children in their turn," he said. When several winters have passed, there will be very many people."

Then again, to another sort of people, he gave another country, saying, "This people, I leave you in this country, and ye shall be the owners of this land. Ye shall be a people with a name." And they also were a different sort of people, a people with a name; and their country also was named, it is said. "Your country also shall have a name," he said. "Ye too shall have a name, and your children shall fill the land, and every single child shall have a name," he said. "There, growing steadily, many winters, many days, shall pass before ye are fully grown. Then ye shall possess this country," he said.

Thereafter he spoke to another, again he gave a different kind of country to a different kind of people. He said, "Ye shall be a different-speaking and a different-looking people. Ye also shall possess a country," he said.

"Your children, if they weary of this land, going from this country to one with another name, to a country that is good to live in, shall remain there. There every country shall be full of people, who will continue to be born," he said. And then he divided the world among many. To one he gave one sort, to another he gave another. Ye shall all have different names," he said. Finally he finished giving, he distributed all.

Then after a while, continuing on his way, he came hither, kept travelling; and after arriving in the middle of the world, he made other people. "Ye shall be mortal men like this," he said; and, having made two, he left them. "Ye here, growing steadily, when so many winters shall have passed, very many winters, many days, ye shall be fully grown," he said. "Then ye shall be mortal men, ye shall be born full-grown. This country shall have a name. Beyond these mountains there shall be another country, which also shall have a name. Ye shall not be born soon," he said. Then he named everything, and, having left the people here in the middle of the world, he went away.