Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-05-27

WOMAN Is EVER WHAT MAN MAKES HER.
II ne chooses her to be giddy and light
ana crafty, giddy, light and crafty will
she become; but if he demands of her to
be what God made her, modest, thrifty
ana tender, such she will ever prove.
his the grand old Scandinavians knew.
and they made her creation a sacred
matter, and fashioned her from a nobler
stock than man. He was of the ash, she
OF the elm; they called the first woman
hmla, which means labOciOus female
nom the root dmr, signitying "WOrk."
"One day as the sons OF Dor were walk
ing alone the sea beach they found two
stems of wood out Of which they shaped
man and a woman. The first, Odn,
infused into them life aud spirit; the
second, Viii, endowed them with reason
and the power of motion; the third, We.
gave them speech and features, hearing
and vision" But the Scandinavians also
spoke of three primeval mothers. Eida
great grandmother), ANNA grand
mother), and Mother, from whom sprang
the three classes Of thrall, churl and earl.
1t is noticeable that these primeval wO-
men are represented as good housewives
in the venerable Rgsmal, which describes
the wanderings of the god Heimdal, under
the name of Rig. Not a word of disparage-
ment of woman is found in those old
cosmic lays. The sturdy Northerner
knew her value, and he respected her,
while the frivolous Greek desplsed her as
a toy.
The provincial troubadours caught the
classic interpretation of woman. Mas
silia was Greek colony, and Greek man.
ners, tastes and habits of thought pre-
vailed for long in the southeast of France.
They idoliZed her as an idol puppet, but
they knew not how to mend, and by COM
aDr l.,r.
which lie ready to terminate when called
for by man-deyotion, seli-sacrifce, pa
tience, gentleness, and all those simple,
yet inestimable treasures, the domestic
virtues. Pierre de st. Cloud, in the OPEN
ing of his poems on Renard, has his fling
at poor Eve. He says that Adam was
possessed OF a magic rod, with which he
could create animals at pleasure by strlk-
ing the earth with it. One day he smote
the ground and there sprang forth the
lamb. Eve caught the rod from his hand
and did as he had done; forthwith there
bounded forth the wolf, which rent the
creation of Adam. He struck and the
domestic fowls came forth. Eve did like
wise and gave being to the fox. He made
the cattle, she the tiger; he the dog, she
the iackal. Turning to our country, we
encounter host OF myths relative to the
first mother. The sacred book of the
Qulches tells OF the gods GucOmatz, Tepu,
and Cuzcah making man of earth, but
when the rain came on he dissolved into
mud. Then they made man and woman
Of wood, but the beings so made were too
thick-headed to praise and sacrifice,
wherefore they destroyed them with
flood those which escaped up tall trees
remain to this day, and are commonly
called monkeys. The three gods having
thus failed consulted the Great White
Boar and the Great White Porcupine, and
with their assistance
MADE MAN AND WOMAN OF WHITE AND
RED MAIZE,
and men show by their headstrong char
acter that the mighty boar had finger in
their creation, and women by their fret
fulness Indicate the great pOrcupme as
having had the making of them. The
Nanticokes relate that their great ances-
tor was without a wife, and he wandered
over the face of the earth in search OF one,
when at last the King of the Muskrats
offered him his daughter, assuring him
that she would make the best wife in the
world, as she could keep a house tidy, and
was very shreWd and neat in her person.
The Nanticoke hesitated to accept the
Obhging offer, alleging that the wife was
80 very small and had four legs. The
Micabou of the Muskrats now appeared,
anu QDueEbOUk 10 Ieueul bHiS uGltCts
MAN of the Nanticokes," said the spirit,
rise, take thy bride and take her TO the
edge of the lake; bid her dip her feet in
the water, whilst those standing over her
shall pronOuce these words:
'For the last time as muskrat,
For the first time as woman,
Go in beast, come out humanw
The spirits directions were Obeyed to
the letter. The NanticOke took his glossy
little maiden muskrat by the paw, led
her to the border of the lake, and while
she dipped her feet in the water he used
the appointed formulary; thereupon a
change took place in the little animal.
Her body was observed to assume the pos
ture of a human being, gradually erecting
itself, as a sapling which, having been
bent to earth, resumes its upright po-
sition. When the little creature became
erect, the skin began to tall from the head
and neck, and, gradually unvailing the
body. revealed the maid, beautiful as a
flowery meadow, or the blue summer sky,
or the north lit up with the flash Of the
dancing lights, or the rainbows which fol-
low the fertiliZing shower. Her hand was
scarcely larger than a hazel leaf, and her
foot not longer than that of the ring-doye.
Her arm was so slight that it seemed as
though the breeze must break it. The
Nanticoke gazed with delight on his beau
teous bride, and his qualification was en-
HANGED when he saw her statue increase
to the proportions of human being.
Other American Indian tribes assert
that the Great Spirit, moved with COM
passion for man, who was wasting in sol
itude on earth, sent a heavenly spirit TO
be his companion and the mother of his
children. And we believe they are about
right. But the KickapOOs tell very diff
ferent tale. There was a time throughout
the great world, say they according 10
Jones' TRADITIONS of the North American
mdians") J, when neither Oh land nor in
the water was there a woman to be found.
OF vain things there were plenty; there
was the turkey. and the blue jay, the
wood duck and the wakOn bird, and OF
noisy, chattering creatures there were
plenty. for there were the squirrel and the
starting, and the mouse; but Of women,
vain. noisy, chattering, gadabOut women,
there were none. 1t was quite still
world to what it is now, and it was peac-
able world, too. Men We're in plenty,
made OF clay and sun dried, and they were
then so happy, OIL 50 happy. Wars were
none then, and quarres were none. The
KickapOos ate their deer's flesh with the
POttawatomies, hunted the otter with the
Osaoes. and the beaver with the HurOns.
Then the great fathers of the kickapOOs
scratched the backs OF the savage lroquois
and the truculent lrOquois returned the
compliment. Tribes which now seek one
Nv..a hF.a mil hn