The Portland daily press., 1890-01-11
chocTAW LEGENDS.
Some Interesting Facts Told by a
Former officer at Fort Preble.


KANSAS CITY, Jan. y.-During recent
conversation with Peter Pitchlynn, the
great Choctaw chief, l learned that the
Choctaws have legend of 1.-THE Del
uge," and that they once fiattened the
heads of their children, both of which
facts / shall attempt to show is confirm
atory of their original habitat having
been far in the southwestern portion Of
the continent, as they claim, and not the
northwest, as those who advocate the
Lost tribes of Israel" theory claim.
Now the Mayas, those strange people
who built the wonderful structures, the
ruins of which are found at Uxmal,
Palenque and elsewhere in Central Amer
lea, fattened the heads of their children,
and all the Isthmian Indians have ira
dition of deluge atlantis sad fate,
probably. Is it not probable that the
Choctaws, as they claim they did, came
from that region, where at one time in
remote antiquity, jostled, as it We're,
with the Mayas, and brought here with
them some of the corrupted legends of
that people!
The Choctaw tradition of ''the del
uge," as related by Chief Pitchlynn, is
this: ''Our people have always had
tradition of the deluge,' which happened
in this way: There was total darkness
for great time over the whole of the
earth; the Choctaw doctors, or mystery
men, looked out for daylight for a long
time, until at last they despaired of ever
seeing it, and the whole nation were very
unhappy. Finally light was discovered
in the north and there was great rejoic-
ing, until it was found to be great noun
tains of water rolling on, which destroyed
them all except few families who had
expected it and built an immense raft,
on which they were savedr'
Of the primitive religious belief of
the Choctaws, as related by Pitchlynn,
the following is synopsis: sour peo-
pie all were firm in the faith that the
spirit lives in future state; that it has
to cross a dreadful, deep and rapid
stream, which is hemmed in on both
sides by high and rugged hills. Over
this stream, from hill to hill, there lies a
long and slippery pine log, with the bark
peeled off, over which the dead have to
pass to the delightful hunting groundsl
On the other side of the stream there are
six inhabitants of 'the good hunting
grounds with rocks in their hands,
which they throw at all who attempt to
cross when they reach the middle of the
log! The good walk on safely to the
delightful hunting grounds, where there
is one continual day; where the trees are
always green; where the sky has no
clouds; where there are constant cooling
breezes; where there is one everlasting
scene of feasting, dancing and rejoicing;
where there is no pain or trouble and
people never grow old, but forever live
young and enjoy the youthful pleasures!
1.-THE wicked on the log see the stones
coming and try to dodge, by which they
fall and go down thousands of feet to the
water, which is dashing over the rocks
and is sinking with dead fish and ami
mails, where they are carried around and
brought continually back to the same
place in whirlpools; where the trees are
all dead, and the water full of toads,
lizards and snakes; where the dead are
always hungry, but have nothing to eat;
are always sick, and never die; where
the sun never shines, and where the
wicked are ever climbing up by thou
sands on the sides Of the high rock, from
which they can overlook the beautiful
country OF the good hunting grounds,
the abode of the happy, but never can
reach it,
HENRY INMAN