The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-01-27
MYTHS OFTHE ICE AGE
SOME OF THE CURIOUS TRADITIONS
OF THE NORTHWESTERN INDIANS.
Origin with the Folklore of Other
Races-The Thunder Bird.
Seattle Correspondence New York Post.

MYTHS are history QlSIOTteQ. CnQer-
meath them there is probably always a
substratum of fact Very deep digging
may be necessary to find it, but it is
safe to say that not one of the myths
which are identified with the thought
and character of a race are without
a solid enough foundation il we could
only find it.
Not to go far afield for illustration.
persons who are at all familiar with
THE character of North American In
CLANS; that is. of those who have not
been long in close contact with civiliza-
ton, will admit that a class of tradi-
lions similar to those which are herein
after referred to have had as much
influence in determining the thoughts.
disposition and history of these people
as the Edenic myth has had upon the
thought. disposition and history of the
people Of Christendom. Nowhere is the
truth of this more evident than among
the coast tribes of the Pacific North
west. some of which are to all intents
and purposes yet in their aboriginal
condition of savagery. When it is re-
membered that one may meet on the
streets of Seattle any day Princess
Angeline, whose father remembered the
visit of Vancouver, and that there died
only year or SO ago an old Snoqual-
mie chief who used to tell of the visit
Of 'the great white-winged ducks to
Puget sound, meaning thereby the first
ships that any Indian of his tribe had
ever seen, and which so frightened him
and his fellow-hunters that they de-
Al. a
in terror-when these things are re-
membered we realize how close we are
to the primitive ideas of these people.
when we get from the lips of one of
them story Of the far-off past of his
race.
OF such stories there is an apparent
ly inexhaustible mine. They differ in
detail, but are essentially the same. in
that they all deal with either the COM
ing or the passing away of a great
calamity. What the Indian of the Pa
cific Northwest is to-day he is because
of these myths. His hopes, his fears.
his bsNefs, his expectations in this life.
his vague antjcipations of a life to
come are all based upon these myths.
and, If he has had the benefit of in
struction in Christianity, all he does is
to apply the new names to the old
things.
The story Of how 'Spbiow saved man
kind from the wrath of Snoqualm illus
trates the character of these myths
Here it is: Spbiow, the Saukalee Tyee.
or supreme Deity of the Snoqualmies
Indians had son named 'Spbiow. who
was inquisitive and daring. Now Sno-
Quatin, or the moon god, had stolen
the sun, the stars, the machine that
made daylight and all the trees and
had hidden them no one knew where.
that fhpV somewhere he
yond the impenetrable dome of the
sky. 1t was the time of the great win
ter, and NALL the people and animals
suffered terribly. They besought
could not or would not deliver them.
Then 'Spbiow, moved by pity or dar-
ing. resolved to see if he could not get
through the sky and into the kingdom
of Snoqualm. He made rope of ce-
dar bark. and, calling to his aid his
mother, the Blue jay. babe her fly up
and attach the rope to the underside
of the sky. When she had done this
'Spbiow climbed up the rope. and with
out much trouble passed through the
sPBIow's GOOD FORTUNE.
But now his good fortune deserted
him, for he fell into a great pond. and
in seeking to go ashore was caught in
one of Snoqualm's traps, where the
moon god found him later, and, taking
him to his cabin, skinned him as though
he had been a beaver or a muskrat.
and threw his carcass away. Now.
though Snoqualm did not know it.
'Spbiow was more powerful in death
than in life. and the youth only
waited until his captor had fallen
asleep to take his revenge But by rea-
son of his long fast he had become
very hJngry. and, wishing to have
something to eat before putting his
plans of revenge into. execution. he
searched the cabin for food. He found
plenty of dried fish, but what was of far
more Importance. he discovered hidden
away in a remote corner of the cabin
the sun. the stars, the machine that
made the daylight and the trees the
latter having been much reduced in
size by Snoqualm the better 10 conceal
them. 'Spbiow thought no more of re-
venge, but placing the sun under one
arm and the machine that made the
daylight under the other and gather
Ing up handful of stars and a hand
full Of trees, he made his way to the
rope and slid down with his precious
burden in safety. The noise of his de-
parture awoke SnoQualm, who started
20 follow him, and. IN order to make
q more rapid descent to the earth. I'M
tied the rope from the underside of the
sky. with the result that he fell in
heap on the prairie, which bears his
rises in the form of mountain. on
whose top the rough outlines of his
face may yet be seen.
have given the legend without en-
bellishmept just as 1T has been told
among the Snoqualmie Indians for un-
numbered generations.
The substantial similarity between
this story and the familiar tale of Jack
and the beanstalk suggests common
origin for the two. The origin of the
latter no one pretends to- know. 1T has
come down from very remote age.
1t is one of the stock of myths which
our Anglo-Saxon ancestors brought
with them across Europe in the days
when Rome was a commonwealth. 1t
seems to be version of some ancient
tradition preserved by people who did
not believe it, for the amusement of
children. The Indian story. on the
other hand, has been preserved by peo-
pie who did believe It, And it may be
added that to believe it requires no
greater effort than is called for by the
story of Joshua suspending the opera
lions of the solar system or that of the
tower of Babel.
This myth is of the class usually
called creation legends, but strictly
speaking there are no creation legends
among these Indians. All their folk
1nra 1aals with e!thar the advent or