The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-05-17
AMERICAN MYTHOLOGY,
RELIGION AND ROMANCE :
Tales of Creation and of
Legendary Heroes.
COLLECTED n oM THE INDIANS IN
MEXICO. AND GUATEMALA.
BY JEREMIAH CURTIN.
Copyright. $500. bv jeremiah Curtin.

splendid bit Of Aboriginal American philosophy,
and touches on topics which nave exercised
many minds besides those OF primitive Amcri-
ca. The subject OF life and death IL treated
here so simply, and Mt the same time so well.
that 1 believe most readers would resent expla-
nation or mmc
Some statements, however, touching Sedit
%[coyotel are not out of place. | think. The
coyote Is very prominent in the mythology of
every region whcro he is found. The basis of
his character is the sam in al myths that I
have collected. He is n tremendous %glutton.
b%oastful, talkative, cunning, exceptionally
inclined to the other sex, full of curiosity. u
liar. Il trickstcr, doccivIng most adro!tly, and
deceived himself. at times. He comes to grief
frequently because Of his passions and peculiar
qualities. lie is an artful dodger, who has
points In common with the devil of European
folk lore. being in many cases nm American
counterpart of this curious and interesting
parsonage.
OF northern Pacific coast tribes in the Unit
ed States, the ..Modocs. have given most dis
%tinctIon to the coyote. Among them the chief
coyote is a trIckstcr on the grandest scale, and
has obtained possession of the indestructible
disk of the sun. through which he Is immor-
tai, or. at least. MS undying as that luminary.
Because Of his vanity and boastfulness. the
coyote undertakes various enterprises in
which he fails through his passions.
Sacred springs and small lakes In tho
mountains are very prominent in the Modoc reli-
glon. a young man who hopes to be q magi-
clan or a doctor goes to these mountain springs
before he is married or knows woman. There
he Is nearly exhausted. If he is to he a magi-
clan or doctor. spirits appear to him in this
lin the time before men we're s1 on earth, Of
fS@ 1t r en ,b hoP Mny to to- gain gar va grs%t iEEH iIds p RoWy nnji
hateful to the spirits Of the springs. These
spirits we're disguised Will the odor of food
that came from him. struck him with mango,
drove, him away, made him hungry. foul. and
menting. without hope of pardon. From this
coyote are descended an especially bad breed
hungry to this day. In dark windy nights
the NANCY descendants Of that, g%lutton are
their own fallen state. and lost happiness.
The Shasta Indians have n long tale Of a
him "A great magician. When the time came
she sent him to the sacred mountain and gave
every instruction. He was not to stop. eat, or
When about two-thirds of the distance lie
passed near a house; inside was loud humping
and, hammcrinR: n frog woman was pounding
seeds and singing: her house wns full of food;
coyote caught the odor of it; storpcd. could
not resist the temptation TO 20 In. lie went in,
Indian mythology frog womcn are not ~vrstals,
so breaking his fast and gluttony were not his
ton. On leaving the frog woman's house lie
went through a series Of uncomfortable adj
NCIlluItS. III tIlc tllNl u lllt llltTc a. nOlIl-
ing left but his head, which. was In n pool by
the wayside, and Just as much alive as ever.
found and pitied the unfortunate. 1t was not
to do so II he would. shut his eyes and not open
them till she set him. down on his grand
mothers threshold. When half way home Gu
riosity oyercame him; Though only a head.
The duck woman had pity again and took
him to his Z. andmother. Loud was her wall
ing at sight of her lost and ruined grandson.
give here some short stories showing 1nuy
Sedit came to grief through peculiarities OF
character.
sEDIT AND HILIT.
Hit lived alone near the foot of Bomeh Bull
tBald Mountatnl. He twisted a strong rope
out of grass fbre., and made a snare of It.
went to his house and ate. Hilit took the snare
then; also a red deer skin-the head and legs
Mountains me'n He travelled i iii he found al a traiI
on the edge Of n steep and high bank ut the foot
of a mountain. lie set the snare on this trail,
brush and woods till he saw two Zig bucks.
They started, and he ran, When the deer saw
Hilit they turned and followed. soon he was
on tho, trail, the deer running after him.
When he came to the snare he went under.
Both deer followed, were caught. and fell over
Hit took both deer home in one load. He
cut the yenison and hung i to dry; Next
ticed in two deer and caught them;
tn fl liz h hSnteS wa i9 al isi1 Win %ni '3 meat a iG %nd i masii
was stored away outside; After a while pc?9-
than he can eat himself. We don't SNOW
what kind of people he belongs to-"
They were talking, in the sweat house, Sc;
d Sit, who wlfb lay mv I nsnbaw H, tthlo%%sht, II nv wish Is1Dl |
SfpI' go eo'' to ahG my nu' n r,SH "s: s'' h. TO took hi'l ais best
clothes and ornaments. Q belt OF shells, and a
long, strings OF shells. lie travelled all day.
reached Tsarau puiken. and carnped for the
Ing no one. Before sunset he saw a house and
went no to 1t. This is my ncphew's, think
said he.
venlson. and many skins. lie Went to tho
door, saw. a fire, and walked In. lie couldn't
so full OF veniso... lie looked all around.
Nothing but vcnIson. east, north, south, and
he saw all this be threw aside hi, coyote ,hlrn
ket, took or his shoes and shells, and began
TO eat venison as fast as he could. II" was
very hungry, had not eaten for two days.
something, fall outside. He stopped aud sat
down, as I %wHittRE; rat as If he were a FEGGt
notice Sedit. After n little, Scdit said:
., "My nephew ";n ! See sSoS SoE "i dE e"yS on thought ght
VIEW" !S@ol! :" my + { uncle, ST said II iC'' II see you
did not think any one would cons
hero. | have been hunting and brought home
TWO uecT, ! tllIbNs Dbu are nllnkTN, UflIk
them in, Wen cook supper. Make n good IRE,
uncle, put stones on IT,. get water, we'll boil
and YOU can eat MI you ike"
They made everything ready and boiled the
with rei-hot stones. mix gave n
WI ole basket OF meat 10 Scdit. Help your
self. Eat all you WISH" sud he, ~ eat very
Sedit ate one basket OF vcnison and then
After that ne lay down with Il bus,
ket Of vcnison ON his left, between him and
the lire, and another on his right. He lay IN,
der tho hanging vcnison and could eat while
lying on his, haci.., lie slept very little, for ho
ate the whole night nearly.
Next morning HIT rose early. hurried To
the creek, swan there, went home, took his
snare and deer skin. my u%ncle,'' said he.
II am going, ! never stay nt home in the day,
rant stay, ] nm in the woods always. You
will take Gro ~ the house. rub the deer skins,
,onk the heads and dry them"
II will do So" snid Sedit,
Ihlit went or. lie was gone the whole day,
Sedlt cooked and ate fat and lean vrnisOn. on
himself. That evening llilit brought In
Two deer, he never brought one, always two.
Things went on in this way for long timo
III Scdit was tired OF eating %venisOn, and Hit
tired OF him, was dying Ia, get rid Of him.
One daY HIT went away and didn't return,
wen 10 sec knlamis Ia small gray SQUIRREL
md said TO him: eco to NY house 10 night
,,J - vt ~ SabIt fnr me ,upp,t lIrn Ia