Evening star., 1932-01-10
INDIANS ALSO HAD
OLD FLOOD LEGEND
Tradition of Great Disaster,
Like BabyIonian Story,
Is Found by Savant.

The Southern United States, as well
as Babylonia, had its great food legend
This is revealed in a comprehensive
compilation of accounts of the legends
and culture of the Choctaw Indians by
DR.. John R. Swanton, just issued by
the Bureau of American Ethnology OF
the Smithsonian Institution. The
Choctaw shared with other Southern
Indians the tradition OF man destroyed
by the waters because OF his wicked
ness.
The Choctaw version, 1t is shown,
speaks of divinely forewarned prophet
who went from village to village
spreading news Of the coming flood.
None needed him. There followed a
time Of total darkness and cold, with
incessant peals Of thunder. The food
OF the Indians became unit to eat with
mold. The wild animals crowded in
from the forests about the camp fires.
All Destroyed Except Prophet.
This was followed by a sudden fear
9ul crash of thunder, followed by what
seemed to be a light advancing from
the north. But 1t was only the CLEAN
land and destroying everything in its
path. Only one was saved, the mySteri-
Gus prophet who had warned of the
approaching doom. He made a raft of
BassafraS logs upon which he f1oated
for weeks.
At last great black bird came, fly
ang in circles, over the raft. The
prophet called to it for help, but it
flew away. Then a blue bird with red
nd 1od he urou fn n
ISLAND which had appeared above the
waters in the direction of the sunrise.
The weary prophet landed and lay
down in the mud to sleep. When he
Rwoke he found the island covered
with all varieties of animals.
Among these creatures were the
blackbird who had left the prophet to
his fate and the bluebird who had led
kim to safety. The blackbird was the
raven, ever after considered a creature
of i'll omen by the Choctaws. The blue
bird was transformed into a beautiful
woman who became the mother of
new race Of men.
Old Tribal Beliefs Recorded.
This, pr Swanton points out, prob
ably is fairly close to the Indian tradi-
tion which preceded the white mission
aries. Later versions of the story are
greatly changed to conform to the
Genesis account.
The old Choctaws, DR.. Swanton says
were worshiperS of a great spirit
which probably was closely associated
with the sun but which could take on
human shape. Solar eclipses were at
tributed to black squirrels supposed to
be eating the luninary. They must be
scared away If mankind was to enjoy
continued heat and light. Another ac-
count however, is that the eclipse
means only that the sun has stopped to
wash its face.
The Choctaw believed in a heaven
similar in many ways to that to which
they were introduced by the Christian
missionaries. 1t was an Elysium some
where on earth where there was eternal
was reached, according to some of the
legends, by crossing yawning chasm
over a slippery log. Most souls, how
ever, were able to negotiate the passage
successfully, regardless Of their be-
havior in the life they had just left.
Only murderers and those who had died
q violent death slipped of and fell into
the abyss below--the nearest Indian ap-
proach to a concept of hell.
Tribes Believed in Two Souls.
Every man, according to the Indian
legends presented by DR.. Swanton, had
two souls One, which dwelt outside
the body and always followed it during
life, was identical with the shadow. The
other was the inside shadow which
went to the Elysium after the death
of the body. The outside shadow was
left behind and wandered restlessly
about its former abode, bowling piteous-
sy at night.
fran,anf1yy tn
Eune the form of fox or owl. When
the Indians heard the cry Of one Of
these creatures at night to which there
was no reply they knew it was the call
of a homeless soul. The true owls or
foxes could not be deceived into answer
ing it.
Goblin Aided Medicine Men.
Noteworthy in the Choctaw mythology
was a mischievouS hobgoblin, who dWelt
I'm the deep woods and was supposed
TO aid the medicine men in the prepara-
tion Of their noStrumS. Another super
natural being was Kashehotapalo, a
combination Of deer and man, who de-
lighted in frightening hunters. They
also believed in the white people Of
the water, who dwell in deep pools" and
s'the long black being" who resembled a
man, but had small eyes and long
pointed ears Will-o-the-WispS, the In
dians thought, we're supernatural beings,
whose hearts were visible only in the
darkness.
The Choctaw, DR.. Swanton points
out, has a somewhat elaborate system
of medicine, quite apart from the pure
" magical performances of the medicine
men. They believed that certain wizards,
feared but held in low social esteem
had the power Of placing certain
animals responsible for specific diseases
within the body.