Myths and Legends of California and the Old Southwest | Page 7

while such days and nights continued that men were led out, in
the night-shine of the World of Seeing. For even when they saw the
great star, they thought it the Sun-father himself, it so burned their
eye-balls.
Men and creatures were more alike then than now. Our fathers were
black, like the caves they came from; their skins were cold and scaly
like those of mud creatures; their eyes were goggled like an owl's; their
ears were like those of cave bats; their feet were webbed like those of
walkers in wet and soft places; they had tails, long or short, as they
were old or young. Men crouched when they walked, or crawled along
the ground like lizards. They feared to walk straight, but crouched as
before time they had in their cave worlds, that they might not stumble
or fall in the uncertain light.
When the morning star arose, they blinked excessively when they
beheld its brightness and cried out that now surely the Father was
coming. But it was only the elder of the Bright Ones, heralding with his
shield of flame the approach of the Sun-father. And when, low down in
the east, the Sun-father himself appeared, though shrouded in the mist
of the world-waters, they were blinded and heated by his light and
glory. They fell down wallowing and covered their eyes with their
hands and arms, yet ever as they looked toward the light, they struggled
toward the Sun as moths and other night creatures seek the light of a
camp fire. Thus they became used to the light. But when they rose and
walked straight, no longer bending, and looked upon each other, they
sought to clothe themselves with girdles and garments of bark and
rushes. And when by walking only upon their hinder feet they were
bruised by stone and sand, they plaited sandals of yucca fibre.
Creation and Longevity Achomawi (Pit River, Cal.)
Coyote began the creation of the earth, but Eagle completed it. Coyote
scratched it up with his paws out of nothingness, but Eagle complained
there were no mountains for him to perch on. So Coyote made hills, but
they were not high enough. Therefore Eagle scratched up great ridges.
When Eagle flew over them, his feathers dropped down, took root, and

became trees. The pin feathers became bushes and plants.
Coyote and Fox together created man. They quarrelled as to whether
they should let men live always or not. Coyote said, "If they want to die,
let them die." Fox said, "If they want to come back, let them come
back." But Coyote's medicine was stronger, and nobody ever came
back.
Coyote also brought fire into the world, for the Indians were freezing.
He journeyed far to the west, to a place where there was fire, stole
some of it, and brought it home in his ears. He kindled a fire in the
mountains, and the Indians saw the smoke of it, and went up and got
fire.
Old Mole's Creation Shastika (Cal.)
Long, long ago, before there was any earth, Old Mole burrowed
underneath Somewhere, and threw up the earth which forms the world.
Then Great Man created the people. But the Indians were cold.
Now in the cast gleamed the white Fire Stone. Therefore Coyote
journeyed eastward, and brought back the Fire Stone for the Indians. So
people had fire.
In the beginning, Sun had nine brothers, all flaming hot like himself.
But Coyote killed the nine brothers and so saved the world from
burning up. But Moon also had nine brothers all made of ice, like
himself, and the Night People almost froze to death. Therefore Coyote
went away out on the eastern edge of the world with his flint-stone
knife. He heated stones to keep his hands warm, and as the Moons
arose, he killed one after another with his flint-stone knife, until he had
slain nine of them. Thus the people were saved from freezing at night.
When it rains, some Indian, sick in heaven, is weeping. Long, long ago,
there was a good young Indian on earth. When he died the Indians wept
so that a flood came upon the earth, and drowned all people except one
couple.

The Creation of the World Pima (Arizona)
In the beginning there was nothing at all except darkness. All was
darkness and emptiness. For a long, long while, the darkness gathered
until it became a great mass. Over this the spirit of Earth Doctor drifted
to and fro like a fluffy bit of cotton in the breeze. Then Earth Doctor
decided to make for himself an abiding place. So he thought within
himself, "Come forth, some kind of plant," and there appeared the
creosote bush. He placed this before him and set it upright. But it