Myths and Legends of the Great Plains | Page 2

his ceaseless tattoo on the trees, is chief of the trees;
Duck is chief of the water; but Eagle is chief of the day. It is always
Eagle who is chief of the birds, even though Wren may outwit him in a
tale told by the fire glimmering in the tepee, when the story tellers of
the tribe tell of the happenings in the days "way beyond." It is Eagle

who inspires admiration, and becomes the most sacred bird.
Round about a tree in ever widening circles an eagle flies, alert,
watching o'er his nest; Loudly whistles he, a challenge sending far, o'er
the country wide it echoes, there defying foes.
[Pawnee]
In the breeze that rippled the long grass of the prairie and fluttered the
flaps of the graceful tepee, waved also the corn, sent by
Old-Woman-Who-Never-Dies, the ever returning life of the green thing
growing. In the ravines and on the lower slopes of the grassy waves of
the prairie bellowed the buffalo, or grazed in silence, having long since
come up from the underground world and become the source of the
Indian's food, clothing, home, utensils, and comfort. Endless were the
charms and enchantments to bring the buffalo herds near his camping
ground. Severe was the punishment meted out to the thoughtless
warrior whose unguarded eagerness frightened the herds and sent them
away.
Over the plains and prairies, at other times, swept the Thunder Gods,
with their huge jointed wings, darkening all the land, and flashing fire
from angry eyes which struck down man and beast. Terrified were the
Indians when the Thunder Gods rolled. Vows made to them must be
kept, for relentless were they.
"Oh, grandfather," prayed the Indian when the sky was black and the
lightning flashed, as he filled a pipe with tobacco and offered it
skyward, "Oh, grandfather! I am very poor. Somewhere make those
who would injure me leave a clear space for me." Then he put the
sacred green cedar upon the fire--the cedar which stayed awake those
seven nights and therefore does not lose its hair every winter--and the
smoke from the sacred, burning wood, rolling upward, appeased the
rolling Thunders.
* * * * *
The authorities used in this compilation are those found in the annual

reports of the Bureau of American Ethnology and the Publications of
the United States Geographical and Geological Survey: contributions to
North American Ethnology. Of the various ethnologists whose work
has been used, those of especial importance are Alice C. Fletcher,
whose wonderful work among the Omaha and Pawnee Indians is
deserving of the most careful study, J. Owen Dorsey, James Mooney,
and S. R. Riggs.
No claim whatever is made for original work. Indeed, original work of
any kind in a compilation such as this would impair the authenticity of
the myths, and therefore destroy the value of this work. Nor has any
effort been made towards "style." The only style worth having in telling
an Indian legend is that of the Indian himself.
K. B. J.
Seattle, Washington.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page The Creation Osage 19 How the World was Made Cherokee 22
The Flood and the Rainbow Lenni-Lenapi (Delaware) 26 The First Fire
Cherokee 28 The Ancestors of People Osage 31 Origin of Strawberries
Cherokee 32 Sacred Legend Omaha 34 The Legend of the Peace Pipes
Omaha 38 A Tradition of the Calumet Lenni-Lenapi (Delaware) 41
The Sacred Pole Omaha 43 Ikto and the Thunders Teton 46 The
Thunder Bird Comanche 47 The Thunder Bird Assiniboin 48 Song to
the Thunder Gods Omaha 49 Songs of the Buffalo Hunt Sioux 50
Origin of the Buffalo Teton 53 The Buffalo Being Teton 55 The Youth
and the Underground People Omaha 57 The Buffalo and the Grizzly
Bear Omaha 68 My First Buffalo Hunt Omaha 71 Bird Omens Sioux
73 The Bird Chief Omaha 74 Song of the Birds Pawnee 75 Song of
Kawas, the Eagle Pawnee 77 The Eagle's Revenge Cherokee 78 The
Race between Humming Bird and Crane Cherokee 80 Rabbit and the
Turkeys Omaha 82 Unktomi and the Bad Songs Dakota 84 How the
Pheasant Beat Corn Cherokee 88 Why Turkey Gobbles Cherokee 89

Omaha Beliefs Omaha 90 Pawnee Beliefs Pawnee 92 A Song of
Hospitality Sioux 95 A Song of the March Sioux 96 Song of the Prairie
Breeze Kiowa 97 Old-Woman-Who-Never-Dies Mandan 98 Legend of
the Corn Arikara 101 Tradition of the Finding of Horses Ponca 105
Dakota Beliefs and Customs Dakota 108 Why the Tetons Bury on
Scaffolds Teton 110 The Ghost's Resentment Dakota 111 The Forked
Roads Omaha 116 Tattooed Ghosts Dakota 117 A Ghost Story Ponca
118 The Ghost and the Traveler Teton 119 The Man who Shot a Ghost
Teton 120 The Indian Who Wrestled with a Ghost Teton 122 The
Wakanda, or Water