Myths and Legends of the Great Plains | Page 3

God Yankton 126 The Spirit Land Arapahoe 129
Waziya, the Weather Spirit Teton 131 Kansas Blizzards Kansa 132 Ikto
and the Snowstorm Teton 133 The Southern Bride Cherokee 135 The
Fallen Star Dakota 136 Quarrel of Sun and Moon Omaha 147 Why the
Possum Plays Dead Cherokee 148 Bog Myth Dakota 150 Coyote and
Snake Omaha 151 Why the Wolves Help in War Dakota 153 How
Rabbit Escaped from the Wolves Cherokee 155 How Rabbit Lost His
Fat Omaha 157 How Flint Visited Rabbit Cherokee 158 How Rabbit
Caught the Sun in a Trap Omaha 161 How Rabbit Killed the Giant
Omaha 163 How Deer Got His Horns Cherokee 167 Why the Deer has
Blunt Teeth Cherokee 169 Legend of the Head of Gold Dakota 171
The Milky Way Cherokee 175 Coyote and Gray Fox Ponca 176
Ictinike and Turtle Omaha 178 Ictinike and the Creators Omaha
181
How Big Turtle Went on the War Path Omaha 186

ILLUSTRATIONS
Page Bianki's Vision Frontispiece Woman's Costume 32 An Elderly
Omaha Beau 33 Tattooing, Showing Conventional Design of the Peace
Pipe 42 Bull Boat 43 German Knights and Indian Warriors 56 Rivalry
over the Buffalo 70 Capture of a Wandering Buffalo 71 Five Chiefs of
the Ogalla Sioux 84 Old Horse 85 Siouan Tents 96 An Arapahoe Bed
97 Indian Scaffold Cemetery on the Missouri River 110 An Omaha
Village, Showing Earth Lodge and Conical Tepees 111 Black Coyote
122 Ornamentation on the Reverse of an Arapahoe "ghost-dance" Shirt
123 "Killed two Arikara chiefs" 132 Many Tongues, or Loud Talker
133 Petroglyph in Nebraska 144 Plains Indians Dragging Brush for a

Medicine Lodge 156 An Earth Lodge 157 Kansa Chief 168 Big Goose
169 Omaha Assault on a Dakota Village 186 "Killed ten men and three
women" 187

MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF THE GREAT PLAINS

THE CREATION
Osage (Wazhá zhe group)
Way beyond, once upon a time, some of the Osages lived in the sky.
They did not know where they came from, so they went to Sun. They
said, "From where did we come?"
He said, "You are my children."
Then they wandered still further and came to Moon.
Moon said, "I am your mother; Sun is your father. You must go away
from here. You must go down to the earth and live there."
So they came to the earth but found it covered with water. They could
not return up above. They wept, but no answer came to them. They
floated about in the air, seeking help from some god; but they found
none.
Now all the animals were with them. Elk was the finest and most
stately. They all trusted Elk. So they called to Elk, "Help us."
Then Elk dropped into the water and began to sink. Then he called to
the winds. The winds came from all sides and they blew until the
waters went upwards, as in a mist. Now before that the winds had
traveled in only two directions; they went from north to south and from
south to north. But when Elk called to them, they came from the east,
from the north, from the west, and from the south. They met at a central
place; then they carried the waters upwards.

Now at first the people could see only the rocks. So they traveled on
the rocky places. But nothing grew there and there was nothing to eat.
Then the waters continued to vanish. At last the people could see the
soft earth. When Elk saw the earth, he was so joyous, he rolled over
and over on the earth. Then all the loose hairs clung to the soil. So the
hairs grew, and from them sprang beans, corn, potatoes, and wild
turnips, and at last all the grasses and trees.
Now the people wandered over the land. They found human footsteps.
They followed them. They joined with them, and traveled with them in
search of food.
(Hoga group)
The Hoga came down from above, and found the earth covered with
water. They flew in every direction. They sought for gods who would
help them and drive the water away. They found not one. Then Elk
came. He had a loud voice and he shouted to the four corners of the sky.
The four winds came in answer. They blew upon the water and it
vanished upwards, in a mist. Then the people could see the rocks. Now
there was only a little space on the rocks. They knew they must have
more room. The people were crowded. So they sent Muskrat down into
the water. He did not come back. He was drowned. Then they sent
Loon down. He did not come back. He was drowned. Then they sent
Beaver down into the water. The water was too deep. Beaver