Parallel Myths

by J. F. Bierlein

  When the earth was in its proper place, Tirawa appointed four lesser gods to administer it. They were East, West, North, and South. They joined hands at the edge of the great sea on earth and a land mass emerged.

  Eventually, Morning Star caught up with Evening Star and made love with her. Soon Evening Star conceived a little daughter. When she gave birth to the little girl, she placed the child on a cloud and sent her to earth. High above the earth, Evening Star asked Morning Star to water her celestial garden and, as a love gift, he made the first rain.

  In the celestian gardens of Evening Star, there grew a great many plants, including Mother Maize, the greatest of food plants. Evening Star gave maize to her daughter as a gift to plant on the newly emerged earth. Soon the Sun and the Moon produced a son, who married the daughter of Evening Star and Morning Star. Daughter-of-Evening-and-Morning-Star and Son-of-Sun-and-Moon are the parents of all living human beings, as well as the first beings to cultivate maize.

  Arikara

  The Great Sky Spirit, Nesaru, sometimes called the Great Mystery, was the master of all creation. Below the sky was an endless body of water where two ducks eternally swam. Nesaru made two brothers, Wolf-man and Lucky-man, who commanded the ducks to swim to the bottom of the great water and bring up some earth. With this earth, Wolf-man made the Great Plains and Lucky-Man made the hills and mountains.

  The two brothers went down beneath the earth and found two spiders. They explained to the spiders how to reproduce. The two spiders produced many kinds of animals and plants, including human beings. However, they also produced a race of evil giants.

  These giants were so evil that Nesaru eventually had to destroy them with a great flood. However, Nesaru loved human beings and saved them from destruction.

  Chippewa/Algonquin

  NOTE: Versions of this myth can be found throughout the Algonquin linguistic area, which extends from the Atlantic coast to the Mississippi River, and from North Carolina in the south to the Subarctic.

  GLOOSKAP AND MALSUM

  The great Earth Mother had two sons, Glooskap and Malsum. Glooskap was good, wise, and creative; Malsum was evil, selfish, and destructive. When their mother died, Glooskap went to work creating plants, animals, and humans from her body. Malsum, in contrast, made poisonous plants and snakes. As Glooskap continued to create wonderful things, Malsum grew tired of his good brother and plotted to kill him.

  In jest, Malsum bragged that he was invincible, although there was one thing that could kill him: the roots of the fern plant. He badgered Glooskap for days to find the good brother’s vulnerability. Finally, as Glooskap could tell no lies, he confided that he could be killed only by an owl feather. Knowing this, Malsum made a dart from an owl feather and killed Glooskap. The power of good is so strong, however, that Glooskap rose from the dead, ready to avenge himself. Alive again, Glooskap also knew that Malsum would continue to plot against him.

  Glooskap realized that he had no choice but to destroy Malsum in order that good would survive and his creatures would continue to live. So he went to a stream and attracted his evil brother by loudly saying that a certain flowering reed could also kill him. Glooskap then pulled a fern plant out by the roots and flung it at Malsum, who fell to the ground dead. Malsum’s spirit went underground and became a wicked wolf-spirit that still occasionally torments humans and animals, but fears the light of day.

  Iroquois

  The first humans lived up beyond the sky as there was no earth beneath. One day, a great chiefs daughter became ill and no cure could be found. A wise old man recommended that they dig up the roots of a certain tree in order to cure her. The people all worked together and dug a great hole around the base of the tree. In time, however, both the chiefs daughter and the tree fell through the hole into the world below.

  Below there was only a vast sea where two swans continuously swam. When the tree and the girl fell into the water, there was a clap of thunder. The swans heard this and came to see what had happened. They saw that the girl had fallen from the sky and went to save her. As this was all very strange to the swans, they went to the Great Turtle, wisest of all creatures, for advice.

  The Great Turtle told them that the tree and the girl were a good omen. He then commanded all the creatures to find the tree and bring up the magic soil that was attached to its roots. The swans were assigned to take this magic earth and build an island for the girl to live on. All of the animals were involved in the search for the tree, but only an old toad was successful in bringing up any of the soil. She swam to the bottom, returned to spit out a mouthful of the dirt, and then died. The mouthful of earth then turned into a vast land mass.

  But the earth was still dark at this time. The girl told the Great Turtle that there was light in the world above. So the Great Turtle instructed the burrowing animals to bore holes in the sky for light to shine through.

  The girl is the mother of all living things. There are a number of theories of how she conceived the first humans on earth. One is that she was impregnated when she fell into the sea. Another is that the action of the magic earth with the sea caused her to conceive. In any case, the human race is the result of the union of the land and sea, as well as having origins in the sky above.

  Yuma

  In the very beginning, there was nothing but water and darkness. The water sloshed around, splashing foam and spray. Some of the spray congealed and formed the sky. Kokomaht, the Creator, lived underneath the water and was two beings in one. He rose up out of the water and said his own name, Kokomaht, the Father and Creator of all.

  But out of himself came another being called Bakotahl. When the other being called to Kokomaht out of the water, he asked, “Did you rise up from the water with your eyes open or shut?” Kokomaht knew that this other was evil, and decided to deceive Bakotahl, answering that his eyes had been open. So Bakotahl emerged from the water with his eyes open and became blind. Evil ones to this very day are still blind: bakotahl means “the blind one.” All things made by Kokomaht were good, while all things that Bakotahl produced were evil.

  The two stood on the waters as there was no firm land created yet. Kokomaht asked his blind brother, “Where is the north?” But, being blind, Bakotahl pointed toward the south.

  Then Kokomaht responded, “That is not the north,” and then he created the four directions. He faced west and said, “This shall be the west.” Then he faced east and said, “This shall be the east,” and so on. He took four steps to the south and the south came into being; he took four steps north to create the north.

  Then Kokomaht told his blind brother, “I will scatter the waters and make earth.” So Kokomaht turned to face the north, creating a whirlwind that blew away enough water to create dry land. And Kokomaht then seated himself on the land. Bakotahl came to join him. Wishing to outdo his good brother, Bakotahl then said that he would make human beings.

  Feeling around in the wet clay, Bakotahl took clay and water and began to make human beings, but they did not have fingers and toes. When the creatures were finished, Bakotahl showed them to Kokomaht, who knew that they were not right.

  So Kokomaht decided to make humans. Taking clay, he formed a male with complete hands and feet. Kokomaht took the male and swung it four times to the north and then four times to the south, and it came to life. Then he made a female and did the same thing.

  In the time that Kokomaht was busy making humans, Bakotahl had created seven beings. Kokomaht asked his brother what he was doing. Bakotahl responded that he was making humans, too. Kokomaht told his evil brother to examine the proper humans, perfectly made. Unlike the creatures made by Bakotahl, Kokomaht’s humans had fingers that enabled them to make things and create works of art. Bakotahl was jealous and didn’t like these perfect humans at all. Kokomaht stamped his feet and Bakotahl’s creatures fell into the water and became ducks and geese.

  This angered Bakotahl, who made a whirlwind that created all the enemies of humankind: disease, bad intentions, and plagues. />
  Kokomaht was now alone on the land with only a man and a woman. So Kokomaht went to work creating more people—a male and a female of each race—the Cocopahs, the Mojaves, and the ancestral parents of all other peoples on earth. The last group he created were the white people. Kokomaht taught all these couples how to have intercourse and propagate the race.

  As the people scattered to their own places on the earth, Kokomaht saw that his work of creation was done. But among the people was the Frog (Hanyi), who rebelled against Kokomaht and wished to destroy him through her powerful magic. Hanyi burrowed into the ground underneath the feet of Kokomaht and pulled out his breath until his throat became dry and he began to die. As he died, he taught the people the road of death.

  Kokomaht had made himself a son, Komashtam’ho, who took up the post of the Creator. It was Komashtam’ho who made the sun that shines during the day by spitting into his hand, making a ball, and casting it into the sky. He threw it into the east, where the sun still rises. He spat into his hand and cast it into the heavens, where it became the stars.

  The death of Kokomaht caused the people to despair. Komashtam’ho decided to burn the body of his father, the Creator, teaching the people the funeral rites. But there were no trees to burn in the fire. So, with a word, Komashtam’ho called trees out of the north and built a funeral pyre.

  Before his death, Kokomaht had told the Coyote, “Take my heart; be good to all my creatures.” But Coyote misunderstood the command. What Kokomaht had meant was “Be as I was;” Coyote thought that this command was to steal and eat the heart of Kokomaht. So the Coyote prowled around the funeral pyre waiting for just the right moment to climb up and eat the Creator’s heart.

  Komashtam’ho knew of Coyote’s intentions and he dispatched the Coyote to travel to the east as the sun was rising, to fetch fire. Komashtam’ho knew very well that the humans would need fire in order to survive. When Coyote returned with the fire, he again plotted how to steal the heart of Kokomaht. However, the badger jumped up on the funeral pyre and succeeded in stealing the heart. All of the other animals tried to catch the badger, but none succeeded.

  Komashtam’ho told the Coyote, “You will always be a thief, living by stealing. Men will despise you and kill you to defend their flocks.” And all the people heard this.

  Then Komashtam’ho spoke to all the people as the flames consumed the body of Kokomaht. He told them, “You will never again see Kokomaht in the flesh; he is dead. All of you will die someday as well. If Kokomaht had been allowed to live, then all of you would be immortal and the world would be overpopulated. But Kokomaht’s spirit lives on and so will your spirits.” The fire was so hot that it dried up the land, turning it into the desert where the Yuma people live today.

  Just then a whirlwind formed around the ashes of Kokomaht and the people asked what it was. Komashtam’ho replied that the wind was the mighty spirit of Kokomaht. Although the body dies, the spirit lasts forever. Each man’s spirit, at death, leaves the body and goes off to live with the spirits of those whom it loved in life.

  The spirit of Kokomaht lives on to protect all that is good. Bakotahl lives under the earth and turns around, causing earthquakes. Bakotahl still causes suffering and evil among men. But the good spirit of Kokomaht can overcome any evil.

  Pima

  CHUHWUHT: THE SONG OF THE WORLD

  In the beginning there was only darkness and water. The darkness congealed in certain places and it is from this that the Creator was made. He wandered aimlessly above the water [compare this to the Genesis story] and began to think. He became fully conscious of who he was and what he was to do. He then reached into his heart and pulled out a magic creation stick.

  He used this as a walking stick and when some resin formed on the tip [compare this to the Japanese Creation myth], he made it into ants. He took more of this resin and rolled it with his feet into a perfect ball while chanting

  Chuhwuht tuh maka-i

  Chuhwuht tuh nato

  Chuhwuht tuh maka-i

  Chuhwuht tuh nato

  Himalo, Himalo

  Himalo, Himicho!

  I make the world, and see,

  the world is finished.

  I make the world, and see,

  the world is finished.

  Let it go, let it go

  Let it go, start it forth!

  As he chanted, the ball grew larger and larger until it became the present size of the earth; thus was the earth created. Then the Creator took a great rock, broke it, and threw it into the heavens, where the pieces became the stars. Then he made the moon in a similar fashion, but neither the moon nor the stars furnished enough light.

  So the Creator then took two bowls of water from out of his flesh and he thought thoughts of light. The sun appeared in the sky as he pulled the bowls apart. But the sun did not yet move. So the Creator bounced it like a ball to the east and it bounced back to the west, even as it does today.

  Zuni

  NOTE: Compare the spread of the green algae in this myth with the theory of scientific evolution.

  In the beginning, there was only moisture, which became clouds. The Great Father Sun, the Creator Awonawilona, thickened the clouds into water that then formed a great sea. With his own flesh Awonawilona fertilized the sea and green algae grew over it. The green algae produced the earth and sky. The marriage of earth and sky and the action of the sun on the green algae produced all living things.

  From the lowest of the four caves of the earth, the seeds of men and animals were incubated as eggs. The Creator provided enough warmth that the eggs were hatched and all living creatures were produced.

  The Playanos* of Southern California

  An invisible, all-powerful being named Nocuma made the world. He rolled it into a ball with his hands. But it did not sit in its appointed place so he inserted a great black rock called Tosaut as ballast.

  In the beginning the sea was a series of small streams choked with fish. It was so crowded that some of the fish tried to colonize the land, but they failed and died in the hot sun. Then some of the larger fish attacked Tosaut, releasing salt and more water; thus was the ocean produced.

  With the sea and land completed, Nocuma took some soil and sea-water and made a man, calling him Ejoni. Then he made a woman whom he called Ae. They were the parents of all human beings.

  Maya

  NOTE: The Mayas were an advanced people who lived in the area now known as Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, and the Mexican state of Yucatán, where their descendants now live. This story is from the Popol Vuh, the Mayan epic. It is both a Creation myth and a beautiful morality tale.

  There were four gods in heaven and each of them sat on his chair, observing the world below. Then the yellow lord suggested that they make a man to enjoy the earth and offer praise to the gods. The other three agreed.

  So the yellow god took a lump of yellow clay and made a man from it. But his creation was weak; it dissolved in water and could not stand upright.

  Then the red god suggested that they make a man out of wood, and the others agreed. So the red god took a branch from a tree and carved it into a human shape. When they tested it in water, it floated; it stood upright without any problem whatsoever. However, when they tested it with fire, it burned.

  The four lords decided to try again. This time the black god suggested making a man out of gold. The gold man was beautiful and shone like the sun. He survived the tests of fire and water, looking even more handsome after these tests. However, the gold man was cold to the touch; he was unable to speak, feel, move, or worship the gods. But they left him on earth anyway.

  The fourth god, the colorless lord, decided to make humans out of his own flesh. He cut the fingers off his left hand and they jumped and fell to earth. The four gods could hardly see what the men of flesh looked like as they were so far away. From the seat of the four lords, they looked like busy little ants.

  But the men of flesh worshiped the gods and made offerings to them. They filled
the hearts of the four lords with joy. One day the men of flesh found the man of gold. When they touched him, he was as cold as a stone. When they spoke to him, he was silent. But the kindness of the men of flesh warmed the heart of the man of gold and he came to life, offering praise to the gods for the kindness of the men of flesh.

  The word of praise from the previously silent creature woke the four gods from their sleep and they looked down on earth in delight. They called the man of gold “rich” and the men of flesh “poor,” ordaining that the rich should look after the poor. The rich man will be judged at his death on the basis of how he cared for the poor. From that day onward, no rich man can enter heaven unless he is brought there by a poor man.

  Inca

  NOTE: The Inca empire covered the Andean region, including Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia. The language of the empire, Quechua, is still spoken extensively in Peru and Bolivia. Please take note that the god in this myth is named Con Tiqui (or Kon Tiki) Viracocha. Thor Heyerdahl’s voyage from Peru to Polynesia on the balsa raft Kon Tiki was intended to demonstrate commerce between the two cultures, as tiki is a term used by both the Polynesians and the Peruvians for “god.”

  In the most ancient of times the earth was covered in darkness. Then, out of a lake called Collasuyu, the god Con Tiqui Viracocha emerged, bringing some human beings with him. Then Con Tiqui created the sun (Inti), the moon and the stars to light the world. It is from Inti that the Inca, emperor of Tahuantisuyo,* is descended. Out of great rocks Con Tiqui fashioned more human beings, including women who were already pregnant. Then he sent these people off into every corner of the world. He kept a male and female with him at Cuzco, the “navel of the world.”