A Tale from Skyworld (Seneca)
A Tale of Skyworld, from Seneca fiction, legends and myths
from Seneca fiction, legends and myths (1918)
By Jeremiah Curtain and J. N. B. Hewitt
Editor’s Notes by Jared Aragona
A TALE OF THE SKY WORLD
A long time ago human beings lived high up in what is now called heaven. They had a great and illustrious chief.
It so happened that this chief s daughter was taken very ill with a strange affection. All the people were very anxious as to the outcome of her illness. Every known remedy was tried in an attempt to cure her, but none had any effect.
Near the lodge of this chief stood a great tree, which every year bore corn used for food. One of the friends of the chief had a dream, in which he was advised to tell the chief that in order to cure his daughter he must lay her beside this tree, and that he must have the tree dug up. This advice was carried out to the letter. While the people were at work and the young woman lay there, a young man came along. He was very angry and said : ” It is not at all right to destroy this tree. Its fruit is all that we have to live on.” With this remark he gave the young woman who lay there ill a shove with his foot, causing her to fall into the hole that had been dug.
Now, that hole opened into this world, which was then all water, on which floated waterfowl of many kinds. There was no land at that time. It came to pass that as these waterfowl saw this young woman falling they shouted, ” Let us receive her,” whereupon they, at least some of them, joined their bodies together, and the young woman fell on this platform of bodies. When these were wearied they asked, “Who will volunteer to care for this woman?” The great Turtle then took her, and when he got tired of holding her, he in turn asked who would take his place. At last the question arose as to what they should do to provide her with a permanent resting place in this world. Finally it was decided to prepare the earth, on which she would live in the future. To do this it was determined that soil from the bottom of the primal sea should be brought up and placed on the broad, firm carapace of the Turtle, where it would increase in size to such an extent that it would accommodate all the creatures that should be produced thereafter. After much discussion the toad was finally persuaded to dive to the bottom of the waters in search of soil. Bravely making the attempt, he succeeded in bringing up soil from the depths of the sea. This was carefully spread over the carapace of the Turtle, and at once both began to grow in size and depth.
[Editor’s Note: In an alternate version of the myth, Muskrat, Beaver, and Otter all dive to the bottom of the waters. Beaver and Otter return the surface unsuccessful. Later Muskrat’s dead body appears floating on the surface. But in his mouth was the Earth from below the waters. It is with this that that they spread over the carapace of the turtle to create Earth above the water.]
After the young woman recovered from the illness from which she suifered when she was cast down from the upper world, she built herself a shelter, in which she lived quite contentedly. In the course of time she brought forth a girl baby, who grew rapidly in size and intelligence.
When the daughter had grown to young womanhood, the mother and she were accustomed to go out to dig wild potatoes. Her mother had said to her that in doing this she must face the west at all times. Before long the young daughter gave signs that she was about to become a mother. Her mother reproved her, saying that she had violated the injunction not to face the east, as her condition showed that she had faced the wrong way while digging potatoes. It is said that the breath of the West Wind had entered her person, causing conception. When the days of her delivery were at hand, she overheard twins within her body in a hot debate as to which should be born first and as to the proper place of exit, one declaring that he was going to emerge through the armpit of his mother, the other saying that he would emerge in the natural way. The first one born, who was of a reddish color, was called Othagwenda; that is, Flint. The other, who was light in color, was called Djuskaha; that is, the Little Sprout.
The grandmother of the twins liked Djuskaha and hated the other; so they cast Othagwenda into a hollow tree some distance from the lodge.
The boy that remained in the lodge grew very rapidly, and soon was able to make himself bows and arrows and to go out to hunt in the vicinity. Finally, for several days he returned home without his bow and arrows. At last he was asked why he had to have a new bow and arrows every morning. He replied that there was a young boy in a hollow tree in the neighborhood who used them. The grand mother inquired where the tree stood, and he told her; whereupon then they went there and brought the other boy home again.
When the boys had grown to man s estate, they decided that it was necessary for them to increase the size of their island, so they agreed to start out together, afterward separating to create forests and lakes and other things. They parted as agreed, Othagwenda going westward and Djuskaha eastward. In the course of time, on returning, they met in their shelter or lodge at night, then agreeing to go the next day to see what each had made. First they went west to see what Othagwenda had made. It was found that he had made the country all rocks and full of ledges, and also a mosquito which was very large. Djuskaha asked the mosquito to run, in order that he might see whether the insect could fight. The mosquito ran, and sticking his bill through a sapling, thereby made it fall, at which Djuskaha said, “That will not be right, for you would kill the people who are about to come.” So, seizing him, he rubbed him down in his hands, causing him to become very small; then he blew on the mosquito, whereupon he flew away. He also modified some of the other animals which his brother had made. After returning to their lodge, they agreed to go the next day to see what Djuskaha had fashioned. On visiting the east the next day, they found that Djuskaha had made a large number of animals which were so fat that they could hardly move; that he had made the sugar-maple trees to drop syrup ; that he had made the sycamore tree to bear fine fruit ; that the rivers were so formed that half the water flowed upstream and the other half downstream. Then the reddish-colored brother, Othugwenda, was greatly displeased with what his brother had made, saying that the people who were about to come would live too easily and be, too happy. So he shook violently the various animals the bears, deer, and turkeys causing them to become small at once, a characteristic which attached itself to their descendants. He also caused the sugar maple to drop sweetened water only, and the fruit of the sycamore to become small and useless; and lastly he caused the water of the rivers to flow in only one direction, because the original plan would make it too easy for the human beings who were about to come to navigate the streams.
The inspection of each others work resulted in a deadly disagreement between the brothers, who finally came to grips and blows, and Othagwenda was killed in the fierce struggle.
[Editor’s Note: In an alternate version of the myth, the twins Djuskaha and Othagwenda, as the forces of good and evil, compete in a race, the winner of which will control everything, including the fate of the other. Othagwenda asks Djuskaha what hurts him. Djuskaha says wild roses, and asks what hurts Othagwenda, who says buck horns. After that, Othagwenda put wild roses all around the race course. Djuskaha did the same with buck horns. When the race happened, Djuskaha was able to eat the wild roses when he got tired, and they gave him strength, while the buck horns only stuck in Othagwenda’s feet. Eventually, Djuskaha wins, and Othagwenda departs for the underworld. After that, Djuskaha creates First Man and First woman, who had six pairs of children. Each pair became the ancestors of the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora people.]