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A GUIDE

TO MYTHOLOGY

BY

HELEN A. CLARKEAUTHOR OF LONGFELLOW'S COUNTRY, BROWNING'S ITALY,

BROWNING'S ENGLAND, ETC.

Garden City New YorkDOUBLEDAY, PAGE COMPANY

J9r3


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COPYBIGHT, 1908, 1910, BYTHE BAKEE TAYLOE COMPANY

m .z

/ 9)3


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M L F

KATHARINE CORFIELD NEWBOLD


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PrefatoryKoteI am also deeplyindebted,s every one who stud-esmythologymust be,to the followingorks,among

others in various branches of the subject:ax Miil-ler's Chipsfrom a German Workshop, Cox's My-hology

of the Aryan Races, John Fiske's Mythsand Mythmakers, Frazer's Golden Bough, Hart-land's Myth of Perseus, Clodd's Childhood ofReligions, ndrew Lang's Custom and Myth,Tyler's Primitive Culture, Mills's Tree of My-hology

Chamberlain's The Child and Childhoodin Folk Thought, De Gubernatis's Zoologicaly-hology

Dr. Brinton's American Hero Myths,Myths of the New World, as well as to many

collections of folk-tales.

My aim in this book on Mythology for young-readers has been to give them solid knowledge onthe subject,s far as it is advisable to go with im-atureminds,based upon the most recent investiga-ions

of scholars,nd to select the myths used inillustration of the plan,with a view to givingtheminterestingtories to read,which will,almost uncon-ciously

to themselves,lay a firm foundation for thefascinatingtudyof ComparativeMythology,shouldthey wish to go more deeplyinto it in the future.

There is much talk nowadays as to the authen-icity,of the records of savage myths. Much of this

talk seems to me futile,or a myth is not a fixedentity. Each successive narrator is almost sure tovary and embellish somewhat the material that comes

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PrefatoryNoteto him, accordingto his own inventive fancy. If,therefore,savage myth recorded by a white man re-ains

the chief characteristics of the savage myth,in spiteof some fanciful turns givenit by him, tothe degree,say, that a story of Ovid's retains thoseof a Greek myth, it is to all intents and purposes asavage myth7 and the embellishments may be dis-egarded,

as Ovid's are when wTe are consideringGreek Mythology. I have,therefore,ncluded inthis volume those versions of the mvths that seemedmost readable and attractive,rovidedthe primitiveattitude of mind and customs were fullyemphasized.

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CONTENTS

PACE

I. What is a Myth? 19

II. Animals in Primitive Myths...

40STORIES: How the muskrat made the world

(Indians of British Columbia). How a kitehelped to make the world (Philippine Island). How Maui fished up the earth (Polynesian). The origin of the robin (Odjibwa, CorneliusMathews, based on Schoolcraft). The originof the hare (Aino, B. F. Chamberlain). Howthe mole became blind (North American In-ian,

Mill's Tree of Mythology ). The boyand the wolves (North American Indian, EllenR. Emerson, Indian Legends ). How Was-bashas, the snail, became a man (North Amer-can

Indian, Emerson). The amazing adven-uresof Master Rabbit (Algonquin, Leland's

Algonquin Legends ). The story of Mana-bozho (Iroquois, Mathews-Schoolcraft). HowGlooskap made his uncle, the turtle, into agreat man (Mic-Mac and Passamaquoddy, Le-land). Punchkin (Hindoo, M. Frere's OldDeccan Days ).

III. Animals in Culture Myths. . .

131STORIES: Hymn to Indra (Hindoo, Rig Veda ).

The Four apes (Egyptian, Book of the Dead). Story of the Midgard serpent and Fenris,the wolf (Norse, Melville B. Anderson's, Norse

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ContentsPA.QB

Mythology, based on the Eddas). Thestory of Apollo and Phaeton (Greek,Gayley,based on Bulfinch). The story of Odysseusand the oxen of the sun (Greek,paraphrasefromBryant's Odyssey ). The story of Atheneand Arachne (Greek,Gayley-Bulfinch).

IV. Tree and Plant Myths .... 165STORIES: Ygdrasil,the Norse world tree.

Story of the Aino who fell asleep at the footof a pine tree. Wuntz, the father of Indiancorn (North American Indian,Mathews-School-raft).

Lelinau, the Lost Daughter (NorthAmerican Indian, Mathews - Schoolcraft).Birth of the arbutus (Iroquois,W. B. Can-field's Legends of the Iroquois ). Song atthe beginning (Ancient Mexican, Brinton'sMyths of the New World ). Flower song(Ancient Mexican, Brinton's Myths of theNew World ). The storyof Erischthon (Greek,Bulfinch 's Age of Fable ). Storyof Pan andSyrinx (Greek, Gayley-Bulfinch). Story ofPomona and Vertumnus (Roman, Gayley-Bulfinch). Myth of Osiris and Isis (Bulfinch). Story of Adonis (Greek,extracts from Lang'sLament for Adonis, by Bion).

V. Myths of the Sun, Moon, and Stars . 207STORIES: Story of the making of the sun,

moon, and stars (Navajo,Emerson). Story ofthe conquering of the sun (North AmericanIndian, Emerson). Hymn to the sun (NorthAmerican Indian, Emerson). Hymn to Surya(Hindoo, Rig Veda ). The worshipof the sunand the dream of Onawataquto (North Amer-can

Indian, Emerson). The witch and thesun's sister (Russian, Ralston 'sRussian Folk-Tales ). The making of the mirror (Japan-

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ContentsPAGE

ese, Violet M. Pasteur, Gods and Heroes ofOld Japan )- The death of Balder the Good(Norse,Anderson-Eddas). Battle of Ra andAnapef (Egyptian,Book of the Dead). Storyof Phoebus Apollo (Greek,Gayley-Bulfinch).Story of Artemis and Orion (Greek,Gayley-Bul-inch).

Story of the child and the star (IowaIndian,Emerson). Osseo,the son of the even-ng

star (North American Indian, Mathews-Schoolcraft). The wandering star (Chippewa,Emerson). The daughtersof the stars (NorthAmerican Indian,Mathews-Schoolcraft).

VI. Myths of the Sky and Air . . . 269STORIES: How a hunter visited the thunderspiritsho dwell in Mount Katahdin (Passa-maquoddy, Leland). The thunder and light-ing

men (Passamaquoddy, Leland). HowGlooskap bound Wuchowsen, the great windbird (Passamaquoddy,Leland). The wonderfulexploitsf Paup-puk-keewiss(North AmericanIndian, Mathews-Schoolcraft). The story ofOdin's sword and Sigmund (Norse,Anderson-Eddas). How Thor conquered the stone giant(Norse,Anderson-Eddas). How Zeus came tobe king of gods (Greek). Hymn to the dawn(Hindoo, Rig Veda ). The lover's vision ofthe happy land (North American Indian,Emer-on).

The message-bearers (Iroquois,Can-field).The way of the gods (Japanese,VioletM. Pasteur).

VII. Mother-Myths and Child-Myths . . 336STORIES: Malayan story of the sun and moon.

Hymn to the mother of the gods (MexicanIndian, Brinton's Rig Veda Americanus ). Hymn to Cihuacoatl (Mexican Indian, Brin-ton). The children of heaven and earth (Sir

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ContentsGeorge Grey, Polynesian Mythology ).Story of Demeter {Greek, from Hymn toDemeter, Callimachus). The story of De-meter and Persephone {Greek, Gayley-Bul-finch, drawn from Ovid and Appolodorus).

Legend of Tu-tok-a-nu-la {Indian, Emer-on). Nezhik-e-wa-wa-sun, or the lone light-ing{Odjibwa, Emerson). Wasis, the baby

{Penobscot,Leland). Ojug Annung, or thesummer-maker {Indian, Emerson). The le-end

of Maui {Polynesian, Grey). The in-antHeracles {Greek,paraphrasedfrom Lang'stranslation of the Idyls of Theocritus). Theinfant Hermes {Greek,paraphrasedfrom Shel-ey's

translation of the Homeric Hymn toMercury).

PA OS

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ILLUSTRATIONS

PACING

I AGE

Automedon and the Horses of Achilles.

Regnavlt Frontispiece

Zeus From Pompeii 140

Athene Glyptothek, Munich 162

Apollo with the Lyre. .

Glyptothek, Munich 232

Diana or Artemis the Huntress. . .

Versailles 240

Diana or Artemis Correggio 248

Aurora Guido Reni 270

The Flying Mercury or Hermes.

Giovanni di Bologna 316

Athene: Brandisher of the Spear. .

Capitol, Rome 320

Demeter or Ceres The Vatican 340

The Infant Hercules Louvre 384


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A Guide to Mythologyquarter of the plain Xorth, East, South,West carryinglong spears with which they batter awayat the castle until they succeed in making a holethrough the wall. Then each of these knightsoflearningbecomes so intent upon what he sees inthe castle through the hole that he, himself,hasmade that he is entirelynaware of what the otherknights see through the holes they have made.Then they all go off and write their learned books,tellinghat they have seen, and when they come toread each other's books,of course, theyhave terriblebattles all of words fortunatelyin their attemptsto settle who is right,nd each one contends that hehas seen all there is to be seen throughhis own par-icularlittle spear hole. But we, upon the hilltopcan perceivethat every one of the knightsaw some-hing

about myths which was true, and the way tofind the answer we want is to piecetogetherall thefractions of truth which each man saw into a wholetruth,or somethingnear a whole truth,for,youknow, the whole truth about anythingis so immensethat it is almost if not quiteimpossibleo find it allout.

For example,it would not be possibleor me totell you in this one short chapter all the secretswhich all the knightsof learningaw as they lookedinto the castle;ut I shall tell you a few of them,for it will helpyou to understand more intelligentlywhat a myth reallyis.

The first knight to be seen gallopingut of ayery far-distant past is the Greek Theognis of

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What Is a Myth?Rhegium. He lived six hundred years B.C., buteven as long ago as that there had come to be suchan immense number of myths in Greece,that theirexistence was alreadya cause for much wonder. Hecarried a spear, called allegory, nd when he bat-ered

into the castle,he only truth he could seewas that all myths were allegories.ccording tohim the Greek mythicalgods,Apollo,Helios,andHephaestos,ere fire under different aspects:Herawas the air;Posidon,the water; Artemis,the moon,and so on. Other learned Greeks followed in hisfootstepsnd saw much the same things.For ex-mple,

three hundred years later,Aristotle saidthat myths were the attempt of the world beforehis time to express philosophicalpeculations,ndPlutarch four hundred and sixtyyears later saidthat myths were metaphysicalstatements in dis-uise.

That is,they all thought that myths hadbeen invented to stand as symbols of objectsin na-ure

or of ideas which men had expressed.Now, if we look again, we shall see another

Greek knightgallopingout of the past whose namewas Euhemeros. He was a historian,philosopher,and a traveller,nd he lived about three hundredyears B.C. He was the friend of the King ofMacedon, who sent him off on missions to variouscountries. The spear he carried was called his-ory,

and the way he came to decide that mythswere historical accounts of real persons is told in thefollowingittlestory. Once when he was off on histravels,fter sailingbout for several days,he ar-

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A Guide to Mythologylived in the Indian Ocean, where he found a groupof islands the most importantof which was Pan-chaia. The inhabitants of this island were distin-uished

for their piety and honored the gods bythe most magnificentacrificesand offeringsf goldand silver. Among the wonderful works of art inthis island was an immensely tall column on thetop of which was a templeto JupiterTriumphant.This was supposedto have been erected by Jupiterhimself,when, an earthlymonarch, he marchedthroughthe country victorious. Inside this templewas a column upon which were recorded the doingsof Jupiter and of his father and grandfather,Kronos and Uranos.This story,itself,s so evidently;myth that itdoes not amount to anythingas a proof of the his-orical

theory. Nevertheless there have been manyto adoptthis belief.

Other knightsof learning,oth ancient and mod-rn,have carried lances with the soundingname,

natural phenomena. When they look into thecastle they see myths as personificationsf naturalphenomena. Everythingthat we see happeninginnature comes under the head of natural phenomena.The risingand settingf the sun, the moon and thestars each day,the clouds that drift across the sky,storms and whirlwinds,the lightninglash and theloud roar of the thunder,as well as the gentlerain,the tinklingof waterfalls,nd the lightmorningbreezes. When all these objectsand events in na-ure

are talked about as if they had the same pow-22


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What Is a Myth?ers as human beings,heyare said to be personified.Here is a very pretty example of a myth in whichthe dawn is personified.t is taken from one of themost ancient books in the world,the Rig Veda,about which you will hear more later.

The lovelyDawn arousingan goes before thesun preparingpracticableaths,ridingin a spaciouschariot,expandingeverywhere,he diffuses lightatthe commencement of the days.Among the ancient knights of learningwho

thoughtthat all myths were started in this way wasthe great Thucydides;and Cicero also believed thatthe exalted beingsin mythology who were wor-hipped

as gods were in realitypersonificationsfthe objectsn nature which struck the imaginationof primitiveankind.

There are also many modern knightsof learn-ngwho hold the same view, among the most

distinguishedf whom is the Englishscholar,axMiiller. About him and his followers Sir GeorgeCox and John Fiske,the American historian andthinker,you will one day know more if you con-inue

your studies in mythology. When Max Miil-ercame to write his learned books upon what he

saw in the castle of myths,he supportedhis learn-ngupon many interestingacts which he had dis-overed

when he was studyingthe languagesof dif-erentraces.

In comparing the ancient Greek languagewith23


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A Guide to Mythologythe ancient language of India, the Sanskrit,efound out that they were often very much alike.This drove him to the conclusion that they mustboth be descended from some still older language.He noticed also remarkable resemblances betweenthe myths of Greece and those of India,of whichthere were largenumbers collected in the old booksin Sanskrit and other Indian languages. Then hemade up his mind that the ancient race of peoplewho spoke the old languagefrom which Greek andSanskrit were descended must have had a greatfondness for inventingmyths, and that these mythshad been handed down from generationto genera-ion.

Finally,many of the descendants of thisancient race went to live in India,while others wentto live in Greece,and that was the reason the lan-uages

and the myths of these two peopleswere somuch alike in many ways. The originalhome ofthis ancient myth-making race has been thoughttobe Central Asia,and the race is known in historysthe Aryan race. But Max Miiller and others whoagreedwith him were so intoxicated with their newdiscoveries that they were constantlyin danger ofmaking fanciful comparisonsbetween the words ofthe two languages,and buildingpon these fancifulcomparisons explanationsof myths, even moremythicalthan the myths themselves. In fact theynot only saw in one direction like the other knights,but they used a huge magnifyingglassthat tintedevery thing with unnatural rainbow colors such asyou have seen when lookingthroughan opera glass.

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What Is a Myth?I will speak of three others only of the many

modern knightsof learningwho have seen some ofthe truth: E. B. Tyler,Andrew Lang, and JamesG. Frazer. The firstof these tells especiallyboutsome very curious beliefs possessedby primitivemen. These beliefs colored their imaginationomatter what kind of myths theymight invent. Oneof them was that a spirit,eparatefrom their ordi-ary

lifelived inside of their bodies ; another that allthingsin nature had life like themselves,nd alsospiritsdwellingwithin them like the spiritsithinthemselves. This was thoughtto be true of treesand stones as well as of birds and animals. The

second,Andrew Lang, considers that myths arestories which tell about the manners and customs ofancient or savage people,and the third,James G.[Frazer,ees in the worshipof the spiritsf vegeta-ion,

the corn, the trees and so on the originof mostmyths. Very long and very profoundare the argu-ents

with which each supports his particularointof view,and many are the illustrations drawn fromthe myths of all lands with which each illuminateshis argument, but,like the rest of the knights,achsees so much in his own truth that he is more or lessblind to all that others see.

Eow that I have tried to giveyou this glimpseatthe various explanationsf myths proposedfrom themost ancient times to the present,I think we shallbe a littlebetter preparedto find out an answer forourselves that will be satisfactory.Supposewe take the top off the castle in which we

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A Guide to Mythologyimagined the myths and the secrets of their originto be locked up, and look down upon them from ourhilltop,sing as an aid to our vision all the lightthat comes in through the numerous breaks in thecastle made by the lances of the knights. What willthe wonderful treasures revealed to us be like ?They will not be like jewels,ll polishedand placedin regularshiningrows, for myths were never fash-oned

as a jewelerwould fashion his stones all atonce into perfectlyinished and beautiful shapes.N o the imaginary contents of our castle whichwill best stand as a symbol or pictureof all themyths of the whole world in all their wonderfulvarietywill be an immense forest of almost count-esskinds of trees. Under the trees there are manysorts of plantsand flowers ; and if we look closer weshall see that some of these trees and plantsare uglyin shape, some are even decaying,but there aremany most lovelyo behold,and a few of the treestower up above the others and are profuselydec-rated

with many shiningornaments, making themlook like Christmas trees. You will see at oncethat by usingthis symbolto stand for all the mythsof the whole world I want to pointout and makeclear to you the importantfact that myths were notmade all at once as the jewelerpolishesis stones,but theygrew up graduallyrom small beginnings,like oaks from acorns, or pinesfrom pine cones and the soil in which theygrew was the minds ofprimitiveen ages and ages ago.Sometimes the trees of one land will look exceed-

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A Guide to Mythologyin their games to-day,and that is how he came toinvent explanationsof most of the thingshe sawabout him. Here, for example, is a little storyinvented by the Hottentots to explaintwo thingswhich they had observed,the spots on the moon,and the way in which the upper lip of a hare issplit

The moon sent an insect to men saying, Gothou to men and tell them, as I die and dyinglive,so ye shall also die and dying live.' The insectstarted with his message, but while on the way wasovertaken by the hare who asked him upon whaterrand he was bound. The insect answered that hehad been sent by the moon to tell men that as shedies and dyinglives so also shall they die and dyinglive The hare said, As thou art an awkward run-er,

let me go.' With these words he ran off andwhen he reached men he said,' I am sent by themoon to tell you, as I die and dying perish,in thesame manner shall ye also die and come wholly toan end.' Then the hare returned to the moon andtold her what he had said to men. The moonreproachedhim angrily,saying,' Darest thou tellthe people a thingwhich I have not said?' Withthese words she took up a hatchet to splithis head,missingthat the hatchet fell upon the upper lipandmade a deep gash. Maddened by such treatment,the hare flew at the moon and scratched her facewhich are the dark spots which we now see on themoon.

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What Is a Myth?You see these primitiveHottentots treat every

thingin nature as if it were alive justas we learnedfrom Tyler. They reallydid not know what agreat difference there is between a human beingand an animal or between animals and plantsoreven plantsand stones. All of the objectsn naturebeing endowed with life,theymight speak and actjustlike human beings. But it was only the verywisest of human beingswho could understand thislanguagethat the animals and plantsand other ob-ects

in nature might speak.On this account all nature seemed very mysterious

to primitiveman, and he therefore was ready toworship almost any objectthat caught his attention.Then the strange feelinghe had that anotherspiritquitedetached from his ordinarylife livedinside his body, made him imagine queer thingsabout this spirit;or one thing,that it might leavehis body and go off on independentjourneysin theform of a bird or an animal,r even that it might bestowed away for safe keepingin some animal orother object,ike the famous story of the Norsegiantwhose heart,which is equivalento his truelife,s far away in an egg that is in a church that ison an island that lies in a lake. In many storiesbelongingo this primitiveime,a man's luck oftenstands for his life and is bound up in some objectoutside of himself as in this story of the AlgonquinIndians,hich reflects all the strangenotions I havespoken of as well as givingan explanationf theappearance of the sheldrake duck. It is the story

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A Guide to Mythologyof how one of the Partridge'sives became a shel-rake

duck,and why her feet and feathers are red. There was once a hunter who lived in the woods.

He had a brother or spiritho was so small that hekept him in a box,and when he went forth he closedthis very carefully,or fear lest an evil spirithouldget him.

One day this hunter,returning,aw a very beau-ifulgirlsittingn a rock by a river,making a moc-asin.

And beingin a canoe he paddledup softlyand silentlyo capture her; but she, seeinghimcoming,jumped into the water and disappeared.Onreturningto her mother,who lived at the bottom ofthe river,she was told to go back to the hunter andbe his wife ; ' for now/ said the mother, i you be-ong

to that man.'The hunter's name was Mitchihess,he Partridge,

When she came to his lodgehe was absent. So shearrangedevery thing for his return, making a bedof boughs. At nighthe came back with one beaver.This he divided ; cooked one half for supper and laidby the other half. In the morning when she awokehe was gone, and the other half of the beaver hadalso disappeared.That nighthe returned with an-ther

beaver,and the same thingtook placeagain.Then she resolved to spy and find out what all thismeant.

So she lay down and went to sleepwith one eyeopen. Then he quietlyose and cooked the half ofthe beaver,and taking a key unlocked a box, and

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What Is a Myth?took out a littlered dwarf and fed him. Replacingthe elf,he locked him up again,and lay down tosleep.And the small creature had eaten the wholehalf beaver. But ere he put him in his box hewashed him and combed his hair,which seemed todelighthim.

The next morning,when her husband had gonefor the day,the wife soughtfor the key, and havingfound it openedthe box and called to the littlefel-ow

to come out. This he refused to do for a longtime,though she promisedto wash and comb him.Being at lengthpersuaded,e peepedout, when shepulledhim forth. But whenever she touched himher hands became red,though of this she took noheed,thinkingshe could wash it off at will. Butlo while combing him, there entered a hideous be-ng,

an awful devil,ho caughtthe small elf fromher and ran away.

Then she was terriblyrightened.And tryingto wash her hands,the red stain remained. Whenher husband returned that nighthe had no game;when he saw the red stain he knew all that had hap-ened;

when he knew what had happenedhe seizedhis bow to beat her ; when she saw him seize his bowto beat her she ran down to the river and jumpedin to escape death at his hands,thoughit should beby drowning. But as she fell into the water shebecame a sheldrake duck. And to this day themarks of the red stain are to be seen on her feetand feathers.You will observe a very strangecustom alluded to

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A Guide to Mythologyin this story, and that is the way in which thehunter is described as capturinghe maiden for hiswife instead of gentlytryingto persuadeher to behis wife. This shows that it is a very far-backmyth, for there are many other stories to prove thatsavages learned to be much more gentlein theirways toward women even before men became alto-ether

civilized.How primitiveen came to have such peculiar

beliefs we cannot say positively.ome peoplehavethoughtthat perhapstheir dreams made them thinkthat there was a spiritnside of them separatefromtheir ordinarylife,hile the sounds and movementsin nature, such as the singingof a waterfall,herustlingof leaves,r the sound which stones wouldgive out when knocked together,ould seem to theuneducated mind of earlymankind, to be signsoflife like his own.

Another very early belief is that in magic andsorcery. Primitive man used to imagine that hecould make it rain by imitatingthe thunder,whichhe did by shakingdried seeds about in a gourd.Magic is reallythe producingof any desired effector event by means which are quiteoutside of thelaws of nature. As the primitivesavage did notknow any thingabout the laws of nature,laws whichhave taken ages for men to discover and all of whichare not even yet discovered,e revelled in the inven-ion

of means by which he thoughthe might accom-lishthe thingshe would like to do. Sometimes heasked spiritso help him, and if what he wanted

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What Is a Myth?to do was evil,lie would ask aid of evil spirits.There are countless myths in which magic plays apart, examples of which you will see as you readthe stories given in the followingchapters.

Since in the time most remote men dependedupon animals almost entirelyfor their food,it isprobablehat animals were the objectshat made themost vivid impressionsn them, and,therefore,hatstories of animals belong to this most primitivestage.

At this time,too,it is likelyhat the worshipofanimals arose, for almost everv tribe of savages hada sacred animal which, except in rare instances,itwas never allowed to kill and from which it oftenimagined itself descended.

After many ages, mankind began to till theground,and to raise grainand vegetables,hen plantsand trees were more especiallybserved by them, andthe mythicalstories have,in consequence, more aboutplantsand trees in them; and, as they had sacredanimals,they had also sacred trees or plants,andworshipped them or imagined themselves descendedfrom them.

Then as men progressedn their powers of ob-ervatithey saw natural phenomena more and

more. The succession of nightand day impresseditself upon them, they took note of the motions ofthe sun, the moon and the stars,clouds caughttheirattention,torms filled them with awe and fear asthe lightninglashed and the thunder roared andrattled in its might. The wind laughedin summer

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A Guide to Mythologybreezes or howled in wintryblasts and theynoticedit,and as soon as their attention was fullyarousedto all these wonders of nature, theybegan to thinkof them,as not only endowed with powers like theirown, but as livingbeings. First,they frequentlypersonifiedature as animals,hen as human beings,and as they had worshippedsacred animals and sa-red

plantsand sacred trees,now they worshippedthese gods of nature; and as they invented talesabout the animals and the trees,so they inventedtales about these gods of nature. As one would ex-ect,

the stories about animals and trees would oftenbe mingled with the new stories of the nature gods,and sometimes changed so that one would hardlyrecognizehem. And then,again,a storytold abouta nature god in one part of the world would, onaccount of the earlywanderingsof the human racefrom one land to another,be added as an orna-ent

to a story told in another part of the world,like the ornaments on the Christmas trees in thecastle.

Again, whole myths would be transported,ndas they reached different countries they would bechanged somewhat so that they would reflect themanners or the knowledgeof that particularoun-ry.

A strange thing,however, about many mythsis that those in one part of the world are so muchlike those in another part of the world that it wouldseem as if theymust have been invented by the samepeople. Not only are there myths in India andGreece which are very much alike,but there are

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A Guide to Mythologyby until in many countries primitivean is no longerprimitiveut beginsto be more civilized,e shallfind that certain groups of myths became crystal-ized

into completereligiousystems,such as existedin Egypt, Assyria,India,Greece,Persia,nd manyother countries. By this time the human race hadattained to a much greater degreeof self-conscious-ess.

Men were beginningto understand both them-elvesand nature better,and thev often could see

the true causes for the events of nature going onabout them. The next step was for them to beginto observe very carefullyhe systems of religiousmyths which had been handed down to them bytheir forefathers. Upon these they used their im-ginativfaculty,s man had earlier used it uponnature itself,ith the result that they attached newmeanings and gave fresh explanationsof mythswhich had originallytarted as simple personifica-ions

of nature. In Greece,for example, Apollo,who was originallypersonificationf the sun, cameto be regardedas the God of Music and Poetry;Athene,who was originallyhe Dawn, became theGoddess of Wisdom ; Hermes, originallyhe Wind,became the God of Eloquenceand the leader ofspirits.This is the way myths graduallygrew tohave philosophicalr metaphysicalmeanings thatis,to stand as symbolsof the deepestand most far-reachingthoughtsof which the mind of man atthat time was capable.Many of those thoughtsreso profoundand so wonderful that one needs to havea great deal of knowledgeto understand them. All

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What Is a Myth?that interests you now is to know that there are suchthoughtsand that some day you will want to knowmore ahout them.

While some myths were thus raised to religioussystems, there were many which remained in theform of legendsand stories. In the course of manygenerations,hese stories were told over againandagain so that many changescrept into them andmany additions were made. Sometimes the effectof these changeswas to make a story cruder,some-imes

the complexityof a story was increased,ndsometimes it became more interestingnd beau-iful.

Stories which have been changed or added toby the peoplein this way are called variants of thesame story.

Owing to these facts mythologyhas been dividedinto two great sections. That which has risen to thedignityof a religions called culture-lore,nd thatwhich has remained always in the form of storiesand legendsis called folk-lore. The firstreflects thelearning,wisdom and manners of the more intel-igent

portionsf humanity, who developedin ad-anceof the others;and the second the beliefs and

customs of the less intelligent.You are probablywondering by this time how all

this vast array of myths has come down to us fromthe longago past. Much of it has been preservednancient books like the Rig Yeda in India,whichis thoughtto be about four thousand years old,the Iliad and Odyssey of Homer in Greece,about three thousand years old and many others.

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A Guide to MythologyThese books existed in manuscript for many hun-reds

of years. Since the invention of printing,largenumbers of them have been printedand trans-ated

into modern languages.Knowledge of ancientmyths has also been obtained from monuments andthe inscriptionspon them, from paintingsn vasesand from statues.

The folk-lore has for the most part been preservedorallyn the stories of the common people,nd hasbeen handed down from generationo generationndfinallyaken down in writingby some one especiallyinterested in collectinghe stories,hile the mythsof the most primitiveen are preservedn the sur-ivals

of them among the races stillremainingun-ivilizedin various parts of the globe. These havebeen for several centuries taken down from themouths of the people,r observed in their customsand recorded by students. Among these less civi-ized

races there are besides crude monuments, andeven crude forms of writingby means of which prim-tive

men have recorded their own myths.You will realize by this time what an extensive

and wonderful forest this forest of myths is whichwe imagineourselves lookingdown upon from ourhilltop,nd after havingtaken this bird's-eyeiewof the whole forest,ou will be the better able toenjoygoing down into the forest and making littlejourneysin different directions and becomingbetteracquaintedwith some of the most beautiful of themyths as you will in the followingchapters.Andnow, moreover, you will have no difficultyn under-

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What Is a Myth?standinge when I answer the question,What isa myth ? by saying:

A myth is any imaginativeexplanationr inter-retationby man of himselfor of the objectsnd

events in nature outside of himself,includingtheirappearance, their effectsnd the stillgreatermys-ery

of their causes. It may exist in many formsfrom the simplemyth of explanationo the compli-ated

systemsof religiousyths in which the objectsof nature are regardedas godsin human form. Thechiefthingto be remembered about myths is thattheyare not true,thoughtheymay contain some ele-ents

of truth; another,that though not actuallytrue theyseemed to be true to the peoplewho madethem.

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CHAPTER II

ANIMALS IN PRIMITIVE MYTHS

THE stories now to be told belong to that veryearly time in human life,when, as we learnedin the last chapter, men regarded every thing in na-ure

as if it were gifted with life like themselves.The strange ideas to which this belief gave rise are,of course, reflected in their myths. Many of thestories have in them animals and plants which talk,while the transformation of men into animals oranimals into men or even gods into animals, whenanimals are not actually worshipped is frequent.

The most curious of all these beliefs is that man-indis descended from animals, all the more curi-us

because some modern scientific men have, asevery one knows, tried to prove very much the samething. The modern scientist,however, does not haveany especial reverence for the antediluvian ape fromwhich he supposes he may have evolved, while theprimitive savage regarded with awe and reverencethe animals from which he thought himself de-cended

Groups of savages called clans all trac-ngtheir descent from the same animal, considered

that animal to be especially their friend. They-would not kill it or eat it,except in a few instances

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Animals In Primitive Mythswhen it was killed for the purposes of sacrifice.Many different animals were regarded as ancestralanimals, and became the sign or totem, as it wascalled,f the tribe. Among totem animals may bementioned the followingin Australia: Opossum,Swan, Duck, Fish. Most of the Australian tribesdeclare that the familystarted by a transformationof these animals into mankind. The North Ameri-an

Indians have a great varietyof totem animals:Wolf, Bear, Beaver, Turtle,Deer, Snipe, Heron,Hawk, Crane,Duck, Loon, Turkey,Muskrat, Pike,Catfish,Carp, and so on.

It was an easy step for the savage from the be-iefin his own descent from some animal to abelief in the sacredness and mystery of animals,

naturallyleadingto the worshipof them. The In-iansof Peru, for example,regardedthe dog as

their most exalted deity. They set up the imageof a dog in their temples. They were also in thehabit of choosing live dog as a representationftheir deity.They worshippedthis and offered sacri-ices

to it,and when it was well fattened up theyate it with solemn religiousceremonies. This isone of the cases where the sacred animal was eaten.Serpent worship is one of the most wide-spreadforms of animal worship,an example of which isfound among the Zulus to whom certain speciesresacred because they are supposedto be the incarna-ions

of ancestral spirits.Another form which the sacred animal took was

that of a supernaturaleingnot only concerned in41


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A Guide to Mythologythe originof men but who had a part to play in theoriginof the whole world.

In a largenumber of these myths,the water al-eadyexisted and, also of course, the remarkable

animal who brought to pass such wonders. Theanimal was sometimes very humble as in the storytold by the Indians of British Columbia of thecreation of the world.

HOW A MUSKRAT MADE THE WORLD

In the beginningnothingexisted but water anda muskrat. As the little animal kept divingdownto the bottom of the water in search of food, hismouth became frequentlyilled with mud. This hespat out and so graduallyformed by alluvial de-osit,

an island,hich grew and grew until it finallybecame largeenoughto be the earth.

The natives of the PhilippineIslands tell thisstoryof the creation of the world.

HOW THE KITE HELPED TO MAKE THE WORLD

The world at first consisted onlv of skv andwater and between these two there flew a kite. Thekite became weary of flyingabout, and findingnoplaceto rest; so he set the water at variance withthe sky. Then, in order to keep the water withinbounds and so that it should not get uppermost, thesky loaded the water with a number of islands inwhich the kite might settle and leave them at peace.

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A Guide to Mythologyhimself,and the next time his brothers go a-fishing,he takes his placein the boat and insists on going,too. Where is your hook/' ask the two brothers, Oh this will do/' says littleMaui, takingout hisancestor's jawbone. This he throws overboard forhis fish-hook,ut on tryingto pullit in again hefinds it very heavy. By haulingaway at it,how-ver,

he at last lifts it,#nd finds it has brought upthe land from the bottom of the deep. This landproved to be an extraordinaryombination of anenormous fish and an island with houses and menand animals on it.

The world supportingortoise is a familiar mytho-ogicalfriend,believed in by Asia, and holdingan importantplacein the mythology of the ^NorthAmerican Indian,where a turtle,he lonelyinhabi-ant

of the waste of waters, dived to the depthsfor the earth.

Even so humble an insect as the grasshopperfiguresin the Bushman's story of the creation ofthe world. Insignificants the grasshopperappearsto us, to the Bushman he appeareda great creature,called Cagn, with trulyomnipotentpowers, for heundertook the work of creation without even theusual raw material of water. He simply gave or-ers

and caused all things to appear and to bemade, sun, moon, stars,wind, mountains,animals.

In many of the primitivestories,agic is themeans by which the most wonderful effects are pro-uced.It was believed that a magiciancould bring

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Animals In Primitive Mythsabout any effect lie desired by the mere use of hi3will,nd often without any visible symbol of magicpower. Sometimes, however, magic wands wereused,and sometimes ceremonies were performedforthe purpose of producingmagicalresults. On theother hand magicalprodigiesuch as the changingof shape from man to animal often occur withoutthe intervention of any magician.

Whatever may have been the originof this belief,it is certain that it was just as sincerelyelievedin as a theoryof the universe by earlymankind asthe doctrine of an endless,ersistentnergy, alwaysworking from cause to effect has been believed inby the nineteenth century scientist.Very fanciful stories have clustered about the ideathat the spiritmight be detached from the body,and placed somewhere far away, as you will seewhen you read the story of Punchkin.

So firmlywas this idea fixed in the savage mindthat,it seems probable,is worship of animals,evenin the earliest stagesof life was really worshipofthe spiritwithin the animal, rather than of theanimal itself,nd from this phase he passedon tothe worship of a great spiritthat might manifestitself in many forms. This was the belief of manyof the North American Indian tribes. The GreatSpirit,bove all the lesser gods,is frequentlye-erred

to in their stories.Of the followingstories the first three,are ex-mples

of a very largeclass of earlymyths, whichattempt to account for the originor peculiarities45


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A Guide to Mythologyof animals. Curiosityhaving been awakened, thesavage tries to explainwhat he sees and often in-ents

pretty and even elaborate myths in his effortto find a truth beyondhis knowledge.

In the Originof the Robin, a custom observedamong Indians is referred to in the young man'sfast. Instead of collegecommencements, with Bac-alaureat

sermons, and valedictories,he youngIndian boy or maiden was made to observe a soli-ary

fast afar from the parentalwigwam, and whilesufferinghe pangs of hunger and loneliness,t wasbelieved that the Great Spiritr a guardianspiritwould reveal to him his future.

THE ORIGIN OF THE EOBIN{From the Odjibwa)

An old man had an only son, named Opeechee,who had come to that age which is thoughtto bemost proper to make the long and final fast whichis to secure through life a guardian genius orspirit.The father was ambitious that his son shouldsurpass all others in whatever was deemed wisestand greatestamong his people. To accomplishiswish,he thoughtit necessary that the young Opee-hee

should fast a much longertime than any ofthose renowned for their power of wisdom, whosefame he coveted.

He therefore directed his son to prepare withgreat ceremony for the event. After Opeecheehadbeen several times in the sweating-lodgend bath,

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A Guide to MythologyThe son assented ; and coveringimself more close-y,that he might shut out the lightwhich prompted

him to complain,he lay tillthe eleventh day,whenhe repeatedhis request.

The father addressed Opeechee as he had the otherday, and promised that he would himself preparehis first meal, and bring it to him by the dawn ofthe morning.

The son moaned, and the father added: Will you bringshame upon your father when

his sun is fallingin the West ? I will not shame you, my father,repliedOpee-hee;

and he lay so still and motionless that youcould only know that he was livingby the gentleheaving of his breast.

At the springof the day, the next morning,thefather,delightedt havinggainedhis end,prepareda repast for his son, and hastened to set it beforehim. On coming to the door of the little lodge,he was surprisedo hear his son talkingo himself.

He held his ear down to listen,and, lookingthrougha small opening,he was yet more astonishedwhen he beheld his son paintedwith vermilion overall his breast,and in the act of finishingis workby layingon the paint as far back on his shouldersas he could reach with his hands, saying at thesame time,to himself : My father has destroyedyfortune as a man. He would not listen to my re-uests.

He has urgedme beyond my tender strength.He will be the loser. I shall be forever happy in mynew state,for I have been obedient to my parent.

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Animals In Primitive MythsHe alone will be the sufferer,or my guardianspiritis a justone. Though not propitiouso me in themanner I desired,e has shown me pityin anotherway he has given me another shape; and now I

nmust go.At this moment the old man broke in exclaiming My son I pray you leave me not But the young man with the quicknessof a bird

flew to the top of the lodgeand perchedhimself onthe highestpole,havingbeen changed into a beauti-ul

robin red-breast. He looked down upon hisfather with pity,and addressed him as follows:

Regretnot, my father,the changeyou behold.I shall be happierin my present state than I couldhave been as a man. I shall alwaysbe the friend ofmen, and keep near their dwellings.I shall everbe contented;and althoughI could not gratifyyour wishes as a warrior,it will be my dailyaim to make you amends for it as a harbingerofpeace and joy. I shall cheer you by my songs, andstrive to inspirein others the joy and lightsomenessof heart I feel in my present state. This will besome compensationo you for the loss of gloryyouexpected. I am now free from the cares and painsof human life. My food is furnished by the moun-ains

and fields,nd my pathway of life is in thebrightair.

Then, stretchingimself on his toes, as if de-ightedwith the giftof wings,Opeecheecaroled one

of his sweetest songs, and flew away into a neighbor-ngwood.49 i


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A Guide to MythologyTHE OEIGIN OF THE HAEE

(From the Aino)

Suddenly,there was a largehouse on the top ofa mountain,wherein were six peoplebeautifullyr-ayed,

but constantlyuarreling.hence theycamewas unknown. Thereupon Okikurumi came andsaid : Oh you bad hares you wicked hares Whodoes not know your origin? The children in thesky were peltingach other with snow balls,nd thesnow balls fell into the world of men. As it wouldbe a pityto waste anythingthat falls from the sky,the snow balls were turned into hares,and thosehares are you. You who dwell in this world whichbelongso me, should not quarrel.What is that youare making such a noise about ?

With these words, Okikurumi seized a fire-brand,and beat each of the six with it in turn. There-pon

all the hares ran away. This is the originofthe hare and for this reason the body of the hareis white because made of snow, while its ears, whichare the placewhere it was charred by the fire-brand, are black.

HOW THE MOLE BECAME BLIND(North American Indian)

Once a squirrelas beingchased by an Indian,and in order to escape, the squirrelan all the wayup a tree into the sky. The Indian set a snare forthe squirrelt the top of the tree and then camedown, but he found the next day that the sun was

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A Guide to Mythologywas prostratedupon his couch never more torise.

As death drew near, he addressed his family inthese words : You/' said he turningto his wife, you, who have been the companion of my life,shall joinme in the Isle of the Blessed. You havenot long to suffer. But oh, my children and heturned his eyes affectionatelypon them, you havejustcommenced life;and,mark me, unkindness,in-ratitu

and every wickedness is before you. Ileft my tribe and kindred to come to this unfre-uented

place,because of the evils of which I havejust warned you. I have contented myself withthe company of your mother and yourselves,or Iwas solicitous that you might be kept from bad ex-mple;

and I shall die contented if you, my chil-ren,promiseto cherish each other,and not to for-akeyour youngest brother.

Exhausted with speaking,he dyinghunter closedhis eyes for a few moments, and then,rousinghim-elf

with great effort,e took the hand of his twoeldest children and said : My daughter,ever for-ake

your youngest brother. My son, never forsakeyour youngest brother.

Never never respondedboth ; and the huntersank back upon his palletand soon expired.

His wife,accordingto his predictions,ollowedhim after the brief expirationf eightmonths; butin her last moments she reminded the two childrenof the promisemade their father. During the win-erfollowingtheir mother's death,the two elder

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Animals In Primitive Mythschildren were exceedinglythoughtfulin regardtotheir brother,ho was a mere child and very delicateand sickly;hut when the winter had passedawayrthe young man became restless,nd at lengthde-ermined

to break his promise to his father,andseek the villagef his father's tribe.

He communicated this determination to his sister,,who replied My brother, cannot wonder at yourdesire,s we are not prohibitedhe societyf ourfellow-men;but we were told to cherish each other,and protectour littlebrother. If we follow our owninclinations,e may forgethim.

To this the young man made no reply,but,takinghis bow and arrows, left the lodge and never re-urned.Several moons passedafter his departure,during which the girltenderlywatched over herlittlebrother;but at lengththe solitude of her lifebecame unendurable,nd she began to meditate escap-ng

from the care of her brother,and leavinghimalone in his helplessness.She gatheredinto thelodgea largeamount of food,and then said to herbrother, My brother,o not leave the lodge; I goto seek our brother,and shall soon return.

Then she went in search of the villagef her tribe,where she hopedto find her elder brother. When shereached the village,he was so delightedith thenoveltyof societyand the pleasureof seeingothersof her own age that she entirelyforgother littlebrother. She found her elder brother nicelysettledin life,he having married very happily;and, onreceiving proposalof marriageherself,bandoned

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A Guide to [Mythologyall thoughtof returningo the solitaryodgein theforest,ccepting home in the villageith the youngman who became her husband.

As soon as the little brother had eaten all thefood collected by his sister,e went into the woodsand pickedberries and dug up roots. That satisfiedhis hungeras longas the weather was mild ; but,whenthe winter drew on, he was obligedto wander aboutin very great distress for want of food. He oftenpassedhis nightsin the clefts and hollows of oldtrees,and was glad to eat the refuse-meat left bythe wolves ; and he became so fearless of those ani-als

that he would sit by them while theydevouredtheir prey, and the animals themselves were so ac-ustomed

to him that they seemed pleasedwith hispresence, and alwaysleft some of their food for him.Thus the littleboy lived on through the winter,suc-ored

from hungerby the wild beasts of the woods.When the winter had passedaway and the ice

had melted from the Great Lake, he followed thewolves to its open shore. It happenedone day thathis elder brother was fishingn his canoe on thelake,and,hearingthe cry of a child,astened to theshore,where at a short distance from him he dis-overed

his little brother,who was singingplain-ivelythese lines:

Nesia,Nesia,shug wuh, gushuh Ne mien gun-iew Ne mien gun-iew

My brother,my brotherI am turning into a wolf I am turninginto a wolf

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Animals In Primitive MythsAt the termination of his song, he howled like a

wolf; and the elder,approachinghim, was startledat seeingthat the littlefellow had indeed half turnedinto a wolf,when, running hastilyforward, heshouted,u My brother,my little brother,come tome ' But the boy fled from him, while he con-inued

to sing: I am turninginto a wolf ISTemien gun-iew ~Ne mien gun-iew Filled with an-uish

and remorse, the elder brother continued tocry, My brother,y littlebrother,ome to me But the more eagerlyhe called,he more rapidlyhis brother fled from him, while he became moreand more like a wolf,until,with a prolongedhowl,his whole body was transformed,when he boundedswiftlyway into the depthsof the forest.

The elder brother,in the deepestsorrow, now re-urnedto his village,here with his sister he la-entedthe dreadful fate of his brother until the

end of his life.

HOW WASBASHAS, THE SNAIL, BECAME A MAN(North American Indian)

Upon the banks of the Missouri River there oncelived a snail,in great enjoyment; for he foundplentyof food,and was never in want of anythingthat a snail could desire. At length,however,dis-

*aster reached him. The waters of the river over-lowedits banks; and, althoughthe littlecreature

clungto a logwith all his strength,hopingtherebyto remain safe upon the shore, the risingflood car-55


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A Guide to MythologyTied both him and the log away, and they floatedhelplesslyany days, until the waters subsided,when the poor snail was left upon a strange shorethat was covered with the river's slime,where, asthe sun arose, the heat was so intense that he wasirrecoverablyixed in the mud. Oppressedwith theheat and drought,and famishingfor want of nour-shment,

in despairhe resignedhimself to his fateand preparedto die. But suddenlynew feelingsarose, and a renewed vigorentered his frame. Hisshell burst open; his head graduallyarose abovethe ground; his lower extremities assumed the char-cter

of feet and legs; arms extended from his sides,and their extremities divided into fingersand,thusbeneath the influence of the shiningsun, he becamea tall and noble-lookingan. For a while he wasstupefiedith the change;he had no energy, no dis-inct

thoughts but by degreeshis brain assumed itsactivity,nd returningrecollection induced him totravel back to his native shore. Naked and ijmorant,and almost perishingith hunger,he walked along.He saw beasts and birds enticingo the appetitebut,not knowing how to kill them, his hunger wasleft unappeased.

At last he became so weak that he laid himselfdown upon the ground in despair,hinkingthat hemust die. He had not been lyingthus very long,when he heard a voice callingim by name, Was-bashas,Wasbashas He looked up, and before himbeheld the Great Spiritsittingpon a white animal.And the eyes of the Spiritere like stars ; the hair

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Animals In Primitive Mythsof his head shone like the sun. Trembling fromhead to foot,Wasbashas bowed his head. He couldnot look upon him. Again the voice spoke,in amild tone, Wasbashas,why art thou terrified? aItremble/7repliedWasbashas, because I stand beforehim who raised me from the ground. I am faint;I have eaten nothingsince I was left a little shellupon the shore. The Great Spiritthen lifted uphis hands,displayingn them a bow and arrows;and tellingasbashas to look at him, he put an ar-ow

to the stringf the bow, and sent it into the air,striking beautiful bird,that dropped dead uponthe ground. A deer then coming in sight,e placedanother arrow to the string,nd piercedit throughand through. u There, said the Great Spirit, isyour food,and these are your arms, handinghimthe bow and arrows. The beneficent Being then in-tructe

him how to remove the skin of the deer,andprepare it for a garment. You are naked, saidhe, and must be clothed ; for althoughit is nowwarm, the skies will change,and bring rains andsnow and cold winds. Having said this,he alsoimpartedthe giftof fire,nd instructed him how toroast the flesh of the deer and bird. He then placeda collar of wampum around his neck. This, saidhe, is your title of authorityver all the beasts.Having done this,the Great Spiritrose in the airand vanished from sight.Wasbashas refreshed him-elf

with the food,and afterward pursued his wayto his native land. Having walked a long distance,he seated himself on the banks of a river,and medi-

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A Guide to Mythologytated on what had transpired,hen a largebeaverarose up from the channel and addressed him. Whoart thou ? said the beaver, that comest here todisturb my ancient reign%

I am a man/' he replied. I was once a creep-ngshell ; but who art thou ? I am king of the

nation of beavers, as answered ; I lead my peo-leup and down this stream. We are a busy people,

and the river is my dominion.I must divide it with you, said Wasbashas ;

the Great Spirithas placed me at the head ofbeasts and birds,fishes and fowls,and has pro-ided

me with the power of maintainingy rights,:and then he exhibited the giftsof the Great Spirit,the bow and arrows and the wampum.

Come, come, said the beaver in a modified tone, I perceivee are brothers ; walk with me to mylodge,nd refresh yourselffter your journey. Sosayinghe conducted Wasbashas, who had acceptedthe invitation with great alacrity,o a beautifullargevillage,here he was entertained in the chief'slodge,hich was built in a cone shape;and,as thefloor was covered with pinemats, it had a very de-ightful

appearance to the eyes of Wasbashas.After theyhad seated themselves,he chief bade

his wife and daughterprepare for them the choicestfood in their possession.Meanwhile he entertainedhis guest by informinghim how they constructedtheir lodges,nd described their manner of cuttingdown trees with their teeth,nd fellinghem acrossstreams so as to dam up the water; and also in-

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A Guide to MythologyTHE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF MASTER RABBIT

WITH THE OTTER AND THEWOODPECKER GIRLS

ALSO A FULL ACCOUNT OP THE FAMOUS CHASE, INWHICH HE FOOLED LUSIFEE, THE WILD CAT

(Algonquin)

I. HOW MASTER RABBIT SOUGHT TO RIVAL KEEOONY,THE OTTER

Of old times,Mahtigwess,the Rabbit,who iscalled in the Micmac tongue Ableegumooch,livedwith his grandmother,waitingfor better times ; andtrulyhe found it a hard matter in midwinter,whenice was on the river and snow was on the plain,oprovideven for his small household. And runningthroughthe forest one day he found a lonelywigwam,and he that dwelt therein was Keeoony, the Otter,The lodgewas on the bank of a river,and a smoothroad of ice slanted from the door down to the water.And the Otter made him welcome, and directed hishousekeepero get ready to cook; sayingwhich,hetook the hooks on which he was wont to stringfishwhen he had them, and went to fetch a mess for din-er.

Placinghimself on the top of the slide,hecoasted in and under the water, and then came outwith a great bunch of eels,hich were soon cooked,and on which they dined.

By my life, houghtMaster Rabbit, but thatis an easy way of getting living Truly these fish-ng-folkhave fine fare,and cheap Cannot I, who

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Animals In Primitive Mythsam so clever,o as well as this mere Otter ? Ofcourse I can. Why not ? Thereupon he grew soconfident of himself as to invite the Otter to dinewith him adamadush hethewop on the third dayafter that,and so went home.

Come on he said to his grandmotherthe nextmorning ; let us remove our wigwam down to thelake. So theyremoved ; and he selected a site suchas the Otter had chosen for his home,and the weatherbeing cold he made a road of ice,of a coast, downfrom his door to the water, and all was well. Thenthe guest came at the time set,and Rabbit,callingisgrandmother,bade her get ready to cook a dinner.*' But what am I to cook,grandson? inquiredtheold dame.

Truly I will see to that, said he,and made hima nabogun,or stick to stringels. Then goingto theice path,he tried to slide like one skilled in the art,but indeed with littleluck,for he went first to therightside,then to the left,and so hitched andjumped tillhe came to the water, where he went inwith a bob backwards. And this bad beginninghadno better ending,since of all swimmers and divers theKabbit is the very worst, and this one was no betterthan his brothers. The water was cold,he lost hisbreath,e struggled,nd was well-nighdrowned.

But what on earth ails the fellow ? said the Ot-erto the grandmother,ho was lookingn in amaze-ent.

Well,he has seen somebodydo something,nd istryingto do likewise, epliedhe old lady.61


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A Guide to Mythology Ho come out of that now/' cried the Otter,

and hand me your nabogun And the poor Rab-it,shiveringith cold,and almost frozen,came

from the water and limped into the lodge. Andthere he requiredmuch nursing from his grand-other,

while the Otter,plunginginto the stream,soon returned with a load of fish. But, disgustedat the Rabbit for attemptingwhat he could notperform,he threw them down as a gift,and wenthome without tastinghe meal.

II. HOW MAHTIGWESS, THE RABBIT, DINED WITH THEWOODPECKER GIRLS, AND WAS AGAIN HUMBLEDBY TRYING TO RIVAL THEM.

Xow Master Rabbit,thoughdisappointed,as notdiscouraged,or this one virtue he had,that he nevergave up. And wanderingone day in the wilderness,he found a wigwam well filledwith young women, allwearing red head-dresses;nd no wonder,for theywere Woodpeckers.Xow, Master Rabbit was a well-bred Indian,who made himself as a melody to allvoices,nd so he was cheerfullyidden to bide to din-er,

which he did. Then one of the red-polledrettygirls,aking woltes,r wooden dish,lightlylimbeda tree,so that she seemed to run; and while ascend-ng,

stoppinghere and there and tappingnow andthen,took from this placeand that many of those in-ects

called by the Indians apchel-moal-timpkawal,rrice,because they so much resemble it. And notethat this rice is a daintydish for those who like it.

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A Guide to Mythologywho, when he gave up tryingto do as others did,succeeded very well. And, having found out hisfoible,e appliedhimself to become able in goodearnest,and studied m'teoulirijr magic, so severelythat in time he grew to be an awful conjurer,o thathe could raise ghosts,rops, storms, or devils when-ver

he wanted them. For he had perseverance,and out of this may come anything,if it be onlybroughtinto the rightroad.

Xow it came to pass that Master Rabbit got intogreat trouble. The records of the Micmacs say thatit was from his stealing stringof fish from theOtter,who pursued him; but the Passamaquoddiesdeclare that he was innocent of this evil deed,prob-blybecause they make great account of him astheir ancestor and as the father of the Wabanaki.ITowbeit,his is the way in which they tell thetade.

Now the Rabbit is the natural prey of the Loup-Cervier,r Lusifee,who is a kind of wildcat,nonebeingmore obstinate. And this Wild-Cat once wenthuntingwith a gang of wolves,and theygot nothing.Then Wild-Cat,who had made them great promisesand acted as chief,ecame angry, and,thinkingf theRabbit,promisedthem that this time they should in-eed

get their dinner. So he took them to Rabbit'swigwam; but he was out, and the Wolves, beingvexed and starved,eviled Wild-Cat,and then rushedoff howlingthroughthe woods.

ISTow I think that the Rabbit is m'teoulin. Yes,he must be,for when Wild-Cat started to hunt him64


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Animals In Primitive Mythsalone,he determined with all his soul not to becaught,and made himself as magicalas he could. Sohe pickedup a handful of chips,and threw one asfar as possible,hen jumped to it for he had acharm for a longjump ; and then threw another,and so on, for a great distance. This was to makeno tracks,and when he thoughthe had got out ofscent and sightand sound he scamperedaway likethe wind.

I^ow, as I said,when the wolves got to MasterRabbit's house and found nothing,theysmelt aboutand left Wild-Cat,who swore by his tail that hewould catch Rabbit,if he had to hunt forever andrun himself to death. So, takingthe house for acenter,he kept going round and round it,all thetime a littlefurther,and so more around and stillfurther. Then at last having found the track,hewent in hot haste after Mr. Rabbit. And bothran hard, till,nightcoming on, Rabbit, to pro-ect

himself,ad onlyjusttime to trampledown thesnow a little,nd stick up a spruce twigon end andsit on it. But when Wild-Cat came up he foundthere a fine wigwam, and put his head in. All thathe saw was an old man of very grave and dignifiedappearance, whose hair was gray, and whose majestic(sogmoye)appearance was heightenedby a pairoflong and venerable ears. And of him Wild-Catasked in a gaspinghurry if he had seen a Rabbitrunningthat way.

Rabbits repliedthe old man. Why, ofcourse, I have seen many. They abound in the woods

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A Guide to Mythologyabout here. I see dozens of them every day. Withthis he said kindly to Wild-Cat that he had bettertarry with him for a time. I am an old man/' heremarked with solemnity an old man, livingalone,and a respectableuest,like you, sir,omes to me likea blessing. And the Cat, greatlyimpressed,e-ained.

After a good supper he lay down by thefire,nd,havingrun all day,was at once asleep,ndmade but one nap of it tillmorning. But how aston-shed,

and oh,how miserable he was, when he awoke,to find himself on the open heath in the snow and al-ost

starved The wind blew as if it had a keen willto kill him; it seemed to go all through his body.Then he saw that he had been a fool and cheated bymagic,and in a rage swore againby his teeth,s wellas his tail,hat the Rabbit should die. There was nohut now, onlythe trampledsnow and a spruce twig,and yet out of this little,abbit had conjuredup sogreat a delusion.Then he ran againall day. And when nightcame,Master Rabbit,having a littlemore time than before,again trampleddown the snow, but for a greaterspace, and strewed many branches all about,for nowa huge effort was to be made. And when Wild-Catgot there he found a great Indian village,ithcrowds of peoplegoing to and fro. The firstbuild-ng

he saw was a church,in which service was beingheld. And he,entering,aid hastilyo the firstper-on

he saw, Ha ho have you seen a Rabbit run-ingby here ? Hush sh,sh repliedhe man. You must

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A Guide to Mythologyall a delusion. All around him were rabbits' tracksand broken twigs,ut nothingmore.

Yet he sprang up, more enraged than ever, andswearingmore terriblyy his tail,teeth,and clawsthat he would be revenged.So he ran on all day,andat night,when he came to another largevillage,ewas so weary that he could justgasp, Have you seen a Rab bit run this way ? With much con-ern

and kindness theyall asked him what was thematter. So he told them all this story,and theypitiedim very much; yea, one gray old man andthis was the Chief with two beautiful daughters,shed tears and comforted him, and advised him tostay with them. So theytook him to a largehall,where there was a great fire burningin the middlethereof. And over it hung two pots with soup andmeat, and two Indians stood by and gave food to allthe people.And he had his share with the rest,andall feasted gayly.Now, when theyhad done eating,he old Governor,

who was very gray, and from either side of whosehead rose two very venerable,long white feathers,rose to welcome the stranger,and in a longspeechsaid it was, indeed,the custom of their villagetoentertain guests,but that theyexpectedfrom them asong. Then Wild-Cat,who was vain of his voice,uplifted it in vengeance againstthe Rabbits :

Oh, how I hate themHow I despisethemHow I laugh at them May I scalpthem all

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Animals In Primitive MythsThen he said that he thoughtthe Governor should

sing. And to this the Chief consented,ut declaredthat all who were present should bow their headswhile seated,and shut their eyes, which they did.Then Chief Kabbit,at one bound, cleared the headsof his guests,and drawing his timheyen,or toma-awk,

as he jumped,gave Wild-Cat a wound whichcut deeplyinto his head and onlyfell short of killinghim by entirelystunninghim. When he recovered,he was againin snow, slush and filth,ore starvedthan ever, his head bleedingfrom a dreadful blow,and he himself almost dead. Yet, with all that,theIndian devil was strongerin him than ever, for everynew disgracedid but bringmore resolve to be re-enged,and he swore it by his tail,laws,teeth,ndeyes.

So he tottered along,thoughhe could hardlywalk ;,nor could he,indeed,go very far that day. And whenalmost broken down with pain and weariness,hecame about noon to two goodwigwams. Lookingintoone, he saw a gray-hairedld man, and in the othera young girl,apparentlyis daughter.And they re-eived

him kindly,and listened to his story,sayingit was very sad,the old man declaringhat he mustreallyremain there,and that he would get him adoctor,since,unless he were well cared for at once,he would die. Then he went forth as if in greatconcern, leavinghis daughterto nurse the weary,wounded stranger.

Now, when the doctor came, he, too, was an oldgray man, with a scalp-locktrangelydivided like

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Animals In Primitive Mythstime,yet he had stillenough left for one more grea^effort. And, coming to a lake,he pickedup a verylargechip,and, having seamed it with sorcery andmagnifiedt by magic,threw it into the water, whereit at once seemed to be a great ship,such as whitemen build. And when the Wild-Cat came up hesaw it,with sails spread and flagsflying,nd thecaptainstood so statelyn the deck, with foldedarms, and he was a fine,gray-haired,ignifiedan,with a cocked hat,the two pointsof which were likegrand and statelyhorns. But the Wild-Cat hadkworn, and he was mindful of his great oath ; so hecried, You cannot escape me this time, Rabbit Ihave you now Sayingthis he plungedin,and triedto swim to the ship. And the captain,eeinga Wild-Cat in the water, beingengaged in musket drill,ordered his men to fire at it,which theydid with abang Now this was caused by a party of night-hawks overhead,who swooped down with a suddencry like a shot;at least it seemed so to Wild-Cat,who, deceived and appalledby this volley,eemingthat he had verilyade a mistake this time,turnedtail and swam ashore into the dark old forest,here,if he is not dead,he is runningstill.

In the followingwo stories,he two most cele-ratedheroes of American Indian Mythologyfigure.

The first is known as Manabozho among the Algon-uinIndians and as Hiawatha among the Iroquois.

Although he appears most often in the form of aman in Indian legends,e seems at times to be

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A Guide to Mythologyendowed with divine attributes. Accordingto theordinaryaccount of him * he is regardedas the mes-enger

of the Great Spirit,ent down to mankind,in the character of a wise man or prophet. But hehas all the attributes of humanity as well as thepower of performingmiraculous deeds. He adaptshimself perfectlyo their manners and customs andideas. He marries,builds a lodge,unts and fishes,goes to war, has his triumphs and his failures likeother Indians. Whatever man could do in strengthor wisdom he could do,but when he encounters situ-tions

requiringore than human strength,is mir-culouspowers come into play. He is providedwith

a magic canoe which goes where it is bid. He couldleapover extensive regionsof country like an ignisfatuus. He appears suddenlylike a god,or wandersover weary wastes of country a poor and starvinghunter. His voice is at one moment deep and sonor-us

as a thunder-clap,nd at another clothed withthe softness of feminine supplication.He couldtransform himself into any animal he pleased.Heoften conversed with animals, fowls,reptiles,ndfishes. He deemed himself related to them, and al-ays

in speakingto them called them my brother,and one of his greatestresources when findinghim-elf

hard pressedwas to change himself into theirshapes.

He could conquer Manitoes,no matter what theirevil power might be. Manitoes in Indian stories arenot unlike fairies in their characteristics. They

1 See Schoolcraft.72


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Animals In Primitive Mythswere of all imaginarykinds,grades,powers, some-imes

benign,sometimes malicious,ut Manabozhowas a personage strong enough in his necromanticpowers to baffle the most malicious,eat the stout-st,

and overreach the most cunning. He was not,however,the wholly benevolent beingwe might ex-ect

he would be with all these great gifts;e wasunfortunatelymbitious,vainglorious,nd deceit-ul,

and at times not much better himself than awicked Manito. But what could be expectedof ason of the West Wind, for his father was Ninga-biun,the West Wind, and you will find that mythi-al

beingswhich personifyhe wind are always ofa tricksydispositionustas the wind itself is. Asa god he was often spoken of as the great whiteHare.

The Algonquinhero,Glooskap,1s equallyinter-sting,and of a more trulyheroic dispositionhan

Manabozho. The name of this divinity,Glooskap,means a liar,because it is said that when he leftthe earth for the land of spiritse promisedto re-urn

and he has never done so. Many and wonder-ulare the tales told of Glooskap,but he is never

silly,r cruel,r fantastic like Manabozho. Any onewho goes to Nova Scotia,to-day,ay see the grandCape Blomidon, where Glooskaplived. It jutsoutbetween the Bay of Fundy and the Basin of Minas.Its foundations are of red sandstone and far uptoward the sky it is crowned with granitebattle-ents.

Sometimes the waters of the Basin of Minas^eland, Algonquin Legends.

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A Guide to Mythologygentlywash againstthe base of this giganticapeand sometimes one could walk a mile or two from thecape to reach the water. Twice a day this happensas the tide comes up and recedes. Truly,it is amagicalland,and Blomidon is a noble home, wellbefittinghe great Indian divinityhose head risesto the stars,and who could slaya giantenemy witha mere tap of his bow. We shall meet with bothof these heroes againlater.

THE STOEY OF MANABOZHO

(Iroquois)

To beginat the beginning,anabozho, while yeta youngster, was livingwith his grandmother,nearthe edgeof a wide prairie.t was on this prairiehathe first saw animals and birds of every kind ; he alsothere made firstacquaintanceith thunder and light-ing

; he would sit by the hour watchingthe cloudsas theyrolled,nd musing on the shades of lightanddarkness as the day rose and fell.

For a stripling,anabozho was uncommonly wide-wake.Every new sighthe beheld in the heavens

was a subjectof remark ; every new animal or bird,an objectof deep interest;and every sound thatcame from the bosom of nature, was like a new les-on

which he was expectedo learn. He often trem-ledat what he heard and saw.

To the scene of the wide open prairieis grand-othersent him at an earlyage to watch. The firstsound he heard was that of the owl,at which he was

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A Guide to Mythologystory of his parentage; as she knew he would maketrouble of it.

Manabozho renewed his cries,and managed tothrow out, for a third or fourth time,his sorrowfullament that he was a poor unfortunate,ho had noparents and no relations.

She at last said to him, Yes, you have a fatherand three brothers living.Your mother is dead. Shewas taken for a wife by your father,he West, with-ut

the consent of her parents. Your brothers arethe ^Torth,East,and South; and beingolder thanyourself,our father has giventhem greatpower withthe winds, accordingto their names. You are theyoungest of his children. I have nursed you fromyour infancy; for your mother, owing to the ill-treatment of your father,died when you were aninfant. I have no relations beside you this side ofthe planetin which I was born,and from which Iwas precipitatedy female jealousy.Your motherwas my onlychild,and you are my onlyhope.

I am gladmy father is living, aid Manabozho. I shall set out in the morning to visit him.

His grandmotherwould have discouragedhim;sayingit was a long distance to the placewhere hisfather,JSTingabiun,r the West, lived.

This information seemed rather to pleasethan todisconcert Manabozho ; for by this time he had grownto such a size and strengththat he had been com-elled

to leave the narrow shelter of his grand-other'slodgeand to live out of doors. He was sotall that,if he had been so disposed,e could have

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Animals In Primitive Mythssnappedoff the heads of the birds roostingn thetopmost branches of the highestrees,s he stood up,without beingat the trouble to climb. And if he hadat any time taken a fancyto one of the same treesfor a walkingstick,e would have had no more todo than to pluck it up with his thumb and finger,and stripown the leaves and twigswith the palm ofhis hand.Biddinggood-byto his venerable old grandmother,

who pulled very longface over his departure,an-abozho set out at great headway,for he was able tostride from one side of a prairieo the other at asinglestep.

He found his father on a high mountain-ground,far in the west. His father espiedhis approachat agreat distance,nd bounded down the mountain-sideseveral miles to givehim welcome,and,side-by-side,apparentlydelightedith each other,they reachedin two or three of their giantpaces the lodge ofthe West, which stood high up near the clouds.

They spent some days in talkingith each other for these two great persons did nothingon a smallscale,nd a whole day to deliver a singlesentence,such was the immensityof their discourse,as quitean ordinaryaffair.

One eveningManabozho asked his father what hewas most afraid of on earth.

He replied Nothing.But is there nothingyou dread,here nothing

that would hurt you if you took too much of it?Come, tell me.77


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A Guide to MythologyManabozho was very urgent; at last his father

said: Yes, there is a black stone to be found a couple

of hundred miles from here,over that way, pointingas he spoke. It is the onlythingearthlyhat I amafraid of,for if it should happen to hit me on anypart of my body it would hurt me very much.

The West made this important circumstanceknown to Manabozho in the strictest confidence.

Now, you will not tell any one, Manabozho, thatthe black stone is bad medicine for your father,illyou ? he added. You are a good son, and I knowwill keep it to yourself.Now tell me, my darlingboy,is there not somethingthat you don't like \ 'Manabozho answered promptly Nothing.

His father,ho was of a very steadyand persever-ngtemper, put the same questiono him seventeen

times,and each time Manabozho made the sameanswer Nothing.

But the West insisted There must be some-hingyou are afraid of.

Well, I will tell you, says Manabozho, whatit is.

Tie made an effort to speak,but it seemed to betoo much for him.

Out with it, said Ningabiun, or the West,fetchingManabozho such a blow on the back asshook the mountain with its echo.

Je-ee,je-ee it is, said Manabozho, apparentlyin great pain. Yeo, yeo I cannot name it,Itremble so.

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Animals In Primitive MythsThe West told him to banish his fears,and to

speak up; no one would hurt him.Manabozho began again,and he would have gone

over the same make-believe of anguish,had not hisfather,whose strengthhe knew was more than amatch for his own, threatened to pitchhim into ariver about five miles off. At last he cried out:

Father,since you will know, it is the root of thebulrush.

He who could with perfectase spin a sentence awhole day long,seemed to be exhausted by the effortof pronouncingthat one word, bulrush.

Some time after,anabozho observed : I will get some of the black rock,merelyto seehow it looks.Well, said the father, I will also get a little

of the bulrush-root,o learn how it tastes.They were both double-dealingith each other,

and in their hearts gettingreadyfor some desperatework.They had no sooner separatedfor the eveningthan

Manabozho was stridingff the couple of hundredmiles necessary to bringhim to the placewhere blackrock was to be procured,hile down the other sideof the mountain hurried E'ingabiun.

At the break of day they each appeared at thegreat level on the mountain-top,anabozho withtwenty loads,t least,f the black stone,on one side,and on the other the West,with a whole meadow oftulrush in his arms.

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A Guide to Mythologypieceof the black rock,which struck the West di-ectly

between the eyes, who returned the favor witha blow of bulrush,that rung over the shoulders ofManabozho, far and wide,like the whip-thongf thelightningmong the clouds.

And now either rallied,nd Manabozho pouredina tempest of black rock,while J^igabiundischargeda shower of bulrush. Blow upon blow,thwack uponthwack they foughthand to hand until black rockand bulrush were all gone. Then they betook them-elves

to hurlingcrags at each other,cudgelingwithhuge oak-trees,nd defyingeach other from onemountain-topto another; while at times they shotenormous boulders of granitecross at each other'sheads, as though they had been mere jack-stones.The battle,hich had commenced on the mountains,had extended far west. The West was forced togive ground. Manabozho pressingon, drove himacross rivers and mountains,ridgesand lakes,till atlast he got him to the very brink of the world.

Hold cried the West. My son, you knowmy power, and althoughI allow that I am now fairlyout of breath,t is impossibleo kill me. Stopwhereyou are, and I will also portionou out with as muchpower as your brothers. The four quarters of theglobeare alreadyoccupied,ut you can go and do agreat deal of good to the peopleof th

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