Читать книгу American Indian Creation Myths - Teresa Pijoan Phd - Страница 13

Huron, Hy'oor'en, was a confederation consisting of four tribes of Native American Indians that once inhabited the region east of Lake Huron and the St. Lawrence Valley.

This account was given hesitantly by an informer who wished her name to be withheld. The story is similar to Bruce G. Trigger's which was published in The Farmers of the North.

Aataentsik lived in the sky. There were many spirits who lived in the sky and still do, we just can't see them. Their life is the same as ours down here, only they are up there. One day, up in the sky, Aataentsik was chasing a bear and grew tired. She leaned against a tree. The bear came at her. She pulled up the tree to throw at the bear. Aataentsik was very strong as Sky People are, and as she pulled up the tree, she lost her balance and fell through the hole. It was a lucky thing the bear didn't follow her.

Aataentsik fell, not knowing where she would land. She looked below her and saw moving blue waters. This frightened her and she called out to those swimming below. Great Turtle heard her cries and called the birds to catch her. They couldn't, Aataentsik was falling too quickly. Great Turtle, being kind, swam to the place where he thought she would hit the water. He stretched and stretched to be sure she would land on something other than water, even if it was his hard shell.

Aataentsik had to fall a great distance to reach Great Turtle. Great Turtle told those around him to hurry up and find some mud. The Water People dove quickly, hurrying to the bottom and brought up all the mud they could, placing it on Great Turtle's back. They made Earth this way. When Aataentsik finally landed on the land, which was on Great Turtle's back, she was huge with child. It was good they made lots of soft earth for her to land gently.

Aataentsik birthed a daughter who didn't do much, but she became pregnant with twins. Aataentsik had a bad feeling about this pregnancy and told her daughter as much. There wasn't anything anyone could do, though, once a woman gets pregnant that's it, she's pregnant.

The daughter gave birth to twin boys, Iouskeha and Atawiskaron. Iouskeha was an easy birth. There were no problems there. Atawiskaron was impatient. Atawiskaron ripped his mother to death.

Aataentsik had to raise these two difficult grandsons. Iouskeha made beautiful plants, animals, and birds. Finally, he created human beings with wonderfully kind spirits. Atawiskaron created poison ivy and plants which would kill rather than heal. Atawiskaron made some animals with bad dispositions. He also gave birds the ability to prey on those less strong and put evil thoughts and weapons into the minds of people.

The two of them fought continuously regardless of what their grandmother told them. She became weary of their constant battles. Finally, the twins ended up in a death fight. Atawiskaron fought using thorns of the wild rosebush and Iouskeha fought using the horns of a stag. Iouskeha seriously wounded his brother and his blood fell upon the ground. Atawiskaron's blood became flint which was used to make weapons by the people to kill animals and other people.

No one is sure of what happened to the brothers after this. Some say they fought each other to death and Iouskeha's blood turned into healing plants. Others say they went into the spirits of the people and that is why they do good and evil.

Aataentsik tried to guide the twins with her good qualities and aggressive qualities, perhaps this is what made one good and one bad. We, as people, must decide which we want to be.