Reading Notes: Native American Stories Part A

The Coyote's Gift
Source: EchoGreens (DeviantArt)

Story: Myths and Legends of California and the Old Southwest
Author: Judson
Link: here

Coyote and Eagle worked together to create the earth. Coyote and fox created man, and fox wanted them to be immortal but the coyote said they should be mortal. Coyote also gave them fire, carrying it in his ears.

Lots of fire motifs with the coyote myth. Bringing fire and killing nine other suns. Then also killed the moon's nine siblings to keep the people from freezing.

He also created people in a different myth from bird feathers.

The Pima in Arizona claimed an Earth Doctor made the world. Song and dance are recurring motifs in how he created the world. The sun was made of ice. The moon as well, and he threw them to the sky. The Earth Doctor's sprayed water from his mouth to create the stars.

Then the Sia story had the spider create the world, with two women that became the mothers of all. They created the sun from white shell, turkis, red stone, and abalone shell. For the moon they used slightly black stone, many kinds of yellow stone, turkis, and a red stone. Red stone and turkis are the one used twice.

The Patwin had a man that wanted two wives, and he set the world on fire when they laughed at him (they were magpies). Coyote stopped the fire and managed to save two boys. Then as they were lonely, he made more humans out of sticks.

The Galllinomero had coyote teaming up with a bird like the first story. Makes sense now with the coyote being land bound and the hawk/eagle having to finish the creation of the world with him.