Post by Okwes on Apr 14, 2008 13:32:44 GMT -5
Grandmother Spider Steals the Fire - Choctaw
A story of the Choctaw People of Tennessee and Mississippi
The Choctaw People say that when the People first came up out of the ground,
People were encased in cocoons, their eyes closed, their limbs folded
tightly to their bodies. And this was true of all People: the Bird People,
the Animal People, the Insect People, and the Human People.' The Great
Spirit took pity on them, and sent down someone to unfold their limbs, dry
them off, and open their eyes. But the opened eyes saw nothing, because the
world was dark: no sun, no moon, not even any stars. All the People moved
around by touch, and if they found something that didn't eat them first,
they ate it raw, for they had no fire to cook it.
All the People met in a great powwow, with the Animal and Bird People taking
the lead, and the Human People hanging back. The Animal and Bird People
decided that life was not good, but cold and miserable A solution must be
found! Someone spoke from the dark, "I have heard that the people in the
East have fire' This caused a stir of wonder' "What could fire be? There was
a general discussion, and it was decided that if, as rumor had it, fire was
warm and gave light, they should have it too. Another voice said "But the
people of the East are too greedy to share with us.
So it was decided that the Bird and Animal People should steal what they
needed: the fire!
But, who should have the honor? Grandmother Spider volunteered: "I can do
it! Let me try!" But at the same time, Opossum began to speak. "I, Opossum
am a great chief of the animals. I will go to the East and since I am a
great hunter, I will take the fire and hide it in the bushy hair on my
tail." It was well known that Opossum had the furriest tail of all the
animals so he was selected.
When Opossum came to the East, he soon found the beautiful, red fire,
jealously guarded by the people of the East. But Opossum got closer and
closer until he picked up a small piece of burning wood, and stuck it in the
hair of his tail, which promptly began to smoke, then flame. The people of
the East said, "Look, that Opossum has stolen our fire!" They took it and
put it back where it came from and drove Opossum away Poor Opossum! Every
bit of hair had burned from his tail, and to this day, opossums have no hair
at all on their tails.
Once again, the powwow had to find a volunteer chief. Grandmother Spider
again said, "Let me go! I can do it!" But this time, a bird was
elected-Buzzard.
Buzzard was very proud. "I can succeed where Opossum has failed. I will fly
to the East on my great wings, then hide the stolen fire in the beautiful
long feathers on my head." The birds and animals still did not understand
the nature of fire. So Buzzard flew to the East on his powerful wings,
swooped past those defending the fire, picked up a small piece of burning
ember, and hid it in his head feathers. Buzzard's head began to smoke and
flame even faster! The people of the East said, "Look! Buzzard has stolen
the fire!" And they took it and put it back where it came from.
Poor Buzzard! His head was now bare of feathers, red and blistered looking.
And to this day, buzzards have naked heads that are bright red and
blistered. The powwow now sent Crow to look the situation over, for Crow was
very clever. Crow at that time was pure white, and had the sweetest singing
voice of all the birds. But he took so long standing over the fire, trying
to find the perfect piece to steal that his white feathers were smoked
black. And he breathed so much smoke that when he tried to sing, out came a
harsh "Caw! Caw!"
The Council said, "Opossum has failed. Buzzard and Crow have failed. Who
shall we send?"
Tiny Grandmother Spider shouted with all her might, "LET ME TRY IT PLEASE!"
Though the council members thought Grandmother Spider had little chance of
success, it was agreed that she should have her turn. Grandmother Spider
looked then like she looks now-she had a small torso suspended by two sets
of legs that turned up toward her head and two sets of legs that turned the
other way. She walked on all of her wonderful legs toward a stream where she
had found clay. With those legs, she made a tiny clay container and a lid
that fit perfectly with a tiny notch for air in the corner of the lid. Then
she put the container on her back, spun a web all the way to the East, and
walked on tip-toe until she came to the fire.
She was so small, the people from the East took no notice. She took a tiny
piece of fire, put it in the container, and covered it with the lid. Then
she walked back on tip-toe along the web until she came to the People. Since
they couldn't see any fire, they said, "Grandmother Spider has failed."
"Oh, no," she said, "I have the fire!" She lifted the pot from her back, and
the lid from the pot, and the fire flamed up into its friend, the air. All
the Bird and Animal People began to decide who would get this wonderful
warmth. Bear said, "I'll take it!" but then he burned his paws on it and
decided fire was not for animals, for look what happened to Opossum!
The birds wanted no part of it, as Buzzard and Crow were still nursing their
wounds. The insects thought it was pretty, but they, too, stayed far away
from the fire.
Then a small voice said, "We will take it, if Grandmother Spider will help."
The timid humans, whom none of the animals or birds thought much of, were
volunteering!
So Grandmother Spider taught the Human People how to feed the fire sticks
and wood to keep it from dying, how to keep the fire safe in a circle of
stone so it couldn't escape and hurt them or their homes. While she was at
it, she taught the humans about pottery made of clay and fire, and about
weaving and spinning, at which Grandmother Spider was an expert.
The Choctaw remember. They made a beautiful design to decorate their homes:
a picture of Grandmother spider, two sets of legs up, two down, with a fire
symbol on her back. This is so their children never forget to honor
Grandmother Spider-Firebringer!
[Told at Chuckalissa Mounds, Memphis Tennessee, August 2, 1988 by Kenneth
Willis, a Mississippi Choctaw craftsman and Grady John a Mississippi Choctaw
storyteller and potter. The similar Cherokee version is found in Mooney's
Myths of the Cherokee, Bureau of American Ethnology of the Smithsonian
Institution 19:2]
A story of the Choctaw People of Tennessee and Mississippi
The Choctaw People say that when the People first came up out of the ground,
People were encased in cocoons, their eyes closed, their limbs folded
tightly to their bodies. And this was true of all People: the Bird People,
the Animal People, the Insect People, and the Human People.' The Great
Spirit took pity on them, and sent down someone to unfold their limbs, dry
them off, and open their eyes. But the opened eyes saw nothing, because the
world was dark: no sun, no moon, not even any stars. All the People moved
around by touch, and if they found something that didn't eat them first,
they ate it raw, for they had no fire to cook it.
All the People met in a great powwow, with the Animal and Bird People taking
the lead, and the Human People hanging back. The Animal and Bird People
decided that life was not good, but cold and miserable A solution must be
found! Someone spoke from the dark, "I have heard that the people in the
East have fire' This caused a stir of wonder' "What could fire be? There was
a general discussion, and it was decided that if, as rumor had it, fire was
warm and gave light, they should have it too. Another voice said "But the
people of the East are too greedy to share with us.
So it was decided that the Bird and Animal People should steal what they
needed: the fire!
But, who should have the honor? Grandmother Spider volunteered: "I can do
it! Let me try!" But at the same time, Opossum began to speak. "I, Opossum
am a great chief of the animals. I will go to the East and since I am a
great hunter, I will take the fire and hide it in the bushy hair on my
tail." It was well known that Opossum had the furriest tail of all the
animals so he was selected.
When Opossum came to the East, he soon found the beautiful, red fire,
jealously guarded by the people of the East. But Opossum got closer and
closer until he picked up a small piece of burning wood, and stuck it in the
hair of his tail, which promptly began to smoke, then flame. The people of
the East said, "Look, that Opossum has stolen our fire!" They took it and
put it back where it came from and drove Opossum away Poor Opossum! Every
bit of hair had burned from his tail, and to this day, opossums have no hair
at all on their tails.
Once again, the powwow had to find a volunteer chief. Grandmother Spider
again said, "Let me go! I can do it!" But this time, a bird was
elected-Buzzard.
Buzzard was very proud. "I can succeed where Opossum has failed. I will fly
to the East on my great wings, then hide the stolen fire in the beautiful
long feathers on my head." The birds and animals still did not understand
the nature of fire. So Buzzard flew to the East on his powerful wings,
swooped past those defending the fire, picked up a small piece of burning
ember, and hid it in his head feathers. Buzzard's head began to smoke and
flame even faster! The people of the East said, "Look! Buzzard has stolen
the fire!" And they took it and put it back where it came from.
Poor Buzzard! His head was now bare of feathers, red and blistered looking.
And to this day, buzzards have naked heads that are bright red and
blistered. The powwow now sent Crow to look the situation over, for Crow was
very clever. Crow at that time was pure white, and had the sweetest singing
voice of all the birds. But he took so long standing over the fire, trying
to find the perfect piece to steal that his white feathers were smoked
black. And he breathed so much smoke that when he tried to sing, out came a
harsh "Caw! Caw!"
The Council said, "Opossum has failed. Buzzard and Crow have failed. Who
shall we send?"
Tiny Grandmother Spider shouted with all her might, "LET ME TRY IT PLEASE!"
Though the council members thought Grandmother Spider had little chance of
success, it was agreed that she should have her turn. Grandmother Spider
looked then like she looks now-she had a small torso suspended by two sets
of legs that turned up toward her head and two sets of legs that turned the
other way. She walked on all of her wonderful legs toward a stream where she
had found clay. With those legs, she made a tiny clay container and a lid
that fit perfectly with a tiny notch for air in the corner of the lid. Then
she put the container on her back, spun a web all the way to the East, and
walked on tip-toe until she came to the fire.
She was so small, the people from the East took no notice. She took a tiny
piece of fire, put it in the container, and covered it with the lid. Then
she walked back on tip-toe along the web until she came to the People. Since
they couldn't see any fire, they said, "Grandmother Spider has failed."
"Oh, no," she said, "I have the fire!" She lifted the pot from her back, and
the lid from the pot, and the fire flamed up into its friend, the air. All
the Bird and Animal People began to decide who would get this wonderful
warmth. Bear said, "I'll take it!" but then he burned his paws on it and
decided fire was not for animals, for look what happened to Opossum!
The birds wanted no part of it, as Buzzard and Crow were still nursing their
wounds. The insects thought it was pretty, but they, too, stayed far away
from the fire.
Then a small voice said, "We will take it, if Grandmother Spider will help."
The timid humans, whom none of the animals or birds thought much of, were
volunteering!
So Grandmother Spider taught the Human People how to feed the fire sticks
and wood to keep it from dying, how to keep the fire safe in a circle of
stone so it couldn't escape and hurt them or their homes. While she was at
it, she taught the humans about pottery made of clay and fire, and about
weaving and spinning, at which Grandmother Spider was an expert.
The Choctaw remember. They made a beautiful design to decorate their homes:
a picture of Grandmother spider, two sets of legs up, two down, with a fire
symbol on her back. This is so their children never forget to honor
Grandmother Spider-Firebringer!
[Told at Chuckalissa Mounds, Memphis Tennessee, August 2, 1988 by Kenneth
Willis, a Mississippi Choctaw craftsman and Grady John a Mississippi Choctaw
storyteller and potter. The similar Cherokee version is found in Mooney's
Myths of the Cherokee, Bureau of American Ethnology of the Smithsonian
Institution 19:2]