Post by Okwes on Jun 29, 2007 18:58:56 GMT -5
Dore and Wahredua - Otoe
"When their father saw how really powerful they were, so that nothing seemed
to be impossible, he decided to tell them that the worst of their tasks lay
before them. The next day he said to the Twins, 'There is a place yonder
that is the most dangerous of all. Don't go there, yet if you are determined
to visit it, do so.' As soon as their father had gone, the boys, after their
usual argument, started for the place. It was where the Horned Water
Panthers (Itcex'hi) dwelt. When they drew near the place, Dore said, 'What
shall we do? These beings are very powerful and will surely kill us.'
Wahre'dua replied, 'Let us visit them in the afternoon, for there are only
certain times every day that they come out of their dens.' In the afternoon
when the sun was shining and the sky was clear, the boys visited the Horned
Water Panthers as they had planned. They went right up to the chief of them
all and announced themselves as visitors. 'Hau,' said the Panther chief,
'You tow, Dore and Wahre'dua, may come to our lodge under the earth.' The
Twins went down into the lodge of the Horned Water Panthers, and when they
got inside, there were many spirits there. These Panthers eat only people;
and, although they brought the boys meat from all over the world, they would
not touch it. As soon as their visit was over and they were out in the world
once more, Wahre'dua said to Dore, 'Let us kill these dangerous monsters.'
'How can we do that?' asked Dore. 'I have a plan,' answered Wahre'dua. 'Kill
me with your bow and arrows, cut me up, and place my head on top of the pile
of meat and cook me. When you have finished, take me to the monsters, and
say the chief, 'I know you like to eat meat, so I've killed you a raccoon
and butchered it for you. Eat.'' And so Dore killed Wahre'dua and butchered
him. Wahre'dua first told him to stand back out of the way, when the kettle
was boiling to watch his head, and when he saw it wink throw his blanket to
one side, and shout, 'Look out Grandfather.' Dore carried his brother's body
to the chief of the Horned Water Panthers, and said, 'Grandpa, I know you
like to eat meat, so I found this raccoon and killed and butchered it for
you. Eat.' The chief of the Horned Water Panthers said, 'Hau, I thank you,
my grandson,' and he called all his people to feast. As soon as the kettle
began to boil over, Dore, who was watching Wahre'dua's head closely, saw one
eye wink, so he stepped back, threw his blanket to one side and cried, 'Look
out Grandfather!' Instantly Wahre'dua came to life and sprang out of the
kettle, spattering the scalding water all over the panthers and crippling
many. Then the Twins took their warclubs and their bows and arrows and shot
or clubbed many of them to death. They took the blood and some of the
carcasses and climbed up on the bluff that stood over the home of the Water
Panthers. They drew up the meat and boiled the panthers, horns and all in
their kettle. 'Our father will be pleased to eat this,' said Wahre'dua. But
when their father came home he refused to eat it, although they told him of
the wonders they had performed." [2]
The Herecgúnina episode also finds a counterpart in the Ioway Twins epic.
"The Twins traveled a little farther and they came to a person who said,
'Grandsons, I'm glad you've come. Before we talk, let us take a sweatbath.'
The sudatory was made of thick clay and had no holes for ventilation.
Moreover it was so hard it could not be broken. After the boys agreed, the
three entered the sweat lodge and there their host had a great fire outside.
When the stones were heated they were placed in the bath, and one of the
boys sat on each side, with the man in the rear, and the doorplace vacant.
When the door was closed the heat became terrible, but the twins, when it
became too terrific to bear, took mussel shells and crawled under them and
so escaped. At last even the owner could not stand it any longer and ran
out, whereupon the boys pursued him and drove him into the next world, where
he remains invisible, but evil. He is the evil one, and knows whatever we do
or even whisper. He is one of the tribe of Ghosts (Wanagri)." [3] The Ioway
also have a parallel to the episode about the killing of the Thunders. "Now
the twins went to the tree and Wahre'dua climbed up into it and there he
found a nest containing four little winged men. 'Oh, my brother, these are
cute little fellows,' he called to Dore. He picked up one and asked it,
'What is your name?' 'Thunder-man (Kho'manyi),' answered the Being. 'Oh my
brother,' called out Wahre'dua, 'here goes Thunder-man', and he dropped the
little god to Dore, who caught him. Wahre'dua picked up the second being and
asked it, 'What is your name?' 'Lightning-man (Ukrimanyi),' answered the
Being. 'Oh my brother,' called out Wahre'dua, 'here goes Lightning-man', and
he dropped the little god to Dore, who caught him. Wahre'dua picked up the
third being and asked it, 'What is your name?' 'Rain-man (I'yomani),'
answered the Being. 'Oh my brother,' called out Wahre'dua, 'here goes
Rain-man', and he dropped the little god to Dore, who caught him. Wahre'dua
picked up the fourth being and asked it, 'What is your name?' 'Little-god
(Wakandaiinye),' answered the Being. 'Oh my brother,' called out Wahre'dua,
'here goes Little-god', and he dropped the little god to Dore. 'Before you
take me away, Wahre'dua, I want to sing,' said Little-god and he sang:
My grandfather, my grandfather, come home.
Wahre'dua has taken us.
But if the Thunder spirits had power, Wahre'dua and Dore had more. A great
cloud came up immediately, rain fell, and there was much lightning. Dore had
a piece of flint and hid under it, but Wahre'dua turned himself into a wren
and flew around the trees so that the thunder and lightning could not harm
him. When the storm was over, the Twins came back and took home the little
beings. They told Kho'manyi to thunder. When he did this for them he would
raise his wings. Then they told Ukrimanyi to make lightning and he opened
his eyes and the lightning flashed. I'yomani they caused to raise his wings
and the rain fell. Even at a distance their father could tell by these
disturbances what they had done, and he came home. The boys were sure that
he would be proud of their performance, but when he saw what they had done,
he ordered them to take the four little beings back, and this they did."
Ioway story about the Twins.
Robert Small (Otoe, Wolf Clan) and Julia Small (Otoe), "Dore and Wahredua,"
Alanson Skinner, Traditions of the Iowa Indians (1925).
Plains
"When their father saw how really powerful they were, so that nothing seemed
to be impossible, he decided to tell them that the worst of their tasks lay
before them. The next day he said to the Twins, 'There is a place yonder
that is the most dangerous of all. Don't go there, yet if you are determined
to visit it, do so.' As soon as their father had gone, the boys, after their
usual argument, started for the place. It was where the Horned Water
Panthers (Itcex'hi) dwelt. When they drew near the place, Dore said, 'What
shall we do? These beings are very powerful and will surely kill us.'
Wahre'dua replied, 'Let us visit them in the afternoon, for there are only
certain times every day that they come out of their dens.' In the afternoon
when the sun was shining and the sky was clear, the boys visited the Horned
Water Panthers as they had planned. They went right up to the chief of them
all and announced themselves as visitors. 'Hau,' said the Panther chief,
'You tow, Dore and Wahre'dua, may come to our lodge under the earth.' The
Twins went down into the lodge of the Horned Water Panthers, and when they
got inside, there were many spirits there. These Panthers eat only people;
and, although they brought the boys meat from all over the world, they would
not touch it. As soon as their visit was over and they were out in the world
once more, Wahre'dua said to Dore, 'Let us kill these dangerous monsters.'
'How can we do that?' asked Dore. 'I have a plan,' answered Wahre'dua. 'Kill
me with your bow and arrows, cut me up, and place my head on top of the pile
of meat and cook me. When you have finished, take me to the monsters, and
say the chief, 'I know you like to eat meat, so I've killed you a raccoon
and butchered it for you. Eat.'' And so Dore killed Wahre'dua and butchered
him. Wahre'dua first told him to stand back out of the way, when the kettle
was boiling to watch his head, and when he saw it wink throw his blanket to
one side, and shout, 'Look out Grandfather.' Dore carried his brother's body
to the chief of the Horned Water Panthers, and said, 'Grandpa, I know you
like to eat meat, so I found this raccoon and killed and butchered it for
you. Eat.' The chief of the Horned Water Panthers said, 'Hau, I thank you,
my grandson,' and he called all his people to feast. As soon as the kettle
began to boil over, Dore, who was watching Wahre'dua's head closely, saw one
eye wink, so he stepped back, threw his blanket to one side and cried, 'Look
out Grandfather!' Instantly Wahre'dua came to life and sprang out of the
kettle, spattering the scalding water all over the panthers and crippling
many. Then the Twins took their warclubs and their bows and arrows and shot
or clubbed many of them to death. They took the blood and some of the
carcasses and climbed up on the bluff that stood over the home of the Water
Panthers. They drew up the meat and boiled the panthers, horns and all in
their kettle. 'Our father will be pleased to eat this,' said Wahre'dua. But
when their father came home he refused to eat it, although they told him of
the wonders they had performed." [2]
The Herecgúnina episode also finds a counterpart in the Ioway Twins epic.
"The Twins traveled a little farther and they came to a person who said,
'Grandsons, I'm glad you've come. Before we talk, let us take a sweatbath.'
The sudatory was made of thick clay and had no holes for ventilation.
Moreover it was so hard it could not be broken. After the boys agreed, the
three entered the sweat lodge and there their host had a great fire outside.
When the stones were heated they were placed in the bath, and one of the
boys sat on each side, with the man in the rear, and the doorplace vacant.
When the door was closed the heat became terrible, but the twins, when it
became too terrific to bear, took mussel shells and crawled under them and
so escaped. At last even the owner could not stand it any longer and ran
out, whereupon the boys pursued him and drove him into the next world, where
he remains invisible, but evil. He is the evil one, and knows whatever we do
or even whisper. He is one of the tribe of Ghosts (Wanagri)." [3] The Ioway
also have a parallel to the episode about the killing of the Thunders. "Now
the twins went to the tree and Wahre'dua climbed up into it and there he
found a nest containing four little winged men. 'Oh, my brother, these are
cute little fellows,' he called to Dore. He picked up one and asked it,
'What is your name?' 'Thunder-man (Kho'manyi),' answered the Being. 'Oh my
brother,' called out Wahre'dua, 'here goes Thunder-man', and he dropped the
little god to Dore, who caught him. Wahre'dua picked up the second being and
asked it, 'What is your name?' 'Lightning-man (Ukrimanyi),' answered the
Being. 'Oh my brother,' called out Wahre'dua, 'here goes Lightning-man', and
he dropped the little god to Dore, who caught him. Wahre'dua picked up the
third being and asked it, 'What is your name?' 'Rain-man (I'yomani),'
answered the Being. 'Oh my brother,' called out Wahre'dua, 'here goes
Rain-man', and he dropped the little god to Dore, who caught him. Wahre'dua
picked up the fourth being and asked it, 'What is your name?' 'Little-god
(Wakandaiinye),' answered the Being. 'Oh my brother,' called out Wahre'dua,
'here goes Little-god', and he dropped the little god to Dore. 'Before you
take me away, Wahre'dua, I want to sing,' said Little-god and he sang:
My grandfather, my grandfather, come home.
Wahre'dua has taken us.
But if the Thunder spirits had power, Wahre'dua and Dore had more. A great
cloud came up immediately, rain fell, and there was much lightning. Dore had
a piece of flint and hid under it, but Wahre'dua turned himself into a wren
and flew around the trees so that the thunder and lightning could not harm
him. When the storm was over, the Twins came back and took home the little
beings. They told Kho'manyi to thunder. When he did this for them he would
raise his wings. Then they told Ukrimanyi to make lightning and he opened
his eyes and the lightning flashed. I'yomani they caused to raise his wings
and the rain fell. Even at a distance their father could tell by these
disturbances what they had done, and he came home. The boys were sure that
he would be proud of their performance, but when he saw what they had done,
he ordered them to take the four little beings back, and this they did."
Ioway story about the Twins.
Robert Small (Otoe, Wolf Clan) and Julia Small (Otoe), "Dore and Wahredua,"
Alanson Skinner, Traditions of the Iowa Indians (1925).
Plains