Post by blackcrowheart on Mar 11, 2007 19:33:31 GMT -5
Wolf Is Killed And Restored - Paiute
(Winnemucca, Nevada. Northern Paiute)
Wolf was our father. Coyote was Wolf's brother. Their home was in a cave south of Humboldt City. It is called "Wolf's house." Wolf had a hole [probably cave] in which he kept deer, sheep, buffalo, and antelope.
When Coyote went hunting he never found any game, but Wolf brought game home every time he went out. Coyote asked Wolf, "Where do you get game so quickly? Every day I look in the mountains but I do not even see tracks. Tell me, brother. Tell me how you get game so quickly." Coyote begged, begged, begged. Wolf said, "I keep the animals in a hole." "All right," Coyote said, "I will go and catch some." Wolf said, "Kill only one and then shut the hole up well." Coyote said, "I will."
Coyote went to the hole. But instead of doing as his brother had told him, he threw the door of the hole open and the deer, buffalo, elk, and others ran out. They ran, ran, ran. Coyote shot, shot, shot at them, but they ran past him. He could not kill any. The last animal to come out was a little fawn. Coyote killed that one.
Wolf looked out from his house and saw dust all over the mountains. All the game was gone. He knew that Coyote had let them escape. Coyote came back bringing his small deer. Wolf was very angry and lay down. He would not speak. Coyote said, "Brother, I have tender meat for you." Wolf would not speak.
Another tribe that lived in the north saw the dust in the hills and went after the animals. Wolf sent Coyote to get cane to make arrows. Wolf made the arrows very quickly. When they were finished, he put Coyote in the house and said, "I am going to fight [these people] alone. Don't look out of the house until I return." Wolf fought alone. He had told Coyote not to look out. Coyote did as he was told and waited. But after a while he looked out and Wolf was killed. The people from the north took Wolf's hide with his scalp inside it and went back toward the north. Coyote followed them. He saw where the people had put Wolf's scalp on a stick in the middle of their dance ground.
Finally, Coyote went over to the people. He cried when he saw his brother on the pole. He told the people, "The smoke from the fire follows me, around and makes me cry." He told them that they should dance for 5 nights without sleeping. The people said, "All right." They did not sleep day or night [during this time]. When everybody slept after the dance, Coyote took Wolf's hide and returned home. No one followed him because everyone was asleep.
On his way home, Coyote buried the hide in damp ground [each night when he camped]. On the third night he heard someone speaking. The voice said, "Coyote, make a fire." Coyote looked around but could see no one. He [went on and] camped again. In the morning he heard the voice say, "Coyote, make a fire." Coyote said, "My brother, my brother!" But he saw no one. When he was near home he heard the voice say, "Coyote, make a fire." Coyote said, "Brother, brother, brother." He caught Wolf's soul and brought it back. Wolf came back to life again.
Some Western Shoshoni Myths, by Julian H. Steward; Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin 136, pp. 249-299; Anthropological Papers No. 31; Washington D.C., Smithsonian Institution; US Government Printing Office [1942] and is now in the public domain.
(Winnemucca, Nevada. Northern Paiute)
Wolf was our father. Coyote was Wolf's brother. Their home was in a cave south of Humboldt City. It is called "Wolf's house." Wolf had a hole [probably cave] in which he kept deer, sheep, buffalo, and antelope.
When Coyote went hunting he never found any game, but Wolf brought game home every time he went out. Coyote asked Wolf, "Where do you get game so quickly? Every day I look in the mountains but I do not even see tracks. Tell me, brother. Tell me how you get game so quickly." Coyote begged, begged, begged. Wolf said, "I keep the animals in a hole." "All right," Coyote said, "I will go and catch some." Wolf said, "Kill only one and then shut the hole up well." Coyote said, "I will."
Coyote went to the hole. But instead of doing as his brother had told him, he threw the door of the hole open and the deer, buffalo, elk, and others ran out. They ran, ran, ran. Coyote shot, shot, shot at them, but they ran past him. He could not kill any. The last animal to come out was a little fawn. Coyote killed that one.
Wolf looked out from his house and saw dust all over the mountains. All the game was gone. He knew that Coyote had let them escape. Coyote came back bringing his small deer. Wolf was very angry and lay down. He would not speak. Coyote said, "Brother, I have tender meat for you." Wolf would not speak.
Another tribe that lived in the north saw the dust in the hills and went after the animals. Wolf sent Coyote to get cane to make arrows. Wolf made the arrows very quickly. When they were finished, he put Coyote in the house and said, "I am going to fight [these people] alone. Don't look out of the house until I return." Wolf fought alone. He had told Coyote not to look out. Coyote did as he was told and waited. But after a while he looked out and Wolf was killed. The people from the north took Wolf's hide with his scalp inside it and went back toward the north. Coyote followed them. He saw where the people had put Wolf's scalp on a stick in the middle of their dance ground.
Finally, Coyote went over to the people. He cried when he saw his brother on the pole. He told the people, "The smoke from the fire follows me, around and makes me cry." He told them that they should dance for 5 nights without sleeping. The people said, "All right." They did not sleep day or night [during this time]. When everybody slept after the dance, Coyote took Wolf's hide and returned home. No one followed him because everyone was asleep.
On his way home, Coyote buried the hide in damp ground [each night when he camped]. On the third night he heard someone speaking. The voice said, "Coyote, make a fire." Coyote looked around but could see no one. He [went on and] camped again. In the morning he heard the voice say, "Coyote, make a fire." Coyote said, "My brother, my brother!" But he saw no one. When he was near home he heard the voice say, "Coyote, make a fire." Coyote said, "Brother, brother, brother." He caught Wolf's soul and brought it back. Wolf came back to life again.
Some Western Shoshoni Myths, by Julian H. Steward; Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin 136, pp. 249-299; Anthropological Papers No. 31; Washington D.C., Smithsonian Institution; US Government Printing Office [1942] and is now in the public domain.