Native American Myths
5 As with the chapter on African myths, remember that there were hundreds of distinct tribes living across the continent, and though we tend to lump them all together as Native Americans, they were all very different groups of people with their own series of myths and beliefs.
Cooperation and Respect for Nature
2Joseph Campbell (discussed in Chapter 8 below) was a mythologist, writer and lecturer, his work is focused on comparative mythology and comparative religion. 3The myths of the indigenous people of North America are a perfect example of his theory about hunter/gatherer communities, as many of their tales revolved around the animals that made up such a vital part of their lives and survival. 4Here are some examples of myths that show animals working to help mankind.
5Animals usually bore the characteristics of a human, and could even have human spouses or children. 61t s clear there was a close relationship with humanity, and that respect is reflected in folklore.
Grandmother Spider Brings the Sun
7Long ago, the Cherokee people lived in darkness and wished they had light. 8Fox knew that people on the other side of the world lived in sunshine but they wouldn t share their great light. 9Possum first volunteered to fetch the light, and tried to hide a piece of the sun in his bushy tail. 1O1t burned off all the fur, and that is why the possum has a bald tail today. 11Still, the people had no light. 12Next went the buzzard. 13He tried to balance a piece of the sun on his head but just burned off his feathers. 14That s why the buzzard has a bald head today.
15Lastly, Grandmother Spider offered to go. 16She made a pot out of clay, and travelled on a web she spun across the world. 17No one noticed the little spider and she brought back the sun in her pot. 18The people got their light and she taught them about making pottery as well.
Weather and the Stars
19Many myths touched on these areas, with the usual intention of explaining the phenomenon that the people saw on a regular basis but could not explain. 2OBecause many tribes were nomadic, understanding the weather and the stars were very important, and so myths were created for them.
How the Stars Got into the Sky
21This tale comes from the 1nuit people of the north, and tells of how the stars were formed and why they shoot across the sky each night.
22Legend has it that there was a bear, named Nanuk, who was chased off the edge of the world by a pack of dogs. 23They plunged straight over and turned into stars. 24This legend explains how stars got into the sky.
250ther stars are also associated with roaming dogs, but these are the hunting packs belonging to Aningan, the moon. 26Sometimes they get too rambunctious and get away from Aningan; these are shooting stars.
27Aningan also likes to chase his sister (the sun) during the summers. 28That s why she circles the sky and cannot get away below the horizon. 29This is clearly a myth that would only make sense to those living far enough north to have 24-hour sunshine through the short summer months.
Hopi Creation Story
30The number four was very important to many Native people, often representing the four cardinal points or four peoples of the Earth (black, yellow, white and red). 31A good example of the importance of the number four is a creation tale from the Hopi people. 32Grandmother Spider is said to have collected four kinds of earth and moulded them into four peoples: black, yellow, white and red. 33This was the first light of creation. 34The men woke up and began to live, though their bodies were still damp and soft. 35This was the second period of man s creation. 36Then the sun rose and helped to dry the people, and they hardened into their true and final forms. 37This is the final part of mankind s origins. 38This story is said to illustrate the relationship between the four colours of people in the world, but also the importance of various stages in our lives: birth, childhood and maturity.