Fear of the Unknown

The Unknown

In North, Central, and South America, the fear of the unknown and what we do not understand has led to irrational and brutal behaviors regarding individuals suspected of witchcraft, demon-worship, and other avenues of religious ceremony and practices. The following collection of videos show the brutality of humanity against humanity out of ignorance and lack of understanding. What has happened is that humanity has bought into the folklore that witches and wizards are evil and should be put to death. We usually think of the witch hunts in Salem, Massachusetts, but it is still happening in the world today.

In shamanistic religion there is not a concept of dualistic good and evil as found in Christianity. Shamanism and use of magic was an earthy belief system that most peoples turned to in order to find help for their problems. Use of magic to do harm, however, existed even with indigenous primal relgions. With the advance of literate religions with a priestly caste, and with many other primal religions, witchcraft was seen as an evil competition to their own religious practices and the practices of witches were condemned and feared. Today’s word “witch” probably comes from the term “wicce” for a female witch, “wicca” for a male. It might also be from the German word “weihen”, consecrate. In earlier English the term “witch” would also be used for the male practitioners or shamans which we now call sorcerors, warlocks and wizards. The term “wicca” is related to the word “wicked” and the word “wizard is related to the term “wise.”

The Cast of BBC’s “Merlin” Cast

Roman Catholicism sought to destroy the indigenous religions, witchcraft and witches in Europe as a threat and competition which was thought to stand in the way of control of the area. As shamans were often women, and women were also a problem in the doctrine of the Roman Catholic system, they needed to be demonized, as was Eve, and Mary Magdalene in the doctrine. Even though Mary of Magdala was present at the Cross and the person first to see the Resurrected Christ, she became a “prostitute” in Catholic tradition. Patriarchal traditions have often labeled women as either girls (innocent pure virgins) or women (sometimes whores who cannot control their sexuality and are not to be trusted). Mary the Mother of Christ, on the other hand, belonged to the category of “virgin”, and her tradition persisted unblemished throughout Catholicism, often strengthened by indigenous traditions of a goddess and blessed mother encountered in countries where Catholicism was later spread. Could Mary not be considered a witch for having a virgin birth? I wonder why that is so easily accepted and yet, in other areas of life, humanity is quick to accuse and judge without question. During the Spanish inquisition, many Jews and Christians were burned for the accusation of heresy and witchcraft.

Burning Heretics at the Inquisition

The enforcement of Christianity upon the colonized regions of the world, has produced a scare, so intense that people will murder in the name of a god, out of fear. The following videos show recent world events where lynching witches is still practiced.

 

It would seem to me that Creationism, Folklore, and Mythology have seeped a way into the human consciousness and created something to be  feared and to be used against one another, instead of embracing its nature as simply storytelling. Humanity fears where it lacks understanding. These stories of mythology and folklore are simply that–stories and nothing more. Until that can be recognized, humanity will continue to fight one another over fears of the unknown, instead of embracing new ideas and having an open mind to hearing new stories and new concepts. I would say that the largest parties at fault are those heads of religious bodies who inflict their fears upon a multitude of listeners, sparking possible genocides.

Witches, Warlocks, and Wizards

It should be noted that Wicca is actually a religion still practiced in the world today. Perhaps the misunderstanding of this religion has been the result of such outrageous folklore, stories, and tales to frighten people away from these beliefs and practices and to label them as evil and scary. However, over the years, there have been many depictions of wizards and witches. The most popular wizards of today, Gandalf and Harry Potter, present us with the opportunity to reinvestigate out notions about the world of witches, warlocks, and wizards.

The World of Magic

Witches, warlocks and wizards are beings (thought to be human) that possess magical powers and are able to command supernatural forces. These legendary characters, many times said to be evil and dangerous, appear in the myths and folktales of many cultures around the world. Over the centuries, legends, myths, books and movies have enhanced the belief in these mysterious creatures and their supposed powers. In many cases they are deemed evil and feared because they use their magical powers to bring harm to humans.

History depicts eras where people believed witches were Devil worshippers and that fear brought about the hunt for and execution of hundreds of people accused of being an evil witch, wizard, sorcerer or shaman. The persecution and death of many innocent people occurred when evil intent or activity was never factually substantiated in many cases.

Some magical witches have been associated with White Magic and deemed to be good in modern times. These supernatural characters include: Glinda, the Good Witch in the ‘Wizard of Oz’, Aunt Clara from the TV Show, “Bewitched,” “Sabrina,” the TV teenage witch. These good witches in myth and legend are usually depicted as dressing in white and are beautiful. The warlocks and wizards of good are said to be handsome persuasive men who strive to help people and are mentors to kings, lords, and warriors.

The Wizard of Oz

The human fascination with witches and wizards seems to revolve around their magical powers. The history of these beings is very old and is seen on every continent. These supernatural beings are found in the Hebrew Bible, in the Greek epic ‘Odyssey’, the legends of King Arthur (of which there are hundreds of stories and a variety of television and movie interpretations), Slavic folklore, ancient African Shaman tales, Native American stories about the “ Adilgashii”, Hindu sorcerers, Pacific Island dream-seekers and more.

Perhaps you are familiar with these stories and tales surrounding these characters: Nimue (Morgan Le Fay), Circe, the Lady of the Lake, Baba Yaga, the Warlock of Gramarye,  Marie Laveau, Elphaba, Nessarose, Elvira, Esmeralda, Tammy Blee, Joan Wytte, Galadriel, Jadis of Charn, The Witch King of Angmar,  Aunt Hagatha (Bewitched),  Medea, Freyja, The Witch of Endor, Aradia, Fautus, St. Germaine, Edward Kelley, “La Voisin”, Taliesin Europe, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, Godric Gryffindor, lbus Dumbledore.

Warlocks, Witches, and Wizards UK Stamp Collection

Witches, Warlocks and Wizards have played an active part in human history since ancient times. The tales, myths and documented facts about these mystical magical and mysterious characters continue to fascinate the ordinary people of today.  Modern fantasy novels, movies, TV Shows and video games are abundant in every corner of the world. Perhaps it is the theme of each tale and the battle of good vs. evil, or it may be just the human fascination with the dark mysterious forces of magic that keep the presence of these beings ever active in our imagination and life.

Galadriel from The Lord of the Rings

Creationism in the Americas

For centuries, humanity has plagued itself with questions of existence. Hence, from where do we come? The stories are endless. Because of our uncertainty and questioning minds, we turn to our imaginations and stories that have been passed down orally for generations. The truth is entirely based upon the faith of the individual, rather than scientific evidence. There are similarities woven throughout the fabrics of these beliefs. “These stories vary widely from tribe to tribe, but many describe a similar sacred narrative. A female creator falls from the sky at the beginning of time,  when water covers the earth. To create forests and meadows, animals dive to the bottom to bring back mud. When one finally succeeds, sky woman pats this muck on the back of a turtle, and creates both land and the first humans. This Turtle Island, say the storytellers, is North America” (Pringle) Handed down by generations of elders, these stories are rich in metaphor and poetry.

Native American Creationism

“In the beginning there was…,” most creation accounts start with this phrase. The reason why is quite simple, because creation was the start of the earth that we live in today. Native American Indians have creation stories are creative, elaborate, and packed full of imagination. The Navajo and Cherokee have drawn up some detailed stories about how they were created, but they still do not have as much supporting evidence as the biblical account of creation. That account is when God created the heavens and the earth and all that was in them.

Navajo Creation Story

Navajo Indians

The Navajo Indians believe that they have traveled through five different worlds to get to the one that we live in today. The first four worlds had no sun. The First World was the place where the first man and first woman were created. This world had four corners and in each corner was a cloud of a different color. The man was formed in the East when the white and black clouds came together. The woman was created when the blue and yellow clouds met in the West. They both made fires from what they were given. Each of them wandered at different times trying to find the other. When the woman found where man lived they decided to be married. Later, animals started to play big roles in the society. Coyotes and ants were created but the world became crowded and they went up to another world.

More animals were created in each world making that world over populated so all the beings in that world would move to a new level. The third world was one which they found much success. It did not last because of the corrupt first woman, who was caught with another man in the house. Then the men and women divided and each went on different sides of the river. When the first woman came back to be with the first man she was still corrupt and plotted to steal the water buffalo’s children. After she had the children stolen, the mother water buffalo was angered and decided to flood the civilization. But the first man managed to get the people out of the third world and into the fourth, but the flood came up the hole along with the mother water buffalo. The mother wanted her children back. The coyote, who had stolen the children for the first woman, made a deal that the mother could have the boy buffalo, but he would keep the female child. The male child he said would bring forth thunder and lightning and the female would make the gentle rain. Then the water sank and the mother left with her male child. The First Man did not like this land because it was barren and had been soaked by the flood. Thus the man planted a big female reed, which reached the roof of the fourth world. After some complication, the group reached the fifth world that we live in today, which the Navajo call the Changeable World.

Some of the Navajo medicine men believe that there are still more worlds out there but we just have not reached them yet. One of those worlds is were the spirits live. The Indians might have originated this creation account due to the travels that they went through to get to the place in which they reside today in Arizona. As time went on the people added different twists to make it sound as if they actually had climbed into each different world.

Cherokee Creation Story

Cherokee Indians

The Cherokee Indians account is not as extensive as the Navajo’s account. The Cherokee believe that the earth is suspended above a giant sea by chords at all the cardinal points. They think that the animals once lived beyond an arch and they wanted a bigger place to stay so the water beetle volunteered to dive into the sea to see what was under the water. The beetle dove to the bottom and formed an island from mud. The island was raised and suspended, but no one remembers who suspended the earth above the water by four chords. Then the great buzzard went down to see if the land was dry. The myth says that the great buzzard started to get tired and his wings started to hit the muddy surface creating what we know as mountains and valleys. When the earth dried the rest of the animals went down to live there, but there was still no sun. The conjurers conjured up a sun and moved it until it was in the right place. Men came after the plants and animals. A brother and a sister were the first humans. The brother hit the sister with a fish and told her to multiply and she did just that. A baby was born every seven days. However, they were afraid that men were multiplying too fast so from then on women could only have one child a year.

The Cherokee had an interesting way of looking at the way they were created. These people think that some day in the future the chords that hold the earth will break, because it will weigh too much. The Indians in both accounts used animals as how they came to be. The Indian culture worships the animals for what they did in the beginning and throughout the Indian’s history. The reason why they might be so loving of the animals is, because they were depended on them as a food source when the traveled across the world.

Christianity Creation Story

Genesis

Another account that is worthy of mention, and is one that millions of people around the world believe. This account is biblical story of creation. In the first book of the bible, Genesis, it starts,

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.”

For six days God created things to put on this earth. Then on the sixth day God created man, Adam, in his own image from dust. Then man named the animals and God thought that man might need a companion, so God created woman, Eve, with one of the man’s ribs. Then on the seventh day God rested and looked upon the splendor that he had created. He let the people live in what is known as the Garden of Eden. This is a place were everything was perfect. There was vegetation everywhere and shelter, but there was an special fruit tree in the middle of the garden. God told them not to eat off the tree, but Eve was corrupted by a snake and bit into the fruit. Then she told Adam to eat and that it was good. Thus God punished them and sent them out of the perfect place into barren land. God said that woman would have pain of child birth, men would have to work for their food, and death will come to all of creation.

This account has some things that are believable and has supporting evidence. There was a creator in this description of creation. This account is the best creation account out there and many scientists have done research that support it. More information to prove this theory can be found in the book, “The Revised and Expanded Answers Book” by Ken Ham, Jonathan Sarfati, and Carl Wieland. Another book that will provide evidence is the Bible. For this book is said by historians to be the most accurate account of history from its time period that can be found on this earth.

All three of these accounts could be the one that is the way that we have came to this earth, but only one has a source of a creator that made everything here and was the first one that was ever recorded. All three have some similar parts to them. The Cherokee story says that man was created the last day of creation. In the biblical account man was created of the last day of creation as well. The Navajo story if it was started at the third world would be the biblical story without a creator. When it is looked at Adam and Eve started in a perfect place and the third world was where the First man wanted to stay, but they were kicked out just like Adam and Eve. Also, they both were kicked out because of a corrupt woman. Then the First man was flooded to barren land. Adam and Eve were also punished by God and sent to the barren lands. Then the Indians might have wandered in the direction of the distant sky trying to find better land. Then they found the place they live today. All the stories could be the right one, but the biblical account has far more evidence then what the Native American Indians believe.

The culture of each is a little different between the tellers of the three different stories. The Indians and Christians both believe that after death we will rise to a heavenly place. The Indians believe we will rise to meet the spirits and Christians believe that we will go to heaven to meet God. Indians also believe that decision of what happens to them is made by all the spirits. Christians believe that God makes all the decisions for everyone and that God has made a plan for everyone’s life, but he allows us to make our own choices in what we do. Indians and Christians have some similar culture views that are just a little different, but the main portion of the view is the same. That is why some of the accounts are similar to that of the biblical creation account.

Terry Hurlbut is author to an article entitled, “Native American Creation Folklore Parallels Genesis.” In this article, Hurlbut discusses Calvin Smith’s account of similarities between the creationist folklore. “What is most striking about these stories, says Smith, is that, even by the accounts that secular paleoanthropologists tell, the peoples who became the Native Americans (particularly in North America) had no contact whatsoever with the ancient Hebrews, nor from any civilization that had had close contact with them, prior to the arrival of the first European explorers of the New World, including Leif Ericsson, Christopher Columbus, Giovanni Caboto, and Amerigo Vespucci” (Hurlbut).

Aztec Creation Story of Four Creator Gods (Including Quetzalcoatl)

AZTEC

The mother of the Aztec creation story was called “Coatlique”, the Lady of the Skirt of Snakes.

Coatlicue, also known as Teteoinan (also transcribed Teteo Inan) (“The Mother of Gods”), is the Aztec goddess who gave birth to the moon, stars, and Huitzilopochtli, the god of the sun and war. She is also known as Toci, (“Our Grandmother”), and Cihuacoatl, (“The Lady of the serpent”), the patron of women who die in childbirth.

The word “Coatlicue” is Nahuatl for “the one with the skirt of serpents”. She is referred to by the epithets “Mother Goddess of the Earth who gives birth to all celestial things”, “Goddess of Fire and Fertility”, “Goddess of Life, Death and Rebirth” and “Mother of the Southern Stars”.

She is represented as a woman wearing a skirt of writhing snakes and a necklace made of human hearts, hands and skulls. Her feet and hands are adorned with claws (for digging graves) and her breasts are depicted as hanging flaccid from nursing. Coatlicue keeps on her chest the hands, hearts and skulls of her children so they can be purified in their mother’s chest.

Almost all representation of this goddess depict her deadly side, because Earth, as well as loving mother, is the insatiable monster that consumes everything that lives. She represents the devouring mother, in whom both the womb and the grave exist.

According to the legend, she was magically impregnated while still a virgin by a ball of feathers that fell on her while she was sweeping a temple. She gave birth to Quetzalcoatl and Xolotl. In a fit of wrath her four hundred children, who were encouraged by Coyolxauhqui (her daughter), decapitated her.

The god Huitzilopochtli afterward emerged from Coatlicue’s womb fully grown and girded for battle and killed many of his brothers and sisters, including decapitating Coyolxauhqui and throwing her head into the sky to become the Moon. In a variation of this legend, Huitzilopochtli himself is conceived by the ball-of-feathers incident and emerges from the womb in time to save his mother from harm.

A massive sculpture known as the Coatlicue Stone was discovered by the astronomer Antonio de Leon y Gama in August of 1790 after an urban redevelopment program uncovered artifacts. Six months later, the team discovered the massive Aztec sun stone. De Leon y Gama’s account of the discoveries was the first archeological work on Pre-Columbian Mexico.

Coatlicue was created in the image of the unknown, decorated with skulls, snakes, and lacerated hands. There are no cracks in her body and she is a perfect monolith (a totality of intensity and self-containment, yet her features were sqaure and decapitated).

Coatlique was first impregnated by an obsidian knife and gave birth to Coyolxanuhqui, goddess of the moon, and to a group of male offspring, who became the stars.

Then one day Coatlique found a ball of feathers, which she tucked into her bosom. Whe she looked for it later, it was gone, at which time she realized that she was again pregnant. Her children, the moon and stars did not believe her story. Ashamed of their mother, they resolved to kill her.

A goddess could only give birth once, to the original litter of divinity and no more. During the time that they were plotting her demise, Coatlicue gave birth to the fiery god of war, Huitzilopochtli.

With the help of a fire serpent, he destroyed his brothers and sister, murdering them in a rage. He beheaded Coyolxauhqui and threw her body into a deep gorge in a mountain, where it lies dismembered forever.

The natural cosmos of the Indians was born of catastrophe. The heavens literally crumbled to pieces. The earth mother fell and was fertilized, while her children were torn apart by fratricide and them scattered and disjointed throughout the universe.

Ometecuhlti and his wife Omecihuatl created all life in the world. Their children were:

• Xipe Totec – The Lord of the Springtime
• Huitzilopochtli – the Sun god
• Quetzalcoatl – the Plumed Serpent
• Tezcatlipoca – the god of Night and Sorcery
• Coatlicue – She of the Serpent Skirt

Inca Tree of Life

INCA

NOTE: The Inca empire covered the Andean region, including Peru, Ecuador; and Bolivia. The language of the empire, Quechua, is still spoken extensively in Peru and Bolivia. Please take note that the god in this myth is named Con Tiqui (or Kon Tiki) Viracocha. Thor Heyer-dahl’s voyage from Peru to Polynesia on the balsa raft Kon Tiki was intended to demonstrate commerce between the two cultures, as tiki is a term used by both the Polynesians and the Peruvians for “god.”

In the most ancient of times the earth was covered in darkness. Then, out of a lake called Collasuyu, the god Con Tiqui Viracocha emerged, bringing some human beings with him. Then Con Tiqui created the sun (Inti), the moon and the stars to light the world. It is from Inti that the Inca, emperor of Tahuantisuyo,* is descended. Out of great rocks Con Tiqui fashioned more human beings, including women who were already pregnant. Then he sent these people off into every comer of the world. He kept a male and female with him at Cuzco, the “navel of the world.”

Another story is that Con, the Creator; was in the form of a man without bones. He filled the earth with good things to supply the needs of the first humans. The people, however, forgot Con’s goodness to them and rebelled. So he punished them by stopping the rainfall. The miserable people were forced to work hard, drawing what little water they could find from stinking, drying riverbeds. Then a new god, Pachachamac, came and drove Con out, changing his people into monkeys. Pachachamac then took earth and made the ancestors of human beings..

“The Four Corners of the World,” the name for the Inca empire; “Inca” is properly the name of the emperor.

The following link will offer more information on the Inca Religion and Origins: http://www.folklore.ee/folklore/vol12/inca.htm

Stories to Scare Children into Behaving

It is quite common in all folklore to regale stories of horror to children in order that they may behave or do as they are told. These are not only common to the cultures of the Americas, but to the rest of the world as well. These stories are still taught to children today as a means of instilling guilt, fear, shame, and moral sensibilities as well. Do they work? Is this an effective use of bedtime stories and folklore? It certainly is something to consider.

Our first tale originates from Colombia, South America. Its tale resonates throughout Latin America.

La Llarona – The Weeping Woman

The Weeping Woman
(La Llorona)

Retold by Joe Hayes

This is a story that the old ones have been telling to children for hundreds of years. It is a sad tale, but it lives strong in the memories of the people, and there are many who swear that it is true.

Long years ago in a humble little village there lived a fine looking girl named Maria Some say she was the most beautiful girl in the world! And because she was so beautiful, Maria thought she was better than everyone else.

As Maria grew older, her beauty increased And her pride in her beauty grew too When she was a young woman, she would not even look at the young men from her village. They weren’t good enough for her! “When I marry,” Maria would say, “I will marry the most handsome man in the world.”

And then one day, into Maria’s village rode a man who seemed to be just the one she had been talking about. He was a dashing young ranchero, the son of a wealthy rancher from the southern plains. He could ride like a Comanche! In fact, if he owned a horse, and it grew tame, he would give it away and go rope a wild horse from the plains. He thought it wasn’t manly to ride a horse if it wasn’t half wild.

He was handsome! And he could play the guitar and sing beautifully. Maria made up her mind-that was, the man for her! She knew just the tricks to win his attention.

If the ranchero spoke when they met on the pathway, she would turn her head away. When he came to her house in the evening to play his guitar and serenade her, she wouldn’t even come to the window. She refused all his costly gifts. The young man fell for her tricks. “That haughty girl, Maria, Maria! ” he said to himself. “I know I can win her heart. I swear I’ll marry that girl.”

And so everything turned out as Maria planned. Before long, she and the ranchero became engaged and soon they were married. At first, things were fine. They had two children and they seemed to be a happy family together. But after a few years, the ranchero went back to the wild life of the prairies. He would leave town and be gone for months at a time. And when he returned home, it was only to visit his children. He seemed to care nothing for the beautiful Maria. He even talked of setting Maria aside and marrying a woman of his own wealthy class.

As proud as Maria was, of course she became very angry with the ranchero. She also began to feel anger toward her children, because he paid attention to them, but just ignored her.

One evening, as Maria was strolling with her two children on the shady pathway near the river, the ranchero came by in a carriage. An elegant lady sat on the seat beside him. He stopped and spoke to his children, but he didn’t even look at Maria. He whipped the horses on up the street.

When she saw that, a terrible rage filled Maria, and it all turned against her children. And although it is sad to tell, the story says that in her anger Maria seized her two children and threw them into the river! But as they disappeared down the stream, she realized what she had done! She ran down the bank of the river, reaching out her arms to them. But they were long gone.

The next morning, a traveler brought word to the villagers that a beautiful woman lay dead on the bank of the river. That is where they found Maria, and they laid her to rest where she had fallen.

But the first night Maria was in the grave, the villagers heard the sound of crying down by the river. It was not the wind, it was La Llorona crying. “Where are my children?” And they saw a woman walking up and down the bank of the river, dressed in a long white robe, the way they had dressed Maria for burial. On many a dark night they saw her walk the river bank and cry for her children. And so they no longer spoke of her as Maria. They called her La Llorona, the weeping woman. And by that name she is known to this day. Children are warned not to go out in the dark, for, La Llorona might snatch them and never return them.

This tale is meant to frighten children into staying indoors or staying home and not to wander alone in the evenings.

The Boy and the Wolves – A Native American Tale

THE BOY AND THE WOLVES, OR THE BROKEN PROMISE

Retold By Andrew Lang

Once upon a time an Indian hunter built himself a house in the middle of a great forest, far away from all his tribe; for his heart was gentle and kind, and he was weary of the treachery and cruel deeds of those who had been his friends. So he left them, and took his wife and three children, and they journeyed on until they found a spot near to a clear stream, where they began to cut down trees, and to make ready their wigwam. For many years they lived peacefully and happily in this sheltered place, never leaving it except to hunt the wild animals, which served them both for food and clothes. At last, however, the strong man felt sick, and before long he knew he must die.

So he gathered his family round him, and said his last words to them. ‘You, my wife, the companion of my days, will follow me ere many moons have waned to the island of the blest. But for you, O my children, whose lives are but newly begun, the wickedness, unkindness, and ingratitude from which I fled are before you. Yet I shall go hence in peace, my children, if you will promise always to love each other, and never to forsake your youngest brother.

‘Never!’ they replied, holding out their hands. And the hunter died content.

Scarcely eight moons had passed when, just as he had said, the wife went forth, and followed her husband; but before leaving her children she bade the two elder ones think of their promise never to forsake the younger, for he was a child, and weak. And while the snow lay thick upon the ground, they tended him and cherished him; but when the earth showed green again, the heart of the young man stirred within him, and he longed to see the wigwams of the village where his father’s youth was spent.

Therefore he opened all his heart to his sister, who answered: ‘My brother, I understand your longing for our fellow-men, whom here we cannot see. But remember our father’s words. Shall we not seek our own pleasures, and forget the little one?’

But he would not listen, and, making no reply, he took his bow and arrows and left the hut. The snows fell and melted, yet he never returned; and at last the heart of the girl grew cold and hard, and her little boy became a burden in her eyes, till one day she spoke thus to him: ‘See, there is food for many days to come. Stay here within the shelter of the hut. I go to seek our brother, and when I have found him I shall return hither.’

But when, after hard journeying, she reached the village where her brother dwelt, and saw that he had a wife and was happy, and when she, too, was sought by a young brave, then she also forgot the boy alone in the forest, and thought only of her husband.

Now as soon as the little boy had eaten all the food which his sister had left him, he went out into the woods, and gathered berries and dug up roots, and while the sun shone he was contented and had his fill. But when the snows began and the wind howled, then his stomach felt empty and his limbs cold, and he hid in trees all the night, and only crept out to eat what the wolves had left behind. And by-and-by, having no other friends, he sought their company, and sat by while they devoured their prey, and they grew to know him, and gave him food. And without them he would have died in the snow.

But at last the snows melted, and the ice upon the great lake, and as the wolves went down to the shore, the boy went after them. And it happened one day that his big brother was fishing in his canoe near the shore, and he heard the voice of a child singing in the Indian tone–

‘My brother, my brother! I am becoming a wolf, I am becoming a wolf!’

And when he had so sung he howled as wolves howl. Then the heart of the elder sunk, and he hastened towards him, crying, ‘Brother, little brother, come to me;’ but he, being half a wolf, only continued his song. And the louder the elder called him, ‘Brother, little brother, come to me,’ the swifter he fled after his brothers the wolves, and the heavier grew his skin, till, with a long howl, he vanished into the depths of the forest.

So, with shame and anguish in his soul, the elder brother went back to his village, and, with his sister, mourned the little boy and the broken promise till the end of his life.

The importance of this tale is to remind children that promises are meant to be kept and that promises broken result in pain and shame.

El chupacabra

El Chupacabra, The Goat-Sucker

The Chupacabra is a creature said to inhabit parts of the Americas. It was first found in Puerto Rico, then Mexico, and America. The legend of los Chupacabras began in about 1992, when Puerto Rican newspapers El Vocero and El Nuevo Dia began reporting the killings of many different types of animals, such as birds, horses, and as its name implies, goats.  El Chupacabra basically kills and sucks the blood out of animals and people if it finds the opportunity.

At that time it was known as El Vampiro de Moca since most of the first killings occurred in the small town of Moca. At first they thought that the killings were done randomly by some members of a devil worshiping group, but the killings spread around the island, and many farms reported many losses of animal life. The killings had only had one pattern in common: each of the animals found dead had two punctured holes around their necks.

Soon after the animal deaths in Puerto Rico, other animal deaths were reported in other countries, such as the Dominican Republic, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, El Salvador, Panama, Peru, Brazil, the United States and, most notably, Mexico. In both Puerto Rico and Mexico, the Chupacabra was elevated to an amazing status. The stories were reported multiple times in both America and Mexico.

These tales were also used by parents to frighten children into submission.

Does fear motivate children, or for that matter, people in general?

Sadly enough, fear does tend to be a motivator. However, I cannot see it being the best way in which to motivate or teach people lessons. Fear has been used to sway the opinions of nations as we have witnessed during the cold war, the McCarthy era, Pearl Harbor, 9-11, and now gun rights and school safety. Fears are based in fiction and never in truth. Some people do not wish to see the truth and would rather surrender to their irrational fears for comfortability. Fears are used to rally individuals around motivations, particularly in nationalism; as we have seen with Hitler, Stalin, and even George W. Bush and his justifications for war. There is a movement today to remove the haunting fairy tales from children and replace them with more loving ways to nurture and motivate. Some people claim that this is softening our children, while others claim that it will create children unruled by fear tactics, which can leave long-lasting effects.

The Many Faces of the Trickster in Folklore, Mythology, and Creationism

The first question we must ask ourselves is what is a trickster when reading or listening to any folklore, mythology, or creationist tale? Within religions, cultures, and stories, the trickster manifests itself in many ways. A trickster can be a god, goddess, spirit, man, woman, or anthropomorphic animal that plays tricks or otherwise disobeys normal rules and conventional behavior. The Coyote mythos is probably one of the most notable characters in most Native American cultures, especially among indigenous peoples of California and Great Basin. Coyote can be categorized in many types. In creation myths, Coyote appears as the Creator himself; but he may at the same time be the messenger, the culture hero, the trickster, the fool, the clown. He has also the ability of the transformer: in some stories he is a handsome young man; in others he is an animal; yet others present him as just a power, a sacred one. Coyotes are not the only tricksters in mythology and folklore. Many other animals represent this role: rabbits, terrapins, butterflies, pumas, crows, monkeys, etc.

In the following group of tales, the tricker is represented by numerous creatures:

Tricksters

The Trickster Tricked

A Native American Legend (Creek/Muscogee Tribe) retold by S. E. Schlosser

Rabbit and Terrapin met near the stream one morning. It was a lovely clear day, and they both basked in the warm sunshine and swapped some stories. Rabbit started boasting that he was the fastest runner in the world. Terrapin wasn’t having any of that! No sir!

“I bet I can beat you in a race,” Terrapin said to Rabbit. Rabbit laughed and laughed at the idea.

“You crawl so slow you hardly look like you are moving,” Rabbit said. “You’ll never beat me!”

Terrapin was mad now. “I will win the race. You meet me tomorrow morning right here,” said he. “I will wear a white feather on my head so you can see me in the tall grass. We will run over four hills, and the first one to reach the stake at the top of the fourth hill will be the winner.”

Rabbit laughed again and said: “That will be me! I will see you tomorrow for the race!” Then Rabbit hopped off, still chuckling to himself.

Terrapin was in a bind now. He knew he could not run faster than Rabbit. But he had an idea. He gathered all of his family and told them that their honor was at stake. When they heard about the race, the other turtles agreed to help him.

Terrapin gave each of his family members a white feather, and placed them at various stages along the route of the race. The first was at the top of the first hill, the second in the valley, the third at the top of the second hill, and so on. Then Terrapin placed himself at the top of the fourth hill next to the winner’s stake.

The next morning, Rabbit came down to the stream and found Terrapin with his white feather waiting at the starting line. “Ready, set, go!” said the Rabbit and he ran up and up the first hill. The Terrapin with the white feather started crawling along behind him. As soon as Rabbit was out of sight, he disappeared into the bushes.

As Rabbit reached the top of the first hill, he saw ahead of him Terrapin with his white feather crawling as fast as it could go down into the valley. Rabbit was amazed. He put on a burst of speed and passed the Terrapin with the white feather. As soon as Rabbit had his back turned, the second Terrapin took off the white feather and crawled into the bushes, chuckling to himself.

When Rabbit reached the valley floor, there was Terrapin ahead of him again, crawling up the second hill with his white feather. Rabbit ran and ran, leaving Terrapin far behind him. But every time he reached a hilltop or a valley, there was Terrapin again with his white feather, crawling along as fast as he could go!

Rabbit was gasping for breathe when he reached the bottom of the third valley. He had passed Terrapin yet again at the top of the third hill, but here was that rascally turtle appearing on the racetrack ahead of him, crawling as fast as he could go up the slope of the fourth hill.

Rabbit was determined to win the race, so he plucked up the last few ounces of his strength and sprinted up the hill, passing the Terrapin with the white feather. He was nearly there! Rabbit rounded the last corner and braked to a halt in astonishment. Sitting by the stake, waving his white feather proudly, was Terrapin. He had won the race!

Coyote

Coyote and Wishpoosh

from the Chinook tribe, retold by S.E. Schlosser 

Now Wishpoosh the monster beaver lived in the beautiful Lake Cle-el-lum which was full of fish. Every day, the animal people would come to the lake, wanting to catch some fish, but Wishpoosh the giant beaver drove them away with many threats and great splashing. If they refused to leave, Wishpoosh would kill the animal people by dragging them deep into the lake so that they drowned.

Coyote was very upset at Wishpoosh for the way he treated the animal people. Coyote decided that he would kill the monster beaver and so he went to Lake Cle-el-lum with his spear tied to his wrist and started to fish. As soon as Wishpoosh saw this upstart person invading his territory, the giant beaver attacked. Coyote threw the spear and it pierced the beaver. Immediately, Wishpoosh dove to the bottom of the lake, dragging Coyote with him.

Well, Coyote and Wishpoosh wrestled and tugged and fought each other at the bottom of the lake until the sides gave way and all the water rushed out, pouring out over the mountains and through the canyons until it collected in Kittitas Valley and formed another, larger lake. Coyote and Wishpoosh burst forth into the new lake, shouting and wrestling and fighting each other with renewed vigor until the second lake gave way and the water rushed out, joining in with the waters of several rivers to form a massive lake at Toppenish.

Wishpoosh the monster beaver would not give up the fight. He bit and clawed at Coyote and tried to drown him in the massive lake. Coyote fought back fiercely, and at last the massive lake gave way, the water roared down into the meeting place of the Columbia, the Yakima, and the Snake, where it dammed up into a lake so huge none has ever seen its like before or since.

Coyote and Wishpoosh dragged at each other, pulling and tugging and ripping and biting until the dam gave way and a huge wave of water swept down the Columbia River towards the sea. Coyote and Wishpoosh were tumbled over and over again as they were swept down river in the mighty wave of water. Coyote grabbed bushes and rocks and trees, trying to pull himself out of the massive wave. By these efforts was the Columbia Gorge was formed. But Coyote could not pull himself out of the great wave and so he tumbled after Wishpoosh, all the way to the bitter waters at the mouth of the river.

Wishpoosh was furious. He was determined to beat this upstart Coyote who had driven him from his beautiful lake. The giant beaver swept all the salmon before him and ate them in one gulp to increase his strength. Then he swam out to sea with Coyote in pursuit. The monster beaver threw his great arms around a whale and swallowed it whole.

Coyote was frightened by this demonstration of the monster beaver’s strength. But he was the most cunning of all the animals, and he came up with a plan. Turning himself into a tree branch, Coyote drifted among the fish until Wishpoosh swallowed him. Returning to his natural form, Coyote took a knife and cut the sinews inside the giant beaver. Wishpoosh gave a great cry and then perished.

Coyote was tired after his long fight with the monster beaver. He called to his friend Muskrat, who helped drag the body of Wishpoosh to shore. Coyote and Muskrat cut up the giant beaver and threw the pieces up over the land, thus creating the tribes of men. The Nez Perce were created from the head of the giant beaver, to make them great in council. The Cayuses were created from the massive arms of Wishpoosh, in order that they might be strong and powerful with the war club and the bow. From the beaver’s ribs, Coyote made the Yakimas and from the belly the Chinooks. To make the Klickitats, Coyote used the beaver’s legs, so that they would become famous for their skill in running. With the leftover skin and blood, he made the Snake River Indians who thrived on war and blood.

Thus were the tribes created, and Coyote returned up the mighty Columbia River to rest from his efforts. But in his weariness, Coyote did not notice that the coastal tribes had been created without mouths. The god Ecahni happened along just then and fixed the problem by assembling all of the coastal tribes and cutting mouths for them. Some he made too large and some he made crooked, just as a joke. This is why the mouths of the coastal tribes are not quite perfect.

Amazon Blue Morpho Butterfly

The Wings of the Butterfly (A Brazilian Tale of the Amazon Rainforest)

Retold by Aaron Shepard

The mind sees this forest better than the eye. The mind is not deceived by what merely shows.

—H. M. Tomlinson

On the banks of the Amazon River, in a clearing in the forest, there once lived a girl named Chimidyue. She dwelt with her family and relatives in a big pavilion-house called a maloca.

While the boys of the maloca fished and hunted with the men, Chimidyue and the other girls helped the women with household chores or in the farm plots nearby. Like the other girls, Chimidyue never stepped far into the forest. She knew how full it was of fierce animals and harmful spirits, and how easy it was to get lost in.

Still, she would listen wide-eyed when the elders told stories about that other world. And sometimes she would go just a little way in, gazing among the giant trees and wondering what she might find farther on.

One day as Chimidyue was making a basket, she looked up and saw a big morpho butterfly hovering right before her. Sunlight danced on its shimmering blue wings.

“You are the most magical creature in the world,” Chimidyue said dreamily. “I wish I could be like you.”

The butterfly dipped as if in answer, then flew toward the edge of the clearing.

Chimidyue set down her basket and started after it, imitating its lazy flight. Among the trees she followed, swooping and circling and flapping her arms.

She played like this for a long time, until the butterfly passed between some vines and disappeared. Suddenly Chimidyue realized she had gone too far into the forest. There was no path, and the leaves of the tall trees made a canopy that hid the sun. She could not tell which way she had come.

“Mother! Father! Anyone!” she shouted. But no one came.

“Oh no,” she said softly. “How will I find my way back?”

Chimidyue wandered anxiously about, hoping to find a path. After a while she heard a tap-tap-tapping. “Someone must be working in the forest,” she said hopefully, and she followed the sound. But when she got close, she saw it was just a woodpecker.

Chimidyue sadly shook her head. “If only you were human,” she said, “you could show me the way home.”

“Why would I have to be human?” asked the woodpecker indignantly. “I could show you just as I am!”

Startled but glad to hear it talk, Chimidyue said eagerly, “Oh, would you?”

“Can’t you see I’m busy?” said the woodpecker. “You humans are so conceited, you think everyone else is here to serve you. But in the forest, a woodpecker is just as important as a human.” And it flew off.

“I didn’t mean anything bad,” said Chimidyue to herself. “I just want to go home.”

More uneasy than ever, Chimidyue walked farther. All at once she came upon a maloca, and sitting within it was a woman weaving a hammock.

“Oh, grandmother!” cried Chimidyue joyfully, addressing the woman with the term proper for an elder. “I’m so glad to find someone here. I was afraid I would die in the forest!”

But just as she stepped into the maloca, the roof began to flap, and the maloca and the woman together rose into the air. Then Chimidyue saw it was really a tinamou bird that had taken a magical form. It flew to a branch above.

“Don’t you ‘grandmother’ me!” screeched the bird. “How many of my people have your relatives hunted and killed? How many have you cooked and eaten? Don’t you dare ask for my help.” And it too flew away.

“The animals here all seem to hate me,” said Chimidyue sorrowfully. “But I can’t help being a human!”

Chimidyue wandered on, feeling more and more hopeless, and hungry now as well. Suddenly, a sorva fruit dropped to the ground. She picked it up and ate it greedily. Then another dropped nearby.

Chimidyue looked up and saw why. A band of spider monkeys was feeding in the forest canopy high above, and now and then a fruit would slip from their hands.

“I’ll just follow the monkeys,” Chimidyue told herself. “Then at least I won’t starve.” And for the rest of that day she walked along beneath them, eating any fruit they dropped. But her fears grew fresh as daylight faded and night came to the forest.

In the deepening darkness, Chimidyue saw the monkeys start to climb down, and she hid herself to watch. To her amazement, as the monkeys reached the ground, each one changed to the form of a human.

Chimidyue could not help but gasp, and within a moment the monkey people had surrounded her.

“Why, it’s Chimidyue!” said a monkey man with a friendly voice. “What are you doing here?”

Chimidyue stammered, “I followed a butterfly into the forest, and I can’t find my way home.”

“You poor girl!” said a monkey woman. “Don’t worry. We’ll bring you there tomorrow.”

“Oh, thank you!” cried Chimidyue. “But where will I stay tonight?”

“Why don’t you come with us to the festival?” asked the monkey man. “We’ve been invited by the Lord of Monkeys.”

They soon arrived at a big maloca. When the Monkey Lord saw Chimidyue, he demanded, “Human, why have you come uninvited?”

“We found her and brought her along,” the monkey woman told him.

The Monkey Lord grunted and said nothing more. But he eyed the girl in a way that made her shiver.

Many more monkey people had arrived, all in human form. Some wore animal costumes of bark cloth with wooden masks. Others had designs painted on their faces with black genipa dye. Everyone drank from gourds full of manioc beer.

Then some of the monkey people rose to begin the dance. With the Monkey Lord at their head, they marched in torchlight around the inside of the maloca, beating drums and shaking rattle sticks. Others sang softly or played bone flutes.

Chimidyue watched it all in wonder. She told her friend the monkey woman, “This is just like the festivals of my own people!”

Late that night, when all had retired to their hammocks, Chimidyue was kept awake by the snoring of the Monkey Lord. After a while, something about it caught her ear. “That’s strange,” she told herself. “It sounds almost like words.”

The girl listened carefully and heard, “I will devour Chimidyue. I will devour Chimidyue.”

“Grandfather!” she cried in terror.

“What? Who’s that?” said the Monkey Lord, starting from his sleep.

“It’s Chimidyue,” said the girl. “You said in your sleep you would devour me!”

“How could I say that?” he demanded. “Monkeys don’t eat people. No, that was just foolish talk of this mouth of mine. Pay no attention!” He took a long swig of manioc beer and went back to sleep.

Soon the girl heard again, “I will devour Chimidyue. I will devour Chimidyue.” But this time the snores were more like growls. Chimidyue looked over at the Monkey Lord’s hammock. To her horror, she saw not a human form but a powerful animal with black spots.

The Lord of Monkeys was not a monkey at all. He was a jaguar!

Chimidyue’s heart beat wildly. As quietly as she could, she slipped from her hammock and grabbed a torch. Then she ran headlong through the night.

When Chimidyue stopped at last to rest, daylight had begun to filter through the forest canopy. She sat down among the root buttresses of a kapok tree and began to cry.

“I hate this forest!” she said fiercely. “Nothing here makes any sense!”

“Are you sure?” asked a tiny voice.

Quickly wiping her eyes, Chimidyue looked up. On a branch of the kapok was a morpho butterfly, the largest she had ever seen. It waved at her with brilliant blue wings.

“Oh, grandmother,” said Chimidyue, “nothing here is what it seems. Everything changes into something else!”

“Dear Chimidyue,” said the butterfly gently, “that is the way of the forest. Among your own people, things change slowly and are mostly what they seem. But your human world is a tiny one. All around it lies a much larger world, and you can’t expect it to behave the same.”

“But if I can’t understand the forest,” cried Chimidyue, “how will I ever get home?”

“I will lead you there myself,” said the butterfly.

“Oh, grandmother, will you?” said Chimidyue.

“Certainly,” said the butterfly. “Just follow me.”

It wasn’t long till they came to the banks of the Amazon. Then Chimidyue saw with astonishment that the boat landing of her people was on the other side.

“I crossed the river without knowing it!” she cried. “But that’s impossible!”

“Impossible?” said the butterfly.

“I mean,” said Chimidyue carefully, “I don’t understand how it happened. But now, how will I get back across?”

“That’s simple,” said the morpho. “I’ll change you to a butterfly.” And it began to chant over and over,

Wings of blue, drinks the dew. 
Wings of blue, drinks the dew. 
Wings of blue, drinks the dew.

Chimidyue felt herself grow smaller, while her arms grew wide and thin. Soon she was fluttering and hovering beside the other.

“I’m a butterfly!” she cried.

They started across the wide water, their wings glistening in the sun. “I feel so light and graceful,” said Chimidyue. “I wish this would never end.”

Before long they reached the landing, where a path to the maloca led into the forest. The instant Chimidyue touched the ground, she was changed back to human form.

“I will leave you here,” said the butterfly. “Farewell, Chimidyue.”

“Oh, grandmother,” cried the girl, “take me with you. I want to be a butterfly forever!”

“That would not be right,” said the butterfly. “You belong with your people, who love you and care for you. But never mind, Chimidyue. Now that you have been one of us, you will always have something of the forest within you.”

The girl waved as the butterfly flew off. “Good-bye, grandmother!”

Then Chimidyue turned home, with a heart that had wings of a butterfly.

 

 

Crow Trickster

Crow Brings the Daylight

An Inuit Myth (Canadian), retold by S. E. Schlosser

Story featured in Land of the Midnight Sun, a concert band piece composed by Vince Gassi!Follow Crow on his epic journey as he attempts to bring daylight to the people of the far north in Land of the Midnight Sun, a concert band piece by Canadian composer Vince Gassi, written for and dedicated to the Inuksuk High School Band in Iqaluit, Canada.

Long, long ago, when the world was still new, the Inuit lived in darkness in their home in the fastness of the north. They had never heard of daylight, and when it was first explained to them by Crow, who traveled back and forth between the northlands and the south, they did not believe him.

Yet many of the younger folk were fascinated by the story of the light that gilded the lands to the south. They made Crow repeat his tales until they knew them by heart.

“Imagine how far and how long we could hunt,” they told one another.

“Yes, and see the polar bear before it attacks,” others agreed.

Soon the yearning for daylight was so strong that the Inuit people begged Crow to bring it to them. Crow shook his head. “I am too old,” he told them. “The daylight is very far away. I can no longer go so far.” But the pleadings of the people made him reconsider, and finally he agreed to make the long journey to the south.

Crow flew for many miles through the endless dark of the north. He grew weary many times, and almost turned back. But at last he saw a rim of light at the very edge of horizon and knew that the daylight was close.

Crow strained his wings and flew with all his might. Suddenly, the daylight world burst upon him with all its glory and brilliance. The endless shades of color and the many shapes and forms surrounding him made Crow stare and stare. He flapped down to a tree and rested himself, exhausted by his long journey. Above him, the sky was an endless blue, the clouds fluffy and white. Crow could not get enough of the wonderful scene.

Eventually Crow lowered his gaze and realized that he was near a village that lay beside a wide river. As he watched, a beautiful girl came to the river near the tree in which he perched. She dipped a large bucket into the icy waters of the river and then turned to make her way back to the village. Crow turned himself into a tiny speck of dust and drifted down towards the girl as she passed beneath his tree. He settled into her fur cloak and watched carefully as she returned to the snow lodge of her father, who was the chief of the village people.

It was warm and cozy inside the lodge. Crow looked around him and spotted a box that glowed around the edges. Daylight, he thought. On the floor, a little boy was playing contentedly. The speck of dust that was Crow drifted away from the girl and floated into the ear of the little boy. Immediately the child sat up and rubbed at his ear, which was irritated by the strange speck. He started to cry, and the chief, who was a doting grandfather, came running into the snow lodge to see what was wrong.

“Why are you crying?” the chief asked, kneeling beside the child.

Inside the little boy’s ear, Crow whispered: “You want to play with a ball of daylight.” The little boy rubbed at his ear and then repeated Crow’s words.

The chief sent his daughter to the glowing box in the corner. She brought it to her father, who removed a glowing ball, tied it with a string, and gave it to the little boy. He rubbed his ear thoughtfully before taking the ball. It was full of light and shadow, color and form. The child laughed happily, tugging at the string and watching the ball bounce.

Then Crow scratched the inside of his ear again and the little boy gasped and cried.

“Don’t cry, little one,” said the doting grandfather anxiously. “Tell me what is wrong.”

Inside the boy’s ear, Crow whispered: “You want to go outside to play.” The boy rubbed at his ear and then repeated Crow’s words to his grandfather. Immediately, the chief lifted up the small child and carried him outside, followed by his worried mother.

As soon as they were free of the snow lodge, Crow swooped out of the child’s ear and resumed his natural form. He dove toward the little boy’s hand and grabbed the string from him. Then he rose up and up into the endless blue sky, the ball of daylight sailing along behind him.

In the far north, the Inuit saw a spark of light coming toward them through the darkness. It grew brighter and brighter, until they could see Crow flapping his wings as he flew toward them. The people gasped and pointed and called in delight.

The Crow dropped the ball, and it shattered upon the ground, releasing the daylight so that it exploded up and out, illuminating every dark place and chasing away every shadow. The sky grew bright and turned blue. The dark mountains took on color and light and form. The snow and ice sparkled so brightly that the Inuit had to shade their eyes.

The people laughed and cried and exclaimed over their good fortune. But Crow told them that the daylight would not last forever. He had only obtained one ball of daylight from the people of the south, and it would need to rest for six months every year to regain its strength. During that six month period, the darkness would return.

The people said: “Half a year of daylight is enough. Before you brought the daylight, we lived our whole life in darkness!” Then they thanked Crow over and over again.

To this day, the Inuit live for half a year in darkness and half a year in daylight. And they are always kind to Crow, for it was he who brought them the light.

Amazon Spider Monkey

How the Monkey Became a Trickster

South American Folktale

    Once upon a time there was a beautiful garden in which grew all sorts of fruits. Many beasts lived in the garden and they were permitted to eat of the fruits whenever they wished. But they were asked to observe one rule. They must make a low, polite bow to the fruit tree, call it by its name, and say, “Please give me a taste of your fruit.” They had to be very careful to remember the tree’s correct name and not to forget to say “please.” It was also very important that they should remember not to be greedy. They must always leave plenty of fruit for the other beasts who might pass that way, and plenty to adorn the tree itself and to furnish seed so that other trees might grow. If they wished to eat figs they had to say, “O, fig tree, O, fig tree, please give me a taste of your fruit;” or, if they wished to eat oranges they had to say, “O, orange tree, O, orange tree, please give me a taste of your fruit.”

In one corner of the garden grew the most splendid tree of all. It was tall and beautiful and the rosy-cheeked fruit upon its wide spreading branches looked wonderfully tempting. No beast had ever tasted of that fruit, for no beast could ever remember its name.

In a tiny house near the edge of the garden dwelt a little old woman who knew the names of all the fruit trees which grew in the garden. The beasts often went to her and asked the name of the wonderful fruit tree, but the tree was so far distant from the tiny house of the little old woman that no beast could ever remember the long, hard name by the time he reached the fruit tree.

At last the monkey thought of a trick. Perhaps you do not know it, but the monkey can play the guitar. He always played when the beasts gathered together in the garden to dance. The monkey went to the tiny house of the little old woman, carrying his guitar under his arm. When she told him the long hard name of the wonderful fruit tree he made up a little tune to it, all his own, and sang it over and over again all the way from the tiny house of the little old woman to the corner of the garden where the wonderful fruit tree grew. When any of the other beasts met him and asked him what new song he was singing to his guitar, he said never a word. He marched straight on, playing his little tune over and over again on his guitar and singing softly the long hard name.

At last he reached the corner of the garden where the wonderful fruit tree grew. He had never seen it look so beautiful. The rosy-cheeked fruit glowed in the bright sunlight. The monkey could hardly wait to make his bow, say the long hard name over twice and ask for the fruit with a “please.” What a beautiful color and what a delicious odor that fruit had! The monkey had never in all his life been so near to anything that smelled so good. He took a big bite. What a face he made! That beautiful sweet smelling fruit was bitter and sour, and it had a nasty taste. He threw it away from him as far as he could.

The monkey never forgot the tree’s long hard name and the little tune he had sung. Nor did he forget how the fruit tasted. He never took a bite of it again; but, after that, his favorite trick was to treat the other beasts to the wonderful fruit just to see them make faces when they tasted it.

Rabbit Trickster

The Rabbit and The Coyote

South American Folktale

This is a story of Uncle Rabbit and the coyote. The rabbit came to a big rock, and there he deceived the coyote. He was leaning on the rock when the coyote came by.

“What are you doing, brother?” the coyote asked the rabbit.

“Come here quickly, brother, the sky is falling down on top of us. Lean against the rock and hold it up while I go for a stick. We’ll prop it up with that,” said the rabbit to the coyote.

“All right,” said the coyote and began holding it up with all his might. Since the coyote was so stupid, he did exactly what the rabbit told him to. The rabbit had said that he was going to get a stick, but he went and left the coyote holding up the rock. When the rabbit didn’t return the coyote shouted:

“Come back, brother! The weight of the rock has made me tired.”

The rabbit still didn’t come back.

“No matter, I’m going to leave even though the sky may fall down on top of us,” said the coyote. But when he ran away he fell into a ravine. The rabbit never came back to the rock and the coyote was lost.

Later the rabbit came to a pond and saw the reflection of the moon in there. As the rabbit was very tricky, he was always deceiving the coyote. The dumb coyote always followed him and didn’t know that the rabbit was deceiving him. The coyote came to the pond where the rabbit was. When he saw the coyote coming he began to drink the water from the pond.

“What are you doing, brother? The coyote asked the rabbit:

“Look, brother, there’s a lot of food down there,” answered the rabbit.

“What kind of food?”

“Look,” the rabbit told the coyote.

The coyote looked in the water and said: “I see it. What is it?”

“There’s a cheese in the water,” the rabbit said to the coyote.

“If we drink all the water we can get the cheese. Drink it, you’re big and you can finish all the water.”

“All right, brother,” he said, and began to drink the water.

“I’m going for a walk,” said the rabbit, and left. The coyote continued to drink the water, but the rabbit was gone. The coyote’s stomach began to hurt him, and he got the runs. He wasn’t able to finish the water, so the coyote abandoned the effort and left.

Lucifer, the Fallen Angel of God

Satan (Lucifer) as the Trickster in the Christian Mythology brought to the Indigenous of the Americas

Lucifer, the Prince of Darkness, and other such appellations for the devil are common in popular culture, but such aliases do not conceal the generally accepted view of the devil as a supremely evil supernatural being. In Christian cultures the devil is the antithesis of goodness and the epitome of wickedness, sin, immorality, and damnation. He is an agent of evil. The Devil employs trickery, deception, and far worse schemes as tools to achieve his goals. There is another devious character, the “Trickster” that is found in much of American Indian mythology and many other world cultures for that matter. Like the devil, Trickster is devious, plays tricks on others, and can cause bad things to happen. And like the devil, Trickster is a supernatural being of sorts. Trickster may indeed be devilish but he (or she) is no devil in the same manner as Satan. What follows is a brief comparison between the Devil and Trickster with the dual aim of showing that the Trickster figure is not the same devil that is depicted in the Christian world, but at the same time the Christian Satan may be partially based on the ancient concept of the Trickster.

In Christian cultures the devil is known by a variety of names. Satan is probably the name by which the Devil is most commonly known and this generally conjures up an image of the Devil as the enemy of goodness and mankind. Satan is also sometimes referred to as Lucifer. This name provides a glimpse at Satan’s ambiguity because the name of Lucifer generally links Satan with the first of the “fallen angels” mentioned in the book of Isaiah in the Bible. The word itself suggests light, and refers to the fact that before his rebellion against God, Lucifer was “the shining one” or “the morning light”(Isaiah 14:12) perhaps connecting Lucifer with the morning star, thought to be the planet Venus. Satan is also known by the epithet, The Prince of Darkness, which not only suggests his opposition to the Prince of Peace (Christ) but also suggests something about the nature of the domain over which he rules. The “antichrist” that appears in Revelations, the last book of the Bible, represents Christ’s nemesis who spreads evil at the end of the world but whose fate is doomed with the anticipated second coming of Christ. These and other terms, such as Beelzebub, have slightly different roots and their original meanings are not clear but the Devil’s various appellations generally connote a supernatural being with great powers. The Devil is the supreme enemy of mankind, the representation of all that is evil, and the antithesis of God, who presumably and ironically created him.

The similarities between the Devil and Trickster (their supernatural status, their evil deeds, trickery, etc.) appear rather superficial and yet, these slight similarities may suggest a closer kinship between the two than most Christians would allow. Trickster in American Indian cultures lacks the pronounced evilness and immorality of Satan. Trickster is often depicted as a prankster, a mischief-maker, not so much immoral as amoral. Like the Devil, Trickster does indeed tell lies, deceives others, and causes damage but most of the time Trickster also gets himself into trouble and, more importantly, Trickster is also seen as a doer of good and regarded as a culture-hero. Trickster is not only a devious, clever, and cruel deceiver, but as Joseph Campbell points out, Trickster is also a “creator of mankind and shaper of the world”. Like the Devil, Trickster appears in Indian mythology in many guises. Most often Trickster is an animal, but occasionally also appears as a human.

 

Winged Mythology Alluding to Power, Greatness, Messengers, and Transformation

In the indigenous cultures of the Americas, winged creatures are revered as gods, symbols of gods, or symbols of great power and transformation. Many winged creatures are but messengers or have supernatural powers. Sometimes these creatures were once human and became transformations of winged creatures. This is evident in several stories I have gathered from North America, Guatemala, Costa Rica, New Mexico, and Mexico. Much of this mythology is shared between the Nahua, Mazatec, Yucatec Maya, Kekchi Maya, and the Cakchiquel Maya. This winged mythology is not uncommon, even the Greeks and Romans honored and worshipped winged beasts in their mythologies. What is this human fascination with creatures that fly? Is it because we are in awe of what we, alone, are unable to accomplish? Does having the ability to fly really mean having power? These questions may never be answered, however they are worth pontification on the backdrop of these tales.

Many of these stories were handed down from generation to generation, becoming more exaggerated and colorful with each retelling. The mythology which evolved in this way is a richly varied one, preserving a striking image of a traditional native American culture before the arrival of European settlers in their homelands. The indigenous of the Americas believed emphatically in the existence of supernatural forces, both good and evil, and sought communion with nature as the most fruitful path to self-enlightenment. Animals had the power to turn people into animals; each individual was protected by what they called spirit guardians and every object in creation, animate and inanimate, possessed life and consciousness. Much of the mythology created after the invasion of the Europeans and the forcing of Christianity upon them has also contributed to the evolution of their folklore, if not the morphing of its content. I am going to present several stories here for you to read. At the end of each one, I will discuss its nature and how I believe that these questions about winged mythology contain a hidden part of the human agenda and our quest for power, whether given by the gods or posing as gods.

Quetzal Will Never Die (A Legend from the Quichés of Guatemala)

Quetzal was a brave boy, son of a powerful chief of a Quichés tribe. He was admired and loved by all. great deeds were expected of him. Since the day of his birth, they had noted in Quetzal many signs of predestined greatness.

When the young man came of age and could participate in all the affairs of the Quiché warriors, the tribe gathered in a great clearing in the woods to celebrate the occasion. First, the musicians played their drums; afterwards, their flutes; and later, their marimbas. Then came the long awaited moment when the destiny of Quetzal would be made known.

In the midst of an expectant silence, the oldest soothsayer got up from his seat beneath the coral-colored tree. Slowly and with dignity, he threw the coral-colored seeds around himself. He studied them for a few moments, somewhat perplexed and filled with wonder. Finally, he announced clearly and firmly, “Your destiny is decided, Quetzal. You will never die. You will live eternally among generations of Quichés.”

All the people gathered there were puzzled by that prophecy, and the admiration and enthusiasm that they had for Quetzal increased even more.

But not everyone in the tribe loved the boy. There was one person who was bothered by the success of Quetzal. It was Chiruma, the brother of the tribal chief.

Chiruma was almost as young as Quetzal, and he had dreamed all his life of being chief. But now, after listening to the prophecy of the soothsayer, how could he fulfill his ambition? It was not to be doubted that Quetzal, admired by all and considered almost a god, would be the chief of the tribe on the death of his father.

Shortly after the ceremony in honor of Quetzal, he and the other young men of his age fought a battle against an enemy from the south. Chiruma took advantage of the occasion to keep Quetzal in plain sight. He was perplexed on noticing that the arrows which flew around the young man never wounded him. Could the prophecy made by the soothsayer be true? But no, that was impossible! How could Quetzal live generation to generation?

Suddenly, Chiruma had an idea. “Now I know,” he thought. “I know why death respects Quetzal. He has some powerful amulet that protects him, and I am going to take it from him when he is asleep.”

That same night, when Quetzal was sleeping soundly on his mat, Chiruma approached with silent steps. He looked at Quetzal’s chest. The amulet was not there. He was about to leave when he saw a hummingbird’s feather at the head of the mat where the young man was sleeping. Chiruma did not doubt for a moment that this was what he was looking for. As carefully as possible, he took the bright feather as he smiled happily.

Then he remembered what the soothsayer had said when Quetzal was born: that the hummingbird was the sign of the boy’s good luck.

Some time passed, and the chief died. Immediately, the elders elected Quetzal as their new chief.

Chiruma, of course, did not allow his anger to show. He was sure that very soon the new chief, without his powerful amulet, could be conquered.

One afternoon, Quetzal, the new chief, was walking alone through the forest, armed with bows and arrows. Suddenly, a beautiful hummingbird flew down from a tree and fearlessly perched on his shoulder.

“Listen to me, Quetzal. I am your protector and I caution you that death is pursuing you. Guard yourself from a certain man.”

“From which man am I to guard myself, beautiful hummingbird?” asked the young man.

But the bird did not say one more word. After looking at Quetzal for a few moments, he took flight and disappeared.

The young man did not understand and continued on his way. Suddenly, he heard a sharp whistling sound, and an arrow pierced him in the chest. He fell down on the green grass and closed his eyes, ready to die.

But the gods had predicted his immortality, and at that moment Quetzal was changed into a beautiful bird. His body took on the green color of the grass upon which he had fallen, and his chest, the color of blood. The golden sun of the afternoon painted his long tail with a great variety of colors.

For many centuries, the quetzal has been considered a sacred bird which, even today, no one is allowed to hunt. Guatemala has honored this beautiful bird by including its image on the national coat of arms. The currency of the country is also called quetzal.

So, as the soothsayer had predicted, and as the gods wished it, the young and brave chief lives and will live forever in the country of the Maya-Quiché peoples (Stories from Latin America, pp. 33-39).

Resplendent Quetzal

One can easily see why the Mayans and the Quichés so greatly paid respect to the quetzal. Tales like these are burned into the psyches of the indigenous for centuries upon centuries. This bird is the symbol of the freedom and nobility of their indigenous hero. Mythology and stories passed on from generations to generations in the Americas was largely done so orally in what is often referred to as the Oral Tradition.

Flight has fascinated humans from the dawn of time. Whether they are fairies, angels, or demons, winged beings have always been a staple of art and literature. As earthbound beings, humans have always had a fascination with winged creatures of all kinds. This is found in endless tales of folklore, mythology, and creationism. However, I believe that there is more to this than the simple idea that birds can fly and man cannot. Could it be possible that winged creatures were believed to have come from the heavens, from the skies, since that is where they reside–high in the forest canopies and mountain ranges? It’s an idea worth exploring. This idea can be found in many other stories, such as the following two tales; one from a Zuni Folktale from New Mexico and the other from an Iroquois tale from North America:

Eagle in Flight

Robin Red-Breast in Flight

Here, once again, we can see the transformation of the heroes into winged creatures. Generally folk stories and fables are intended to teach the young people lessons. Are these lessons in this case about respecting the winged creatures, as if they were gods? That may very well be the case. In fact, it was this belief in powerful winged creatures that contributed to the fall of the Aztec empire after the Spanish arrived. Aside from the popular Quetzal bird of the Mayan, the Aztecs also worshipped a god called Quetzalcoatl; quetzal being the bird of the jungle terrain and coatl meaning snake or serpent. In the following story, the Aztecs were fooled by the Spanish because they believed that Cortes and his men were the gods they awaited in their mythology.

Quetzalcoatl

This story provides an excellent example of how beliefs in one’s mythologies can also become their undoing. Still, more importantly, if this is about man’s fascination with winged creatures, then why didn’t the Aztecs need proof that these Spanish gods were capable of flight? Not once was it asked of them and would have perhaps been my first question to the arrival of these strange men.

Somehow, there must be a connection between bird reverence and man’s inability to fly, soaring up to the heavens. After the conquest of the indigenous by the Spanish and their forcing of Christianity throughout the Americas, the mythology of the indigenous became intertwined with the mythologies of Christianity. In this short excerpt from Mazatec (Mexico) myth, Melchor Garcia revealed the following:

As If with Wings

Jesus departed through the air, as if with wings. He rose to Heaven. The apostles stood watching him as he rose.

On the forty-seventh day, when Jesus reached Heaven, the twelve apostles rose to Heaven, to govern until this day.

The tale is ended.

There are many tales which include Christianity woven into the fabric of pre-existing indigenous myth. In many stories, Jesus, the Christ, is rescued by animals, winged creatures, like the firefly, and often referred to as the Trickster, which I will elaborate upon in another blog post.

Spanish (Spain) Mythology

What mythical creatures did the Spanish believe in?

Basa-Jaun (Homme de Bouc): An ogre of the Basque in northwestern Spain, whose name means “lord of the woods”. He is given credit for teaching mankind the art of agriculture and forging. He lives high in the Pyrenean Mountains, in the woods and caves where he protects the flocks of sheep and goats from predators and thunderstorms. But he has a malignant nature and will trap and torture humans if they stray into his domain. In some stories, he is described as a spirit that is mischievous, but not malignant.

Bicha: In Spanish folklore, a monster depicted as having the body of a bull and the head and face of a human.

Caballucos del diablo: “Devil’s small horses”. In Cantabria (northern Spain), it is told that those creatures appear with a terrific cry at Saint John’s Eve, amongst fire and smoke. There are seven winged horses, of seven different colors: red, orange, yellow, white, black, blue and green. The red one is the strongest, and their leader. All the horses are mounted by demons. During this one night, they roam the land, in search of four-leaf clovers, that are rare, and considered as powerful lucky charms. The mission of the horses and riders is to destroy as many four-leaf clovers as they can find, to avoid people searching them next morning to benefit from this gift.

Chupacabra: The Chupacabra or chupacabras is a creature resembling a living gargoyle that is said to exist in parts of Latin America (mainly Mexico). The chupacabra is also reported to have been seen by multiple eye-witnesses in Calaveras County, California. According to these reports, the creature was sighted for the first time in the early to middle 1990s, harming animals of different species – although it is now thought that people did this themselves. Translated literally from Spanish as “goat-sucker”, the chupacabra is said to attack small livestock and drink their blood. Some witnesses reported seeing a small, dark green figure around the areas of the killings, giving police and news reporters the feeling that the chupacabra could, in fact, be an extra-terrestrial figure. Soon after the animal deaths in Puerto Rico, other animal deaths began being reported in other countries, such as the Dominican Republic, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Brazil, the United StatesMexico. Both in Puerto Rico and Mexico, El Chupacabras gained urban legend status. In July of 2004, a rancher near San Antonio, Texas, killed a hairless, dog-like creature (the Elmendorf Creature) that was attacking his livestock. As of yet, no one has been able to determine just what the creature is. In October of 2004, two animals which closely resemble the Elmendorf creature were observed in the same area. The first was dead, and the second was noticed by a local zoologist who was called to identify the animal while she was traveling to the location where the first was found. The Chupacabra has been spotted as far north as the Carolinas. Chupacabras are said to prominently appear in two specific forms. The first and most common: a lizard-like being, appearing to have leathery/scaly greenish-gray skin and sharp spines or quills running down its back. It stands approximately 3-4 feet high, and stands/hops in a similar fashion as a kangaroo (in at least one sighting, the creature hopped 20 feet). This variety is said to have a dog or panther-like nose and face, a forked tongue protruding from it, large fangs, and is said to hiss and screech when alarmed, as well as to leave a sulfuric stench behind. The second variety also stands/hops as a kangaroo, and it has coarse fur with grayish facial hair. The head is similar to a dog’s, and its mouth has large teeth. Witnesses claim some chupacabras are covered with black hair, have red eyes, a bulbous head, and bat-like wings. Sometimes they crawl on all fours and other times they stand erect (like prairie dogs do). They are very quick, can climb well, and usually run away when seen. Some say their eyes have the ability to hypnotize and paralyze their prey-the prey animal is mentally stunned. This allows the chupacabra to suck the animal’s blood at its leisure. The effect is similar to a snake or spider that stuns its prey with venom. The chupacabra sucks all the animal’s blood (and sometimes organs) through a single hole or two holes, unlike other predators that tear the corpse apart.

Culebre: In Cantabrian (northern Spain) folklore, it is a dragon-like creature, or a snake with two bat-like wings, that exhales fire and sulfur. Culebres are very dangerous, but it is worth fighting against them, because they usually hide huge treasures in their dens.

Dones d’aigua: Dones d’aigua (Maids of the Water): are typical beings of Cataluña, and they appear in many myths. They live in any place where they can find clean water (wells, springs, fountains, lakes), but they can also be found in woods and caves. They appear as women of incredible beauty, although half of their body can be fish- or bird-like (as for many other faeries of Spanish folklore and Indo-European myths). Dones d’aigua often guards wonderful treasures. They are always good and kind to humans.

Duende: A Spanish house spirit, these are færies from the Iberian Peninsula, Mexico, Central and South America. They appear as middle-aged women dressed in green robes and with long icicle like fingers. They are extremely jealous of humans and are known to take over human houses, throwing things and moving furniture about. It can be seen by anyone who bends low enough to look backwards through his legs.

Espumeros: “Foamers”. Marine beings form the Cantabric (northern Spain) coast. Their appearance is that of fat children. They wear tunics that are the colour of algae. They like to play in top of the waves, forming small whirlpools in them. The Sirens are their friends, and they usually give the Espumeros seashell trumpets as a gift. As those marine beings are very good willing and helpful to fishermen, they blow into their sea trumpets when there is going to be a storm. Thus the seamen are warned that it is safer to return to port. Espumeros also help farmers sometimes, carrying water in their trumpets to water the crops.

Ijanas: Female creatures of Cantabrian (northern Spain) folklore, they live in caves, are always naked, and have breasts so long, that to walk they must put them over their shoulders. Very greedy and unquiet, they spend their time looking for food, destroying beehives in search of honey and entering houses without permission. Yet, unless bothered, they are not particularly dangerous, just very much annoying.

Welcome to A World of Faith and Fiction

This blog is intended to present you with the folklore, mythology, and creationist ideas of the Americas; North, Central, and South, as well as their origins and how stories transcend time and place. I will select folktales, legends, and creationism mythologies and trace their iterations in Anglo, South American and Native American versions or relevant cultures thereof, while using geography/culture as a major analytical tool. The purpose of this reading, research, and comparison is to explore the mythological and folkloric environments, which have possibly contributed to the writings and thought processes of Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Mario Vargas Llosa and other writers of magical realism. Many of these ideas overlap generations and others morph into new spacial dimensions and take on new meanings and purpose. This blog is the result of a class project for my Master of Arts in Literature and Writing at Union Institute & University.

Enjoy!