Keeper of Stories

August 5, 2009

East Country Boy

Filed under: Nez Perce — Tags: , , , , , — bluepanther @ 6:32 pm

There were two brothers. The elder took for his wife an eastern maiden, and they lived in the East Country. They were four, the husband and wife, the younger brother and the wife’s father.

It developed that the younger brother became homesick. He would say to himself, “Ah me! ['qi' ttsayqan] I wish I could go to the West Country now.”

The woman overheard him, and she told her father, “My husband’s brother is homesick. Just now I overheard him say, ‘Ah me! I wish I could go to the West Country now.’”

Her father said to her, “Then why do you let him pine for his homeland? Take him!”

The woman then told her husband, “This is what my father said to me.”

The husband replied, “It is for us, then, to take him.” So they wrapped him in elk hide and mounted him, or rather packed him on an elk. They told him, “You positively must not struggle to free yourself even though you will hear a great din. You must not peep from the hide.”

He replied to them, “That I certainly will not do.”

Then the father told them, “You are to cross over five mountains, and only there he may look about, but not on this side. You are to take wild sheep, elk, buffalo and moose.’ Then they wrapped him in the hide and mounted him. They went.

Now the younger brother heard from within the constant thundering ["xim-, xim-"] of the herd all along the way. It was particularly noisy at the crossings, because there the buffalo and others would lose one another in the crowding. It was very, very noisy. Then he said to himself as they went along, “Oh, how I wish, oh, how I wish that I could see then even once.” And so he gnawed a hole.

Meanwhile at home the old man kept count of their days spent in travel. “They must have reached there by this time.” They crossed three mountains and were at the fourth. Then, again the younger brother heard them. Oh, the thundering of the herd ["xim-xim-"] He gnawed his way through-and saw them. Oh! In droves there were the buffalo wild sheep, moose, and elk. but, because he saw them, they ran homeward pell-mell. The ran wildly and arrived back whence they had started.

The old man said to himself, “I told them, ‘Positively do not let him see them; positively he must not peep,’ and now he has disobeyed.” They all returned, and they stayed there for a long time.

One day the woman overheard him again, “Ah me! I wish I could arrive in the We Country now.” The woman went to her father and said to him, “He is longing for h homeland very deeply again.”

The old man said to her, “If you wish to take him again, then mount him on a buffalo bull, one which has tough and very thick skin between the shoulder blades. He will not bite through that easily.”

The woman told this to her husband, and again they said to him, “We are taking you only once more, and you know already what will happen if you see the herd even once.”

He said to them now, “Positively I will not again become impatient; even if I want see them, I will absolutely not struggle.”

“Yes,” the old man replied, “yes, you speak good words. You are to go now.” The wrapped him in a buffalo hide and mounted him on a bull. Thus they went again. Now he heard from within the thundering ['xim-, xim-"] of the herd of buffalo, wild sheep, and others as they traveled along.

Again he thought, “I wish I could only see them. I wish I could only see them.” The again, going along he began to gnaw a hole. The hide was thick and tough. At home the old man kept calculating the time that they had been gone. “They have reached there,” he thought. “I wish they would cross the last mountain because then they could have those buffalo, wild sheep, elk, and moose for all time. They have gone for the last time absolutely. If he returns, never again will I send them, even if he pines for home.”

Now they arrived at the last mountain; and as they crossed the younger brother heard the thundering ["xim-, xim-"] of the herd behind him. He exerted himself to the utmost and gnawed his way through. And he saw them. They were crossing in this direction; but, oh, they came to a sudden halt, turned around at once, and ran never again to be brought back. All the elk, wild sheep, moose, and buffalo stayed there in the East Country. Had they crossed the fifth mountain, they would have remained in the West Country for all rime. That is the reason why there have never been moose, wild sheep, buffalo and elk west of the mountain divide.

Taken from Tales of the Nez Perce by Donald M. Hines, Ye Galleon Press; Fairfield, Washington, 1999 [gathered from other source books dated between 1912 and 1949]

June 18, 2009

Cut-Out-Of-Belly Boy

Filed under: Nez Perce — Tags: , , — bluepanther @ 6:05 pm

The land people [wu' lawtalikin— four-footed people] and the denizens of the air [rviyi''wtalikin — flying people] engaged in war. One old woman’s daughter was on the side of the land people, and she was killed. The old woman knew that she was with child. So she cut open her daughter’s belly and brought forth a boy, Cut-Out-of-Belly Boy [itsat'v' xtshatswal] The boy grew, and grew, and grew.

One day Cut-Out-of-Belly Boy said to his grandmother, “Where did I come from? Where are my mother and father?”

His grandmother wept and said to him, “Long ago there were many people and they engaged in war. They killed your father and mother. I cut open your mother, took you out, and raised you here. That is how you came to be, grandson.”

“Yes,” Cut,-0ut-of-Belly Boy replied, “it is well that you tell me.” Now then he purified himself.1 He bathed every day, every day, every day. “Now I seek vengeance. Now I prepare to go. I will go forth to attack them.” One morning he said to his grandmother, “I am leaving you now.”

His grandmother wept and said to him, “You are doing a foolish thing; you defy dangerous ones. Your wish to avenge yourself all alone is hopeless. They are many, and they vanquished all the people.” The old woman only wept.

He said to her, “I am leaving you now.” He traveled along. The denizens of the air were holding many land people in slavery, Coyote among them. All these who had been conquered were being held in pitiful subjection. Cut-Out-of-Belly Boy knew where many people of the air were living.

As he went along he heard the drumming ["t’l’ pipip, t’l’ pipip"} and words of Pheasant of the blackbrush [waswasno' na]. “Do they say Cut-Out-of-Belly Boy is greatly to be feared? Thus I am going to do to him.” And he drummed viciously [“t’l’ pipip, t’l’ pipip].

Cut-Out-of-Belly Boy went over in that direction, and he seized the Pheasant suddenly. “This one made a waif of mel” He plucked out all the wing feathers and threw them all into the bush. “This pompous one tries to make himself fearsome.”

He went on from there again. He heard shouting as he went along and heard boys again, “Get him from the other side for the terrible one! Get him from the other side for the terrible one!”

He thought, “For what terrible one are they doing this?” He came upon them suddenly and said to them, “What are you doing, boys?”

“It is for Owl, the terrible one [saxlata' mono.]. He is holding us, and he makes us go hunting for rabbits. Then even if we bring in some rabbits he, alone, eats and tells us, ‘If you ever take any, I will kill you.’ ” They had sores all over their bodies. They were burnt and beaten, very pitifully so. Coyote was among them.

Cut-Out-of-Belly Boy said to them, “Pick up wood!” Now he built a fire. “Now give me rabbits!” Then he prepared food for them and anointed their chapped skins.

They were frightened. “Owl will kill us; he is very terrible.”

“I will follow you later. Hurry, eat!” he assured them. He made them eat heartily all of that which they had caught. “Now go home empty-handed.” He followed them. “Now go inside.” He waited and listened outside.

Owl had a conical lodge. He sat there and with such large eyes glared at them. “So you ate your own kill! So you ate your own kill! Ate your own kill! Then eat your own kill! Then eat your own kill!” he chanted to them. They stood agape with fright. Owl had a dried mouse filled with pebbles. Its mouth was pried open. This he rattled and rattled ["sa' yayay, sa' yayay"] to frighten them.

Outside, Cut-Out-of-Belly Boy thought that they had been frightened enough. He entered gently, went inside. Then Owl glared. “Oh, so it was you then who caused them to eat! Caused them to eat! Then cause them to eat! Then cause them to eat!” He held his dried mouse up to Cut-Out-of-Belly Boy’s face and rattled it and rattled it ["sa' yayay, sa' yayay"].

Cut-Out-of-Belly Boy moved his face from one side to the other. “Aside with it! You might strike my eyes. Aside with it, Owl!” Now Cut-Out-of-Belly Boy seized him. Then in the same manner as he had done to Pheasant before, he plucked the feathers from Owl’s wings. “This one talks himself into fearsomeness! This one made a waif of me!”

He threw Owl out through the smoke-hole to fall into the brush, to hang there and moan ["han-, han-, han-"]. “Only a short time away the human race is coming. People will say, ‘Already it is this time of the year for the moaner is moaning,’ ” Cut-Out-of-Belly Boy addressed him.

Turning to the boys he said to them, “Inform me!”

“Many people of the air live over there, in that direction.” Then they all went from there and followed Cut-Out-of-Belly Boy. Coyote placed himself in front to inform him that this and that was the situation. They arrived. Oh, there were so many lodges, all laid out in a great circle.

When he arrived there, the people knew already that Cut-Out-of-Belly Boy was greatly to be feared. He had two arrows. He shot one arrow in that direction and demolished all; he shot the other arrow in this direction and demolished all; he exterminated them all. When they had learned that Cut-Out-of-Belly Boy was coming, the denizens of the air had lined up in a formation of two files thinking that from such a position they could charge best. But, instead, he shot all the men because they were grouped in exactly the right way for him.

Now all those who had been conquered before rushed to the scene of action and went into the lodges to capture the women who were left unprotected.

Meanwhile, Coyote charmed himself, “Become a man, handsome and big.” So a great many of the air people’s women became his wives. Thus it was that Cut-Out-of-Belly Boy avenged himself.

Taken from Tales of the Nez Perce by Donald M. Hines, Ye Galleon Press; Fairfield, Washington, 1999 [gathered from other source books dated between 1912 and 1949]

Cry Because He Had No Wife

Filed under: Nez Perce — Tags: , , , — bluepanther @ 4:55 pm

Once there was a little boy. He was an orphan. This boy cried day and night and would never be quiet. His grandmother asked him one day, “What makes you cry?”

He said, “I cry because I want a wife.” Now his grandparents knew of a girl who lived toward the east and they sent him there. As he went along the
trail, he came to a giant’s house. He went in to see the giant, who asked him to stay to breakfast. The giant had five roasts on the fire. He had four large roasts and one small one.

He said to the boy, “Pick out the roast you want for breakfast.”

The boy picked out the small roast. Now, the four large roasts were the legs of people that the giant had killed. The small roast was venison. The boy knew this from what his grandmother had told him. She said, “Never eat too much.”

After breakfast he went on. On the road he came to a great rock cliff. Its name was Cliff-Giant and it crushed people. The other giant had told him of this one, and how to get by it.

He had said, “Turn yourself into a little dog and very slowly follow the trail under the Rock-Cliff. Keep your eye on Rock-Cliff. When you see it move, run fast.”

He did this and escaped. Then he went on. He could see at a distance the place where the girl lived. Until he came in sight of this lodge he had never left off crying. Now, this girl had a great horse which would kill people before they could reach her lodge. That was her guard. The boy picked up two large stones and ran, still crying, toward the lodge. The animal ran at the boy, but the boy spat all over one of the stones. When the horse came close, he threw the stone behind him. Then the horse stopped to stamp on the stone and the boy ran on. He was almost in reach of the lodge when he threw the other stone. The horse stopped to stamp on that, and the boy reached the lodge and jumped in.

Very soon the girl entered. She knew him at once and called him by name Iwapnep ftswitki, Cry-because-he-had-no-wife. She talked to him and asked him if he wanted a bath. So she built a fire, heated water, and prepared him a bath. When he had taken the bath he became of man’s size. Next morning
they started toward his home. When they reached this, his grandparents were very old, because he had been gone many years.

The girl said to her husband: “You tell your grandparents to do nothing wrong to-night. If they obey, I will give them a bath that will make them
young again.”

In the morning she did so; but they had not obeyed her directions so they did not become young again. The next night they were both dead. Then the girl and her husband started for her old home. They rode back on the great horse but he did not go very well. They made a whip out of black haw.

The whip said to them, “I can outlast all other whips.”

They made a whip out of smoke-wood (Coyote-rope). This whip said, “When the giant gets too close, throw me down and I will tangle up the giant.” They made a whip out of mud. This whip said, “Throw me down and I will mire the giant.”

They made a whip out of slide-rock. This whip said, “Throw me down and the giant will have trouble in getting by.” They made a whip out of red haw. This whip said, “Throw me down, and I will tear the giant’s flesh.”

They made a whip out of big mountains. This whip said, “Throw me down and the giant will not be able to get past me.”

When they had finished all the whips, they started to pass the giant’s house.

The giant rushed out and cried, “Give me your wife!” The boy answered, “Get me a drink of water and I will give you my wife.”

When the giant went to get the water, the boy whipped up the horse and hurried on. They had gone some ways when the giant came out. They threw down the whip of black haw. He almost overtook them and they threw down the whip of smoke-wood. It tangled up the giant until they got away. When the giant almost overtook them again, they threw down the mud whip and he was mired. When the giant almost overtook them the fourth time, they threw down the slide-rock whip and the giant had great trouble in getting by. When the giant almost overtook them the fifth time, they threw down the red-haw whip, and it tore the flesh of the giant. And when the giant almost overtook them the sixth time, they threw down the whip of high mountains and he could not cross it. Thus they escaped.

[Taken from Coyote Was Ging There - Indian Liturature of the Oregon Country, Compiled and edited by Jarold Ramsey, 1977]

June 17, 2009

Cry Because He Had No Wife

Filed under: Nez Perce — Tags: , , , , — bluepanther @ 5:47 pm

Once there was a little boy. He was an orphan. This boy cried day and night and would never be quiet. His grandmother asked him one day, “What makes you cry?”

He said, “I cry because I want a wife.” Now his grandparents knew of a girl who lived toward the east and they sent him there. As he went along the
trail, he came to a giant’s house. He went in to see the giant, who asked him to stay to breakfast. The giant had five roasts on the fire. He had four large roasts and one small one.

He said to the boy, “Pick out the roast you want for breakfast.”

The boy picked out the small roast. Now, the four large roasts were the legs of people that the giant had killed. The small roast was venison. The boy knew this from what his grandmother had told him. She said, “Never eat too much.”

After breakfast he went on. On the road he came to a great rock cliff. Its name was Cliff-Giant and it crushed people. The other giant had told him of this one, and how to get by it.

He had said, “Turn yourself into a little dog and very slowly follow the trail under the Rock-Cliff. Keep your eye on Rock-Cliff. When you see it move, run fast.”

He did this and escaped. Then he went on. He could see at a distance the place where the girl lived. Until he came in sight of this lodge he had never left off crying. Now, this girl had a great horse which would kill people before they could reach her lodge. That was her guard. The boy picked up two large stones and ran, still crying, toward the lodge. The animal ran at the boy, but the boy spat all over one of the stones. When the horse came close, he threw the stone behind him. Then the horse stopped to stamp on the stone and the boy ran on. He was almost in reach of the lodge when he threw the other stone. The horse stopped to stamp on that, and the boy reached the lodge and jumped in.

Very soon the girl entered. She knew him at once and called him by name Iwapnep ftswitki, Cry-because-he-had-no-wife. She talked to him and asked him if he wanted a bath. So she built a fire, heated water, and prepared him a bath. When he had taken the bath he became of man’s size. Next morning
they started toward his home. When they reached this, his grandparents were very old, because he had been gone many years.

The girl said to her husband: “You tell your grandparents to do nothing wrong to-night. If they obey, I will give them a bath that will make them
young again.”

In the morning she did so; but they had not obeyed her directions so they did not become young again. The next night they were both dead. Then the girl and her husband started for her old home. They rode back on the great horse but he did not go very well. They made a whip out of black haw.

The whip said to them, “I can outlast all other whips.”

They made a whip out of smoke-wood (Coyote-rope). This whip said, “When the giant gets too close, throw me down and I will tangle up the giant.” They made a whip out of mud. This whip said, “Throw me down and I will mire the giant.”

They made a whip out of slide-rock. This whip said, “Throw me down and the giant will have trouble in getting by.” They made a whip out of red haw. This whip said, “Throw me down, and I will tear the giant’s flesh.”

They made a whip out of big mountains. This whip said, “Throw me down and the giant will not be able to get past me.”

When they had finished all the whips, they started to pass the giant’s house.

The giant rushed out and cried, “Give me your wife!” The boy answered, “Get me a drink of water and I will give you my wife.”

When the giant went to get the water, the boy whipped up the horse and hurried on. They had gone some ways when the giant came out. They threw down the whip of black haw. He almost overtook them and they threw down the whip of smoke-wood. It tangled up the giant until they got away. When the giant almost overtook them again, they threw down the mud whip and he was mired. When the giant almost overtook them the fourth time, they threw down the slide-rock whip and the giant had great trouble in getting by. When the giant almost overtook them the fifth time, they threw down the red-haw whip, and it tore the flesh of the giant. And when the giant almost overtook them the sixth time, they threw down the whip of high mountains and he could not cross it. Thus they escaped.

Myths and legends of the Pacific Northwest, especially of Washington and Oregon, by Judson, Katharine Berry, Chicago : A.C. McClurg, 1912, c1910

May 25, 2009

Coyote’s Wars

Filed under: Nez Perce — Tags: , , , , — bluepanther @ 11:27 am

Coyote was traveling up the river. He heard some one calling to him from far off. A woman’s voice said to him, “Come here and finish killing him for me!” He looked, and saw a girl standing at the top of a cliff. She had bow and arrows, but could not use them; and she was trying to kill Mountain-Sheep. So Coyote went up to help her. Besides the bow and arrows, she had a forked stick. She asked Coyote to look over the cliff and see how best they could get at Mountain-Sheep; and while he was doing this, she caught his neck with the forked stick and pushed him over the cliff. Then she went down where he had landed; and when she saw that her victim was only Coyote, she threw the body into the river.

Coyote floated down the river a bend and a half, and stranded. Magpie came flying up the river; and when he saw Coyote, he thought to himself, “I wonder if there is matter in his eyes!” When Magpie began pecking at the eyes of Coyote, however, the latter came to, and said to Magpie, “Why are you flying around here? I myself have just been to battle, capturing women.” Magpie replied, “You were in no battle; you were pushed over the cliff and killed by Mountain-Sheep Girl.” Then Magpie told Coyote what to do to play even.

So Coyote traveled upstream a second time, and again he heard her call. He went up to her; and when she asked him to do the same thing, he replied, “Now, let me take the stick, and then you show me just where I have to stand in order to see Mountain-Sheep plainly.” When she went to show him, Coyote caught her with the forked stick, pushed her over the cliff, and killed her.

Then Coyote resumed his journey up river; and by and by he heard another woman, who called to him to come and lie with her. He arrived where the woman was. Then he embraced her and began to copulate. His penis was cut off, and he died. When the woman saw that it was only Coyote she had killed, she threw the body into the water, and it drifted down the river.

Again Magpie saw the body, and came to feed on the matter in the eyes. Coyote came to, and said, “Why did you wake me up? I have been to war, capturing women.” Then Magpie answered, “No, you were over there with Mussel-Shell Woman (sewisyeye), who cut off your penis and killed you.” So again Magpie told him what to do to kill her in turn. He went up the river, and at the same place the woman called to him again; but now Coyote had a bone which he used instead of his penis. So he killed her, and said, “You will be only a mussel-shell, and Indians will eat you, but you will not be able to hurt any one.”

Nez Perce Tales, By Herbert J. Spinden, 1907

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