More than 160 tales from eighty tribal groups gives us a rich and lively panorama of the Native American mythic heritage. From across the continent comes tales of creation and love; heroes and war; animals, tricksters, and the end of the world. In addition to mining the best folkloric sources of the nineteenth century, the editors have also included a broad selection of contemporary Native American voices.
With black-and-white illustrations throughout
Selected and edited by Richard Erdoes and Alfonso Ortiz
Part of the Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library
Introduction xi • PART ONE • RABBIT BOY KICKED THAT BLOOD CLOT AROUND: Tales of Human Creation 1Rabbit Boy
(White River Sioux)5
Blood Clot
(Southern Ute)8
Corn Mother
(Penobscot)11
Creation of the Animal People
(Okanogan)14
Stone Boy
(Brule Sioux)15
The Powerful Boy
(Seneca)20
Glooscap and the Baby
(Algonquian)25
The Old Woman of the Spring
(Cheyenne)26
Arrow Boy
(Cheyenne)29
The Great Medicine Dance
(Cheyenne)33
The Origin of Curing Ceremonies
(White Mountain Apaches)37
Creation of First Man and First Woman
(Navajo)39
How Men and Women Got Together
(Blood-Piegan)41
The Well-Baked Man
(Pima)46
The White Buffalo Woman
(Brule Sioux)47
The Orphan Boy and the Elk Dog
(Blackfoot)53
Salt Woman Is Refused Food
(Cochiti)61
The Sacred Weed
(Blackfoot)62
How Grandfather Peyote Came to the Indian People
(Brule Sioux)65
The Vision Quest
(Brule Sioux)69
• PART TWO • THE PLACE OF EMERGENCE: Tales of World Creation 73The Good Twin and the Evil Twin
(Yuma)l£$