Students try their hands at Native American myths
In English 11, students begin the school year learning about Native American literature. Ms. Clements asks her students to then create myths of their own that are inspired by the mythology of a specific tribe. Here are two myths from the current 11th grade class.
The Wind, Rain, and Sea
by Lauren Baker
Long before the great animals and people roamed this world, there was nothing but a small island made of clay and rock. Massive trunks of Cedar trees rose from the soil. Their emerald leaves shaded the ground. Only small streams of sun were able to shine through, dotting the island floor with a glittering light. This land was surrounded by an infinite body of deep blue water. Upon the island resided the Great Earth Goddess. As the vibrant crimson and yellow hues of the sun were disappearing over the horizon, she began to feel pangs of loneliness seep into her body. She started to pace, becoming overwhelmed with this new feeling. After days of strolling, she suddenly stopped and looked down. A deep trench had been formed from her feet, and it spread in a large circle all the way around the island. From this groove in the Earth had risen multiple clay mounds and they began to take form. A large gathering of red clay next to her foot started to morph. Two circles of soil joined together, with the uppermost one elongating just a small amount. From the elongated circle rose two large ears. After awhile there stood a great brown hare with long ears and dark voids for eyes. She stared in astonishment at what she had just made and began to make her way around to the other mounds. One after the other large animals took form and gathered in the center of the circle under the shade of the canopy. After all of the piles of clay had taken shape, the Earth Goddess was beside herself with joy. She laid down and began to rest, happy with what she had just created.
Along with the animals came great turmoil. None of them knew what this strange land was or who the woman was that had created them. This confusion between the animals led to chaos. There was no order among them, and finding food proved to be a challenge. The porcupines, with the many spikes on their backs, began climbing up and down trees with their clawed paws looking for food in the bark. Soon enough the once grand trees were reduced to nothing but stumps. The foxes, with their pointed ears, nose, and thick tail, destroyed the beautiful flowering plants hoping to fill the empty voids that were in their stomachs. The massive brown buffalo of the land began digging into the Earth with their hooves, looking for food. In doing this, they left gaping holes in the ground. Within the first three days of their creation, the animals had managed to destroy the pristine island.
When the Earth Goddess woke up from her deep sleep, she was left astonished. The place that she had once known so well was reduced to nothingness. It was a barren land. In front of her stood the animals that she had created, but they had changed. No longer were they the beautiful beasts that had risen powerfully from the clay, but evil spirits in withered bodies. She was immediately filled with an overpowering rage that raked through her whole body. From the very bottom of her lungs came a deafening scream, “Who has destroyed my home?”
All of the animals stared at her with empty eyes.
“We are weak and we have no food!” cried the porcupine.
“While you were resting, we were starving. You must help us find food!” exclaimed the buffalo.
Emotions overcame the Earth Goddess and she stamped to the edge of the island overlooking the vast waters. How could she have created such a terrible world? While she had been resting, her animals had been suffering and now the gorgeous island that was her home was no more. Severe anguish came over her and she began to weep. Her body trembled and shook uncontrollably. As she cried the ground began to shake and the water began to swirl. As her tears rolled down her cheeks and into the sea, the water swirled even quicker. The wind began to pick up and the sea continued to increase speed. Above the island grew an expanse of dark grey clouds that completely shaded the Earth. They began to weep with the Earth Goddess. The rain fell in sheets, pelting the island with an intense force. The rotating waves, the forceful winds, and the heavy rain soon overcame the land. The animals were the first ones to be washed away. All at once the waves swallowed them whole, and they were no more. The stumps of the once grand Cedar trees were ripped out of the ground and taken away. Once everything was gone, the Earth Goddess stopped crying. Slowly the water began to recede, the winds died down, and the rain came to a halt.
Alone she stood on the barren island pleased that her mistakes had been erased. The Earth Goddess thanked the great sea for what it had just done, and decided to call it a hurricane. She knew that she needed to start over and create a world where animals and nature could live in harmony, and so she went to work. The Earth Goddess began to form many animals of this great land out of clay and rock, this time creating them with careful love and attention. From this moment on, the animals would live in harmony with the rest of the Earth.
The Blue Sky by Angelee Rump
Before anything, there was the sky, and in the sky there lived two gods. The Provider, a man, and the Bringer, his wife. The two gods lived happily in the sky, and because of this, the sky was bright, yellow, and happy. After returning to the Bringer after a long hunt, the Provider held up a small ball of dirt and mud to his wife.
“This,” He gently said, “Shall be the ground on which our children play.” The Bringer nodded her beautiful head and smiled at her husband. She placed a light kiss on the dirt, and she conceived a child. The sky was happy.
The next morning, the Provider went out once more to hunt, and returning to his wife, he presented her with a buffalo.
“This,” He gently said, “Shall be the animal for which our children will eat.” The Bringer nodded her beautiful head once more, and delicately took the buffalo in her soft hands. She placed the buffalo onto the ball of dirt, and smiled. The sky once more was yellow in joy.
The next morning, before the husband could leave, the two gods heard a booming yell. They turned and saw a great snake standing before them. In his mighty arms, he carried an axe and club. He screamed out at them,
“You have the ball of dirt to play with, but I want to play with it as well!”
“You may play on the dirt, next to our children,” the Provider calmly said. But, the great snake was not pleased by this. He wanted to play with the dirt how he wanted to. So, he swung his mighty arms and struck the Provider on the head, killing him. He then, using his large axe, cut off his head, and he threw it far out into the sky, breaking a hole through it, into the blackness.
The wife, in her terror, grabbed the snake by the arms, and pulled as hard as she could until the mighty arms of the snake tore off. As the snake wailed in pain, the Bringer roared,
“Because of what you have done, you can not play with my children on the dirt. Now, you must crawl on the dirt, and you are never allowed to play.”
She then grasped the snake by the tail, and she slammed him onto the ball of dirt. She turned to see the body of her husband, and she began to cry. The sky turned blue, and the clouds formed, shedding tears onto the dirt. These tears began to form the waters that the buffalo began to drink from and the grass began to grow from.
In her grief, anger began to form. The sky turned grey, and the buffalo and snake both coward in terror. Large flashes of light struck the dirt, causing fire that was quickly put out by the falling tears. The Bringer punched holes threw the sky into the blackness. The stars then shined through. When she saw the stars that hid behind the sky, her anger slowly seeped away because she realized that her husband was the largest one in the blackness.
Two days later, the Bringer gave birth. She gently placed all of her children onto the dirt, so they could play, and eat the buffalo. The children had never met their mother, because the first time they opened their eyes, all they could see was the blue sky.
Everyday, though, they could hear her silent whimpering for their father, her whimpers became the wind that blew the leaves in the day. During the night, they would look up and see the holes that their mother punched into the sky, and they would see their father smiling down onto them, protecting them from the great snake that lurked on the dirt. In the morning, the sky returned, and they could see the sun. They knew this was the love that their mother felt for them.
