Chapter IV 

 CREATIOX OF MAN, PLANTS, AXD AXI.MALS 



Man was either brought here from Cloud-land, etc. (51), or was created here (.52); 

 in the latter case, from Animals, as Tigers (55), Snakes {54-56), from Plants {57), or 

 from Rocks and Stones {58). 



C'eilain Plants weie deiived from human beings or Bush Spirits {59), or grew upon 

 a Wonderful Tree {60-61). Some animals arose from the Spirits of Mortal Men (62). 



51. Certain tribes believe that man, already made, reached this 

 world from elsewhere, wliile others claim that he developed here, 

 where he either mereh* grew into being or was indebted to some 

 Master Spirit for coming into existence at all. His presence on the 

 planet, however, would not seem to give rise on his part to claims 

 superior to those of various animals, including birds. 



In those cases where Man, ah-eady created, reached this "vale of 

 tears" from elsewhere, liis place of origin appears to have been Cloud- 

 land, the Skias, and coimtries beyond them, according to views held 

 by Caribs, Arawaks, and Warraus. 



The first-mentioned hold that mankind descended from on high . . . 

 imfortunately, the clouds wliich had brought them down receded 

 and so left them behind. Being hungry, they were forced to eat 

 earth, which they baked into cak(^s, and followed the beasts and birds 

 to see what wild fruits they were accustomed to devour, and so learned 

 to help themselves (BrB, 103). According to the Island Caribs, 

 "Louquo was the first man and a Carib. He was not made of any 

 other body; he descended from the sky and lived a long time on 

 earth;" in fact it was he who made it. "He had a large nostril 

 from which, as also from an incision m his tliighs, he produced the 

 first men (BBR, 226-7). Bolingbroko talks of Longwo as being the 

 first man, in the Indian belief of the "central parts" of Guiana: 

 "Certain vapors, or spirits, to which the savages ascribe thunders 

 and fevers, are the objects of theirfoar and propitiatory worship. Thej' 

 do not ascribe a human form to these divinities, but conceive them 

 to have brought liithor the lu-st man, whom they call Longwo " (Bol, 

 371). The Korobohtoa, one of the many group-divisions of the 

 Arawaks . . . beUeve that they originally came frorn above the clouds. 

 The weight of a heavy woman broke the rope by which they were 

 descending: and comnnmication was thus cut off between those who 

 had reached the ground and those remaining above. The Great 

 Spirit, pitying the latter, suppUed them with wings and plumage; 

 and they came down to colonize the trees above the heads of their 



141 



