212 THE WINNEBAGO TRIBE [eth. ann. 37 



CLAN MYTHS AND NAMES 



ORIGIN MYTH (TOLD BY A MEMBER OF THE CLAN)' 



In the beginning, Earthmaker was sitting in space when he came 

 to consciousness, and there was nothing else anywhere.'' He began 

 to think of what he should do, and finally he began to cry and tears 

 began to flow from his eyes and fall down below him. After a while 

 he looked down below him and saw something bright. The bright 

 objects were hidden tears that had flowed below and formed the 

 present waters. When the tears flowed below they became the seas 

 as they are now. Earthmaker began to think again. He thought? 

 "It is thus, if I wish anything; it will become as I wish, just as my 

 tears have become seas." Thus he thought. So he wished for light 

 and it became light. Then he thought, "It is as I have supposed; 

 the things that I wished for have come into existence as I desired." 

 Then he again thought and wished for the earth, and this earth 

 came into existence. Earthmaker looked on the earth and he liked 

 it, but it was not quiet. It moved about as do the waves of the sea. 

 Then he made the trees and he saw that they were good, but they 

 did not make the earth quiet. Then he made the grass to grow, 

 but still the earth was not yet quiet. Then he made the rocks and 

 stones, but still the earth was not quiet. However, it was nearly 

 quiet. Then he made the four directions (cardinal points) and the 

 four winds. On the four corners of the earth he placed them as 

 great and ]>owerful people, to act as island weights. Yet the earth 

 was not cjuiet. Then he made four large beings and threw them 

 down toward the earth, and they pierced through the earth with 

 their heads eastward. They were snakes. Then the earth became 

 very still and quiet. Then he looked upon the earth and he saw that 

 it was good. Then he thought again of how thmgs came into 

 existence just as he desired. Tlien he first began to talk. He said, 

 "As things are just as I wish them, I shall make one being in my 

 own likeness." So he took a piece of clay (earth) and made it like 

 himself. Then he talked to what he had created, but it did not 

 answer. He looked upon it and saw that it hail no mind or thought. 

 So he made a mind for it. Again he talked to it, but it did not 

 answer. So he looked upon it again and saw that it had no tongue. 

 Then he made it a tongue. Then he talked to it again, but it did 

 not answer. So he looked upon it again and saw that it had no 

 soul. So he made it a soul. He talked to it again, and it very nearly 

 said something. But it did not make itself intelligil)le. So Earth- 

 maker breathed into its mouth and talked to it, and it answered. 



3 Told in connection with the origin of the Thunderbird wake. 



< This myth is reprinted from Radin, Winnebago tales, Journal of American Folk-Lore, vol. xxn, no. 

 Lxxxv, 1909. It has apparently been somewhat influenced by the Bible. 



