HEWITT] MYTHS 465 



nately for her welfare, she, by inhaling the breath of her spouse 

 before the completion of their antenuptial ordeals, became partheno- 

 genetically gravid. The betrothed husband, not knowing the cause 

 or source of her condition, questioned her chastity, and with reluc- 

 tance resolved within himself to expel from his lodge and land his sus- 

 pected but innocent spouse, and because of inherent inability to aid 

 him, to change or transform at the same time the nature of all the 

 man-beings who were his neighbors and associates. The disturbed 

 state of his mind caused him to have another vision of his soul. In 

 fulfillment of the requirements of this vision he caused the tree of 

 light, then standing over the supposed aperture through which the 

 sun now shines, to be uprooted, whereby there was formed an abyss 

 into the empyrean of this world. By craft he succeeded in thrusting 

 his unsuspecting young spouse into this abyss. 



Some versions of this genesis myth say that this event occurred 

 after Awe^'ha'i' had given birth to a daughter, which by this occur- 

 rence was reconceived and to which she again gave birth on this 

 earth. 



In like manner the man-beings, the Corn, the Bean, the Sun- 

 flower, the Tobacco, the Deer, the Wolf, the Bear, the Beaver, and 

 all their kinds he transformed into the forms and sizes and with 

 the habits by which they are known to-day on earth, and then cast 

 them down into the abyss. Only the Ancients, the so-called Elder 

 Brothers, of these things remained m the skyland. Then the rage of 

 Deiiao'"hwendjiawa"kho°' subsided and he had the tree of light 

 replaced. This great cataclysmic change was brought about because 

 none could divine a cure for his illness (jealousy) by " searching for 

 his dream-word." These events brought about the establishment of 

 the second cosmical period. 



The expelled bride, Awe°'ha'i', while floating through cosmic space 

 or the upper sky was seen in her descent by the waterfowl and water 

 animals of the primal sea, who were likewise man-beings, and who at 

 once set themselves the task of providing a habitation for her. 

 Some versions of the genesis myth assert that the waterfowl of the 

 larger kinds flew up to meet her and to bring her slowly down as 

 she rested on their united backs. While this was being done the 

 best divers among the water annuals brought up from the depths of 

 the sea some wet earth, which was carefully placed on the carapace 

 of the Great Turtle, also a man-being, who had previously volun- 

 teered to uphold the resting place which was being prepared for the 

 woman. This wet earth at once began to expand in size in all direc- 

 tions, and on it Awe°'ha'i' was gently placed. At once she began 

 to walk about the tiny earth, and by this action she caused it to 

 continue to grow in size; she even took handfuls of the earth and 

 scattered it in all directions, which likewise caused it to continue to 



