MYTHS' 

 THE GENESIS OF THE WORLDS, OR THE BEGINNING OF NEWNESS. 



Before the beginning of the new-making, Awonawilona (the Maker 

 and Container of All, the All-father Father), solely had being. There 

 was nothing else whatsoever throughout the great space of the ages 

 save everywhere black darkness in it, and everywhere void desolation. 



In the beginning of the new-made, Awonawilona conceived within 

 himself and thought outward in space, whereby mists of increase? 

 steams potent of growth, were evolved and uplifted. Thus, by means 

 of his innate knowledge, the All-container made himself in person and 

 form of the Sun whom we hold to be our father and who thus came to 

 exist and appear. With his appearance came the brightening of the 

 spaces with light, and with the brightening of the spaces the great 

 mist-clouds were thickened together and fell, whereby was evolved 

 water in water; yea, and the world-holding sea. 



With his substance of flesh (ycpnane) outdrawn from the surface 

 of his person, the Sun tather formed the seed-stuflf of twain worlds, 

 impregnating therewith the great waters, and lo ! in the heat of his 

 light these waters of the sea grew green and scums {k^yanashotsiyal- 

 laire) rose upon them, waxing wide and weighty until, behold! they 

 became Awitelin Tsita, the "Four-fold Containing Mother-earth," and 

 Apoyan Ta'chu, the "All-covering Father-sky." 



THE GENESIS OF MEN AND THE CREATURES. 



From the lying together of these twain upon the great world waters, 

 so vitalizing, terrestrial life was conceived; whence began all beings of 

 earth, men and the creatures, in the Four-fold womb of the World ( Awi- 

 ten Tt'hu'hlnakwi). 



Thereupon the Earth-mother repulsed the Sky-father, growing big 

 and sinking deep into the embrace of the waters below, thus separa- 

 ting from the Sky-father in the embrace of the waters above. As a 

 woman forebodes evil for her first-born ere born, even so did the Earth- 

 mother forebode, long withholding from birth her myriad i^rogeny and 

 meantime seeking counsel with the Sky-father. " How," said they to 



' As stated more fully in the introductory paragraphs, notes giving the etymologies 

 of native terms and explaining and amplifying obscure or brief allusions and present- 

 ing the special sense in which certain expressions and passages are used will be given 

 in the second part of this paper, to appear in the future. 



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