SwANTON] INDIANS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES 773 



to be caused by a great toad which was trying to swallow the sun or 

 moon. The moon was supposed to be inhabited by a man and a dog ; 

 the sun was connected with the supreme being. The rainbow was 

 believed to be a big serpent and was called "the cutter off of the rain." 

 Upon the vault of heaven lived the sky deity and the souls of the 

 happy. Bad spirits were thought to reside in the west. Underneath 

 was another inhabited world similar to ours, some said a succession 

 of worlds. 



The Creek supreme deity was known as Hisagita-imisi, "the pre- 

 server of breath," or Ibof anga, "the one sitting above," who bore a rather 

 close relation to the sun but was not quite equivalent to it. His 

 representative on earth was the busk fire, and the fire spirit seems 

 to have been in some measure his messenger. There were two spirits 

 connected very closely with the busk, called Yahola and Hayu'ya. 

 The latter appears in Hawkins' version of the migration legend split 

 into four spirits which are evidently identical with the four cardinal 

 points and probably the winds which blow from them. Thunder, 

 including lightning as well, plays an important part in the myths as 

 a being in human form, but Adair seems to identify him with 

 Hisagita-imisi. In one of the Tuggle myths Wind appears as a 

 single being with many children. Animals, plants, and, indeed, most 

 created and some artificial things possessed magic powers and were 

 the abode of spirits in human form. There were also many mon- 

 sters possessed of human mentality. In early times the Indians 

 would not willingly kill a wolf or a rattlesnake. Besides their soli- 

 tary state, animals might live in towns, and we have, in particular, 

 several stories of visits to snake towns, usually those belonging to 

 water serpents. The mammalian and reptilian organisms living in 

 water were often mentioned under the term "masters of waters," 

 and they were supposed to be able to bring on or withhold rain. 

 The Tie-snake was a very powerful water serpent capable of carry- 

 ing off a cow or horse. According to one tale, it originated from a 

 transformed human being. The sharp-breasted snake was supposed 

 to be responsible for many of the marks made by lightning, the 

 horned snake was a favorite assistant of heroes, its horns furnishing 

 a powerful hunting or war medicine, and it shared with the celestial 

 Thunder Being the power of producing lightning. A very short 

 snake was in the habit of flying heavenward from its den under 

 ground and appears to have been connected with the whirlwind. 

 There are many stories regarding a monster lizard that used to live 

 in hollow trees after the manner of a bear. The eagle and a small 

 hawk were very highly esteemed. The hoot owl and a small red- 

 headed woodpecker were able to foresee events and indicate them by 

 their cries or their mere presence. Dogs often appear in myths as 

 helpers. 



