LITERARY ASPECTS OF NORTH AMERICAN MYTHOLOGY. 
31 
can Indians, and compare them with the Twin cycle of the 
Winnebago, the Wi-sa'ka® myth of the origin of the Fox Midewi- 
win, the cycle of Haxige of the Omaha, and with numerous 
origin myths of ceremonials, a great difference will be found to 
exist in the way in which the different elements of the myth- 
complex have been welded together. 
In the Trickster cycle of the Winnebago and of the Ojibwa 
of southeastern Ontario and in the Fox Wrsa'ka* cycle there is 
practically no general plot, but merely a sequence of episodes 
strung together either without a connecting link or by means 
of a very vague general theme. Frequently this theme consists 
simply in regarding the episodes as various stages in a journey. 
Such, for instance, is the case in the Winnebago cycle and in the 
Nenebojo cycle of southeastern Ontario. In the Mississauga 
version the theme is the bungling host. The latter is also found 
in the Wi-sa'ka a cycle. Whatever unity is found in this last- 
mentioned cycle consists in the characteristics of the host. 
Each episode is in itself a unit with this proviso — that some are 
probably grouped together, in the minds of the people, with other 
themes, different heroes, and different psychological-literary 
situations. 
In order to test the constancy of the association of a definite 
series of episodes in a given story, I had two brothers, among the 
Winnebago, tell me a myth which they had both derived from 
the same source, and subsequently I had an individual tell me 
the same myth at different intervals. The result showed a 
marked variability in the selections of the episodes. 
Such is the situation we find in the general trickster cycles. 
The moment, however, we turn to myths like that of the Winne- 
bago 4 Twins” and the others mentioned above which have be- 
come associated with rituals, an entirely different condition con- 
fronts us. There is, first, a more or less marked unity of plot. 
Episodes are held together by reference to some literary unit, 
actions are fairly well motivated, and there is a gradual unfolding 
of a plot. It is quite apparent immediately that we are dealing 
with a literary unit. Take for example the Twin cycle. It 
consists of more than half a dozen myths, but they have, on 
the whole, been so artistically woven together by general themes, 
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