Origin Myth of Acoma

First, there were two female human beings, born underground. There was no light, so they could only feel each other and grow slowly. The Spirit, called, Tsichtinako, spoke to them and gave them nourishment, and learned language from it. They asked what they were, and it replied they were “nuk’timi” (under the earth) until everything was ready for them. It gave them a present of seeds and little images of all the different animals to be in the world. They were tasked with planting the trees and then use the trees to get into the light. The trees were of different sorts, but the tallest, lanye grew fastest, but didn’t let in enough light. Tsichtinako advised them to find the image of the dyu’p (badger) and tell it to become alive. They instructed Badger to climb up the pine tree and bore a hole in the earth. The locust is then brought to life and told to plaster the sides of the hole but to not go out into the light. The locust disobeys, and is punished by living a short life and having to return to its home when the weather was bad. They then go to the light and are told to worship the sun. Tsichtinako tells them it is not their father, their father is Uchtsiti, who made the world and many other things. He made the sisters to rule and bring life to the rest of the things. Uchtisiti made the world by throwing a clot of his own blood into space and it grew into the Earth. Then Uchtisiti planted the sisters in the earth and nourished them, but now that they are above the earth they must nourish themselves. They’ll never see Uchtisit because he is in the “four skies above” The sisters are named Nautsiti and Iatiku and Iatiku calls her clan the “Corn clan” and Nautsiti is “sun clan”. They then plant the rest of the seeds and are given fire, and told how to make fire to cook food. They then are told to give life to the Ba’shya (kangaroo mouse) to be used as food and they are taught a song to sing to animals in order to make the animals come to life. After planting the trees and grasses, and bringing the small animals to life, Tsichtinako tells them to make mountains. Then they plant more wild fruits and bring the larger animals to life. The snake came to life on its own after the baskets were dropped and tempts Nautsiti and causes them to fight with each other and compete. Even though Tsichtinako had told them that their father forbade them to have children, the snake Pishuni, tells Nautsiti to go ask a rainbow how to make a child. The rain drips into her and conceives twin sons. She gives one she doesn’t like to Iatiku, and then the sisters decide to separate. Nautsiti, on leaving, wants to share her basket items, sheep and cattle, but Iatiku thinks they will be too hard to care for. The same for wheat and vegetables. Also, precious metals and writing, but Iatiku didn’t want any of it. The son Iatiku raises becomes her husband, Tia’muni and they bore many children. Iatiku is “Mother” and instructs her people and names each child after a clan “badger, antelope, red corn, blue corn,” etc. Iatiku also makes the spirits of the seasons, Sha-k’ak (Winter), Morityema (Spring), Maiyochina (Summer), and Shrui’sthia (Fall). She made several other sprits and prayer sticks, to which she told the gods, “this is how the humans will call for you.” She also makes the first house and tells them this is what they will live in. Various rituals are described and the proper building of the medicine hut. Hunting methods and rules are also prescribed.

Selections from Popol Vuh

Preamble
The Primordial World
The Creation of the Earth
The Creation of the Animals
The Fall of the Animals
The Creation of the Mud Person
The Creation of the Effigies of Carved Wood
The Fall of the Effigies of Carved Wood
The Creation of Humanity (180)
The Discovery of Maize
The First Four Men
The Miraculous Vision of the First Men
The Displeasure of the Gods
The Creation of the Mothers of the Quiche Nation
The Nations are Humiliated (233)
The Nations are Defeated
The Deaths of the Four Progenitors

In the Preamble, we learn that the Quiche is a place and a people, one that means “many trees” or “forest” and that the dawn of humanity is known as the “sowing” and was done by the Framer and the Shaper.

The Primordial World was silent and placid, only the sky existed at first and then the sea. Then in the Creation of the Earth, we learn that the word created the Earth by emptying out some of the sea and then leveling it, then the mountains were formed by the water, then covered with trees.

The Creation of the Animals were seen as guardians of the forest and populated the mountains. The Framer and the Shaper wanted them to speak and call out to worship them, but the animals could only moan and growl, so they were seen as insufficient and from that point on only useful as food.

The Framer and the Shaper tried again with the Mud Person, but it fell apart and dissolved. It spoke, but without knowledge. It dissolved in water and so it was unmade.

They tried again in Carved Wood. These effigies looked like people and spoke like people, and they populated the earth, but they did not have hearts or minds. They did not remember their Framer or Shaper and walked without purpose. They had no blood or oil or sweat, and they were stiff and rigid. They were killed by a flood, crushed, and ruined.

Then humanity is created, after they thought and pondered for a good long time in the night, thinking and shifting. Maize is then discovered and this becomes the flesh of the people. Water becomes their blood.
The first men were given frame and shape, but had no mother and no father. They were brought about by the spirit essence of the Framer and the Shaper. They were able to speak and converse, listen, look, and they had breath and became people with vision.

They were asked by the Framer and the Shaper what the nature of their existence was, and whether or not they could see, which they could. They could see everything, but the Gods were unhappy with this and so removed their vision because it was a mistake to let them see everything and be so close to Gods.

The Gods then created their companions, and their hearts rejoiced.

The Nations are then humiliated in their attempts to take over the Gods and in their hubris of wealth and beauty find themselves stripped of their gold and precious metals. Then they are defeated by “the warriors and the killers”. Rather than being completely killed they are made to be servents

“Origin of Disease and Medicine” (Cherokee)

This myth also shows the way man uses animals and plants, to the detriment of the animals. They hold a council when man has become too greedy and numerous. The bears decide to try and make bows and arrows, but are unable to shoot the bow without cutting off their claws. They disband, making no solution. The deer vow that any man who takes a deer’s life without asking for forgiveness will suffer rheumatism. The reptiles and snakes and fish make man dream of them, causing them to be sick. The other animals all get together and come up with lists of diseases to cause to man, but the plants hearing this vow to help man. Every plant is supposed to have a cure for some ill if only man will find it.