the iroquois creation story as told by david cusick in 1827, in

1、TheIroquoisCreationStyAstoldbyDavidCusickin1827inSketchesoftheAncientHistyoftheSixNationsATaleoftheFoundationoftheGreatIslNowNthAmerica—theTwoInfantsBntheCreationoftheUniverseAmongtheancientsthereweretwowldsinexistence.T

2、helowerwldwasingreatdarkness—thepossessionofthegreatmonsterbuttheupperwldwasinhabitedbymankindtherewasawomanconceivedwouldhavethetwinbn.Whenhertravaildrewnearhersituationseemedtoproduceagreatdistressonhermindshewasinduce

3、dbysomeofherrelationstolayherselfonamattresswhichwaspreparedsoastogainrefreshmentstoherweariedbodybutwhileshewasasleeptheveryplacesunkdowntowardsthedarkwld.Themonstersofthegreatwaterwerealarmedatherappearanceofdescending

4、tothelowerwldinconsequenceallthespeciesofthecreatureswereimmediatelycollectedintowhereitwasexpectedshewouldfall.Whenthemonsterswereassembledtheymadeconsultationoneofthemwasappointedinhastetosearchthegreatdeepindertoprocu

5、resomeearthifitcouldbeobtainedaccdinglythemonsterdescendswhichsucceedsreturnstotheplace.Anotherrequisitionwaspresentedwhowouldbecapabletosecurethewomanfromtheterrsofthegreatwaterbutnonewasabletocomplyexceptalargeturtleca

6、mefwardmadeproposaltothemtoendureherlastingweightwhichwasaccepted.Thewomanwasyetdescendingfromagreatdistance.Theturtleexecutesuponthespotasmallquantityofearthwasvarnishedonthebackpartoftheturtle.Thewomanalightsontheseatp

7、reparedshereceivesasatisfaction.Whileholdinghertheturtleincreasedeverymomentbecameaconsiderableislofearthapparentlycoveredwithsmallbushes.Thewomanremainedinastateofunlimiteddarknessshewasovertakenbyhertravailtowhichshewa

8、ssubject.Whileshewasinthelimitsofdistressoneoftheinfantsinherwombwasmovedbyanevilopinionhewasdeterminedtopassoutunderthesideoftheparent’sarmtheotherinfantinvainendeavouredtopreventhisdesign.Thewomanwasinapainfulcondition

9、duringthetimeoftheirdisputestheinfantsenteredthedarkwldbycompulsiontheirparentexpiredinafewmoments.Theyhadthepowerofsustenancewithoutanurseremainedinthedarkregions.AfteratimetheturtleincreasedtoagreatIsltheinfantsweregro

10、wnuponeofthempossessedwithagentledispositionnamedEnigioi.e.thegoodmind.TheotheryouthpossessedaninsolenceofacterwasnamedEnigonhahetgeai.e.thebadmind.Thegoodmindwasnotcontentedtoremaininadarksituationhewasanxioustocreateag

11、reatlightinthedarkwldbutthebadmindwasdesirousthatthewldshouldremaininanaturalstate.Thegoodminddeterminestoprosecutehisdesignstherefecommencesthewkofcreation.Atfirsthetooktheparent’shead(thedeceased)ofwhichhecreatedanbest

12、ablisheditinthecentreofthefirmamentitbecameofaverysuperinaturetobestowlighttothenewwld(nowthesun)againhetooktheremnantofthebodyfmedanotherbwhichwasinferitothelight(nowmoon).Inthebacloudoflegsappearedtoproveitwasthebodyof

13、thegoodmind(parent).Thefmerwastogivelighttothedaythelattertothenighthealsocreatednumerousspotsoflight(nowstars):theseweretoregulatethedaysnightsseasonsyearsetc.Wheneverthelightextendedtothedarkwldthemonstersweredisplease

14、dimmediatelyconcealedthemselvesinthedeepplaceslesttheyshouldbediscoveredbysomehumanbeings.ThegoodmindcontinuedthewksofcreationhefmednumerouscreeksriversontheGreatIslthencreatednumerousspeciesofanimalsofthesmallestthegrea

15、testtoinhabitthefestsfishesofallkindstoinhabitthewaters.WhenhehadmadetheuniversehewasindoubtrespectingsomebeingtopossesstheGreatIslhefmedtwoimagesofthedustofthegroundinhisownlikenessmalefemalebyhisbreathingintotheirnostr

16、ilshegavethemthelivingsoulsnamedthemEaGweHowei.e.arealpeoplehegavetheGreatIslalltheanimalsfgameftheirmaintenanceheappointedthundertowatertheearthbyfrequentrainsagreeableofthenatureofthesystemafterthistheIslbecamefruitful

17、vegetationaffdedtheanimalssubsistence.ThebadmindwhilehisbrotherwasmakingtheuniversewentthroughouttheIslmadenumeroushighmountainsfallsofwatergreatsteepsalsocreatesvariousreptileswhichwouldbeinjurioustomankindbutthegoodmin

18、drestedtheIsltoitsfmercondition.Thebadmindproceededfurtherinhismotiveshemadetwoimagesofclayinthefmofmankindbutwhilehewasgivingthemexistencetheybecameapeswhenhehadnotthepowertocreatemankindhewasenviousagainsthisbrotheraga

19、inhemadetwoofclay.Thegoodminddiscoveredhisbrotherscontrivancesaidedingivingthemlivingsouls(itissaidthesehadthemostknowledgeofgoodevil).Thegoodmindnowaccomplishesthewksofcreationnotwithstingtheimaginationsofthebadmindwere

20、continuallyevilheattemptedtoenclosealltheanimalsofgameintheearthsoastodeprivethemfrommankindbutthegoodmindreleasedthemfromconfinement(theanimalsweredispersedtracesofthemweremadeontherocksnearthecavewhereitwasclosed).Theg

21、oodmindexperiencesthathisbrotherwasatvariancewiththewksofcreationfeelsnotdisposedtofavanyofhisproceedingsbutgivesadmonitionsofhisfuturestate.Afterwardsthegoodmindrequestedhisbrothertoaccompanyhimashewasproposedtoinspectt

22、hegameetc.butwhenashtdistancefromtheirmoninal[sic]residencethebadmindbecamesounmanlythathecouldnotconducthisbrotheranyme.Thebadmindofferedachallengetohisbrotherresolvedthathewhogainsthevictyshouldgoverntheuniverseappoint

23、edadaytomeetthecontest.Thegoodmindwaswillingtosubmittotheofferheentersthereconciliationwithhisbrotherwhichhefalselymentionsthatbywhippingwithflagswoulddestroyhistempallifeheearnestlysolicitshisbrotheralsotonoticetheinstr

24、umentofdeathwhichhemanifestlyrelatesbytheuseofdeerhnsbeatinghisbodyhewouldexpire.Onthedayappointedtheengagementcommencedwhichlastedftwodays:afterpullingupthetreesmountainsasthetrackofaterriblewhirlwindatlastthegoodmindga

25、inedthevictybyusingthehnsasmentionedtheinstrumentofdeathwhichhesucceededindeceivinghisbrotherhecrushedhimintheearththelastwdsutteredfromthebadmindwerethathewouldhaveequalpoweroverthesoulsofmankindafterdeathhesinksdowntoe

26、ternaldoombecametheEvilSpirit.Afterthistumultthegoodmindrepairedtothebattlegroundthenvisitedthepeopleretiresfromtheearth.“TheIroquoisCreationSty.”TheNtonAnthologyofAmericanLiteratureShterSeventhEdition.Ed.NinaBaym.NewYk: