Volume 13 , Issue 43

Tlingit Legend of Adam and Eve

This Native American legend is also a legend of the Thompson and Tlingit legend of when the Earth was very young and only two people lived on it. A man called A'taam and a woman called Iim. The Chief lived in the upper world, while the Outcast lived in the lower world.

As always, they were enemies of each other. They tried to do each other harm. The Chief was the more powerful, and he frequently visited the Earth and talked with A'taam and Iim.

One day the Outcast created an animal like a horse, making it appear before the man and woman. When the latter saw it, she said, "That is Chief come to visit us." But A;team said it was not. At last, he believed it must be the Chief and they went and spoke with it.

Soon afterwards the Chief appeared, and they recognized the difference. Chief was angry and said, "Why do you mistake the Outcast for me and converse with him? Have I not told you he is evil and will do you harm?" Looking at the animal, the Chief said to the couple, "Well, since this beast is here, I will so transform him that he will be useful to you."

The Chief wetted both his thumbs, pressed them on the animal's front legs, and thus marked him, saying, "Henceforth you will be a horse and a servant and plaything of the people, who will ride you, and use you for many purposes. You will be a valuable slave of man."

Now the mosquitoes were tormenting the horse very much, so the Chief plucked some long grass which grew near by, and threw it at the animal's backside, and it became a long tail. He also threw some on the horse's neck, and it became a mane. He said, "Henceforth you will be able to protect yourself from the mosquitoes."

Then he plucked out more grass, and threw it ahead of the horse, saying, "That will be your food." It turned into bunch grass, which soon spread over the whole country.

The Chief departed, telling the man and woman he would soon return and show them which trees bore the proper kinds of food to eat. Hitherto they had eaten no fruit, for they did not know the edible varieties. At that time all trees bore fruit, and the pines and firs in particular had large sweet fruit. The Outcast soon appeared again, pretending to be the Chief, he took the large long fruit of the white pine, and gave it to him.

Iim thought he was the Chief, ate the fruit as directed, and gave some to A'taam. Then the Outcast disappeared and all the fruit on the trees withered up, and became transformed into cones. Some kinds shriveled up to a small size, and became berries.

When the Chief came and saw what had happened, he sent the woman to live with the Outcast. The Chief took A'taam, and broke off his lower rib, and made a woman out of it. This rib-woman became A'taam's wife, and bore many children to him.   |  View or Add Comments (0 Comments)   |   Receive updates ( subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

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