51. "The History of the Universe" as told by the Achumawi Indians of California

Selections from "Annikadel:
The History
of
the Universe,
as told by the
Achumawi Indians
of
California,
Istet Woiche
(William Hulsey)",
recorded and edited by
C. Hart Merriam, M.D.,
The University
of Arizona Press,
Tucson, [1928] 1992,
p. 19 - 23.
 
Excerpt
from
the
Introduction:
 
In the beginning
there was
no land --
water everywhere;
and
no light --
darkness everywhere.
 
There were two
pre-existing
Supreme Deities --
Annikadel
and
his grandfather,
Tik'-a-do He-da'-che,
the World's Heart.
 
They
were endowed
with
vast powers;
they
knew everything
and
were able
to
work miracles.
 
Annikadel
dwelt in the sky
and
the Indians
believe him
to have been
the same
as
the white man's God.
 
He went
everywhere
through the air.
 
His underparts
were
blue and white --
the color
of the sky,
so no one
in looking up
could see him.
 
The most
that anyone
ever saw
of him
was
a glint of light.
 
The
World's Heart
created
the world
and
lived
in its center.
 
[...]
 
[From page xxi]
 
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Chapter III
 
Kwahn
the silver Fox-man
and
Wa-low-tah
the Cloud Maiden
 
One day
a cloud
appeared
in the North.
 
It was
the first,
for
as yet
there had been
neither
fog nor cloud.
 
Kwahn saw it
and
wanted to know
what it was.
 
Annikadel
told him,
adding,
"Anything
you see,
I'll give you
its name
in a dream."
 
The cloud
stayed
in the same place
in the North
until
Kwahn
became sleepy.
 
Then he went
to his house
and slept
and dreamed.
 
He dreamed
that a cloud
came
in the North,
another
in the East,
one in the South,
and
still another
in the West.
 
Annikadel
spoke
in the dream:
"Watch
the North cloud.
 
There is
a girl
in it."
 
So
in the morning
Kwahn
went out
and
watched
the North cloud
and
saw it rise.
 
After a while
he looked down.
 
When he
looked up again
it was
coming nearer.
 
He grew tired
of watching.
 
Next time he
looked
the cloud
covered the sky.
 
He watched
and
it seemed as if
water
were going
to fall.
 
He
was surprised.
 
He thought
that
if water
were going
to
come down
he had better
go
and
sleep.
 
So
he went in
and slept.
 
Again
Annikadel
appeared
in a dream,
saying:
"This
will be
the way;
there will be
clouds
and
rain
all over
the world --
to
soak the ground --
so
do not be afraid.
 
When
you awake,
you will hear
a girl
singing."
 
Kwahn,
when half asleep,
heard her.
 
She sang:
                "He-hi'-nah we'-nah, we'-nah
                He-hi'-nah we'-nah, we'-nah
                He-hi'-nah we'-nah, we'-nah!"
 
He got up
and
looked around,
but
saw nothing.
 
It was dark
from
the rain cloud,
so
he went
back to sleep.
 
Annikadel's
voice
continued:
"In the place
where you
are standing
there will be
a tree;
the girl
will come
out of the air
and
light on
the tree.
 
You must
speak to her."
 
[Up to
that time
there
had been
no trees
and
no grass.]
 
Then
he awoke.
 
His
dream
came
natural.
 
He looked
and
saw a tree,
a small tree,
a young
yellow pine.
 
He went
under it
and thought
he would
like to
live there.
 
He didn't
know
what
to do.
 
Then
he heard
the song again;
it was
a long way
North.

He sat down.

 
The song
came
nearer and nearer.
 
He
was
half asleep.
 
He heard
Annikadel's voice
say:
"At
the left of the tree
is
a little spring.
 
If you
are
thirsty,
drink
the water.
 
When
you awake,
give
the girl
water."
 
Then he awoke
and
found
the spring,
and also
a basket cup
and
a basket bucket.
 
The water
came up
in the middle
of the spring
but
did not
run out.
 
Then he heard
the girl
singing
close by.
 
The song
sounded
right there.
 
At first
he
didn't
look up;
when
he looked,
she
was sitting
in the tree.
 
He asked:
"Will you
come down?"
 
"Yes,"
she
answered.
 
He picked
the best place
and
told her
to sit there.
 
Annikadel
made him
think
a log,
so
she
might have
something
to
sit on,
and
a log
appeared,
and
she sat on it.
 
She
was surprised.
 
She
did not know
who
had
made it come --
she thought
Kwahn
had done it.
 
He asked:
"Will you
live here
with me
and
be
my sister?"
 
"Yes, brother,"
she answered.
 
"I'll stay
with you,"
adding,
"I was born
in the air."
 
Kwahn replied:
"Maybe
you can't
live here.
 
If you
can't
stand it,
you may
go back
to the place
where
you
were born."
 
She
liked that,
and
was proud
because
he had said it.
 
At night
Kwahn
was sleepy.
 
She
didn't know
what
sleep
was,
but remarked,
"All right,
I'll go back
where
I was born."
 
So
she returned
to
the cloud.
 
But
she
didn't sleep.
 
She was
Wa-low'-tah,
the
Cloud Maiden,
who
by and by
became
Lo-we'-chah
the
Eagle-woman.
 
Wherever
there was
trouble,
she went there.
 
She
didn't like
trouble.
 
When Kwahn
awoke,
Walowtah
came
and
sat
on the log.
 
Another tree
had
just come up
beside
the log.
 
She thought
Kwahn
had
made it come;
she
was proud.
 
Kwahn
told her
to
walk about
but
not to go
too far.
 
She did,
and
when
he slept
again
she
went back
into
the cloud.
 
The
second time
she
went back,
Annikadel
said
to Kwahn
in a dream:
"You
treated
that girl
well;
you need
her
and
will have
use
for her.
 
When you
awake
she
will return
just
as if
she
were coming
home.
 
She
doesn't know
sleep."
 
The place
where
Kwahn
and
the Cloud Maiden
were
was
the middle
of the world.
 
At that time
there were
only five
important people,
Apponahah,
Ja' mul,
Kwahn,
Alleum,
and
Walowtah.

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