Jack777
February 9th 2005, 03:01 PM
Mewuk Cosmogony
This creation story from the Mewuk is not a creation story in the sense of cosmogony. It starts like so many from around the world of how things were at the beginning of this age of ages. If you will notice, the story picks up at a specific place that directly correlates to the Bible in Genesis. It also correlates to a specific place in the Babylonian/Sumerian/ Akkadian/Assyrian accounts.
HOW AH-HA'-LE STOLE THE SUN FOR THE VALLEY PEOPLE
A TALE OF THE SOUTHERN MEWUK
A long time ago there were two countries, the Valley Country and the Foothills Country, and each had its own kind of people. The Valley Country was the big flat land which the white people call the San Joaquin Plain; it had no trees and no Sun but was always enveloped in fog and was always cold and dark. The Foothills Country began on the east side of the valley and reached up into the mountains; it was covered with trees and had the Sun.
Two versions of the story have been obtained: (1) How Ah-ha'-le stole the Sun, told by the Mariposa Mewuk; and (2) How Ah-ha'-le stole the Morning, told by the Chowchilla Mewuk.
Source: How Ah-ha'-le Stole the Sun For the Valley People (http://www.sacred-texts.com/nam/ca/dow/dow08.htm)
This creation story from the Mewuk is not a creation story in the sense of cosmogony. It starts like so many from around the world of how things were at the beginning of this age of ages. If you will notice, the story picks up at a specific place that directly correlates to the Bible in Genesis. It also correlates to a specific place in the Babylonian/Sumerian/ Akkadian/Assyrian accounts.
HOW AH-HA'-LE STOLE THE SUN FOR THE VALLEY PEOPLE
A TALE OF THE SOUTHERN MEWUK
A long time ago there were two countries, the Valley Country and the Foothills Country, and each had its own kind of people. The Valley Country was the big flat land which the white people call the San Joaquin Plain; it had no trees and no Sun but was always enveloped in fog and was always cold and dark. The Foothills Country began on the east side of the valley and reached up into the mountains; it was covered with trees and had the Sun.
Two versions of the story have been obtained: (1) How Ah-ha'-le stole the Sun, told by the Mariposa Mewuk; and (2) How Ah-ha'-le stole the Morning, told by the Chowchilla Mewuk.
Source: How Ah-ha'-le Stole the Sun For the Valley People (http://www.sacred-texts.com/nam/ca/dow/dow08.htm)