LOOK UP THE SKY, LOOK UP AND UP. IN SPRING AT THE DANCING OF THE MOON, LOOK UP; YOU MAY SEE ME COMING DOWN IN MY CANOE. LOOK UP THE SKY, LOOK ANEW, ANEW.
old WOODCARVING 'Fisherman's homecoming' Possible from Brazilian state of BAHIA or MINAS GERAIS... That I bought on a streetmarked in Rio. Restored by my father Pierre Pieters
+PIRACEMA+ Drawing by José Custódio Marques Meãmücü (Ticuna tribe) (c) Musea Magüta, Benjamin Constant, Amazonas
Street-Art GRAFFITI in RIO DE JANEIRO -foto wolffystyle
STORY OF THE TWO BROTHERS - TOLD BY NAVAJOS OF NEW MEXICO AND ARIZONA
Of all the Divine Ones none is more revered than Estsan-Natheli (She-Who-Changeth*). Highly honered, too, is her younger sister Yolkai-Estsan (White-Shell-Woman). Of the turquoise of the land was made She-Who-Changeth; of the white shell of the ocean was made White-Shell-Woman. Each sister bore a son; the child of She-Who-Changeth was the god Nayenezrani; the child of White-Shell-Woman was the god Tobajischini. At that time there were in the world many Anaye, they say, gods unfriendly to man, evil beings, giants, monsters, who destroyed the people.** When the two young gods were grown, they wanted to slay the Anaye that the people might have saved. Now the brothers*** often ask of the mothers, "Who is our father?" The mothers always answered, "You have none." At last, one day, they set out to find for themselves; they took a holy trail and journeyed on the sunbeams. It was Niltshi, the Wind, who guiden them, whispering his counsel in there ears. There father was Johano-ai, the Sun. His beautiful house was in the east; it was made of turquoise, and stood on the shore of great waters. There he dwelled with his wife, his daughters, and his sons, The Black Thunder and The Blue Thunder. Until the coming of the strange brothers, the wife of the Sun had not known that her husband had visited a goddess on the earth. Nor would Johano-ai believe that the two gods were his sons until he had proved it by making them undergo all kinds of trials. But the youths came through each test unharmed, and then the Sun rejoiced that these were indeed his children, and promised to give them what they asked. The brothers told there father that they wanted weapons with which to slay the Anaye. So Johano-ai gave them helmets, shirts, and moccasins, all of black flint; and when this armor was put on, the four lightnings flashed from the different joints. He gaven them for weapons a mighty knife of stone, and arrows of rainbow, of sunbeam, and of lightning. So the brothers slew the Anaye, and after each victory they returned to their mothers rejoicing. Then Johano-ai came to She-Who-Changeth and begged her to make for him a home in the west, where he might rest at evening after his long day's jouney across the skies. Long he pleaded with her, until at last she yielded and said, "I will go and make a home for you, if you will give me what I ask. You have a beautiful turquoise house in the east, they say. I must have just such a beautiful house in the west, only it must be beyond the shore and floating amid the waters; and around the house must be planted all kinds of gems, that they may grow and become many." Johano-ai granted every wish, and now, beyond the mountains, the sun-god rest at evening in the gem-surrounded floating house of Estan-Natlehi in the west.
*The goddess is thus named because she passes through endless lives, continually changing from old to young again - it's probable that she is an apotheosis of nature or of the changing year. ** many of the Anaye are personifications of the dangers that lie in nature. *** The two gods are called 'brothers' in aal versions of the myth. Another version make both gods twin-children of She-Who-Changeth.
CHEYENNE LIFE IN THE OLD TIME as told by CHIEF HIAMOVI (HIGH CHIEF)
In the beginning our Father made the earth and gave to us all things. We had no so much clothes as now, nor had we any metals. We wore the skins of beasts, for the Father gave to us the buffalo and all kinds of animals to meet our wants. The bow we made ourselves, and arrows, too, pointed with sharp stone. When we had made the bow and arrow we began to hunt, and when we saw the buffalo we would creep up to him on hands and knees, softly, until within a hundred paces of him. Then we would rise on one knee and shoot him dead. We had knives made of the ribs of the buffalo or of sharpened stones, and with these we skinned the buffalo and cut off the meat and carried it home on our backs. The women sliced the meat and then set up long poles supported on notched sticks, and on these poles they hung the meat to dry. They dried the hides, too, and then scraped them with sharp stones until they grew soft, and of these they made shirts and leggings. We had no horses, but used big, shaggy dogs. When we journeyed we packed the dried meat in satchels of painted hide. These were carried by the dogs. The poles were bound together by a strip of hide and fastened to the neck of the dog, and the bundles were tied upon the poles. Each family had its own dogs. Sometimes on a long journey the dogs would grow tired and began to droop and flag. Then the people would call the dogs, "'Hiya, go on, go on!" But no matter how we called, the dogs would hang there tongues and lag slower and slower. Then some one would cry, "Buffalo ahead; fresh meat in plenty!" and then the dogs would bound forward as though they had just set out. When we came to a camping-ground the women untied the bundles and put the meat in pots to boil. These pots were made of fine earth hardened in the fire. When any one wanted to kindle a fire he would hold a piece of dry, rotten wood against a stone, and then strike the stone with flint so that the sparks would light up upon the dry wood. Or he would take the stalk of the soapweed plant and rest one end in a socket bored stone. Then he would twirl the stalk between his hands, and twirl and twirl till at last smoke and fire came at the end. All this was long ago, before our people ever had seen the white man. But one time a man was far away in Texas and there he saw a horse. He was frightened at first because he thought it must be a creature that would kill him men and devour them. But he caught the horse and tied him fast and patted him, and when he found the horse did not bite he was glad and tried to tame him. When he had tamed him he harnessed him with poles, like a dog, and put his children on the horse's back and seated himself on the poles behind. Afterwards the people found other horses, and these had colts. So we came to have many horses. Only the old people tell of it. My mother told me all these things. She is over a hundred years old, and she learned these stories from her grandmother. This was the way we lived in the old, old time when all that we had was given to us by the Father or made by us ourselves.
'CIGARA BETWEEN ITAIPÃ BONES' - COMPILATION oil on tile/bones/insect Ramblin' Wayn 2009
These little fish and bird bones were found at the dunes of the Itaipú beach near Niteroi, RJ, Brazil, they're assumed to be more than 4.000 years old At that time Indian fishing people lived on the high sand-dunes, where they build there cabins and had a fantastic view over the sea, from where they could spot the impending enemies...
This compilation I named: "CIGARA BETWEEN ITAIPÚ BONES" (Cigara = insect which made a hard sound when sings in the summer, mostly in trees) I found this one in Rio de Janeiro, but it already lost her wings...
Some fragments of the cigara broke off,- right wing, amongst other things - the hard noise (like a whistle), he produce with his arse...
The story of the first mother -- Wabanakis ( Children of the dawn-country) tribe
a little story which I dedicate to my mother's heart... RW WOODEN INDIAN HEAD, CARVED OUT OF JACARANDA-WOOD, BRAZIL
Joseph Nicolar, a Penobscot indian, compiled and wrote the legends of his people, and published them himself in the year 1893, in a small volume entitled THE RED MAN. "THE STORY OF THE FIRST MOTHER," is adapted from the book.
Long ago, when KÍoskurbeh, the great teacher, lived in the land, and there were as yet no other men, there came to him one day at noon a youth; and the youth stood before KÍoskurbeh and called him "mother's brother', and said: "I was born of the foam of the waters; for the wind blew, and the waves quickened into foam, and the sun shone on the foam and warmed it, and the warmth made life, and that life is I. See , I am young and swift, and I haven come to abide with you and be your help in all things." Again on a day at noon there came a maiden and stood before the two and called them "my children", and the maiden said: "I haven come to abide with you, and I have brought with me love; I will give it to you, and if you will love me and grant my wish, all the world will love me well, even the very beast. Strenght is mine, and I give it to whoeoever may get me; comfort also; for though I am young my strenght shall be felt over all the earth. I was born of the beautiful plant of the earth; for the dew fell on the leaf, and the sun warmed the dew, and the warmth was life, and that life is I." Then KÍoskurbeh, lifted up his hands towards the sun and praised the Great Spirit, and afterwards the young man and the maid were man and wife, and she became the first mother. Kioskurbeh taught their children and did great works for them, and when his works were finished he went away to live in the Northland until it should be time for him to come again. But the people increased until they were very many, and there came a famine among them; and then the first mother grew more and more sorrowfull. Every day at noon she left her husband's lodge and stayed from him until the shadows were long. And her husband that dearly loved her was sad because of her sorrow, and one day he followed her trail as far as the ford of the river, and there he waited for her to return. When she came, she sang as she began to ford the river, and as long as her feet were in the water she seemed glad, and the man saw something that trailed behind her right foot, like a long green blade. But when she came out of the water she stooped and cast off the blade and she appeared sorrowful. The husband followed her home as the sun was going down, and he bade her come out and look at the beautiful sun. And while they stood side by side, there came seven litlle children that stood in front of them and looked into the woman's face, saying, "We are hungry, and the night will soon be there. Where is the food?" The husband reached out his hand and wiped away her tears and said, "My wife, what can I do to make you happy?" And she ansered, "Take my life." Then the husband went away to the Northland to take counsel with KÍoskurbeh, and with the rising of the seventh sun he came again and said, "O wife, Kioskurbeh has told me to do the thing you wish." Then the woman was glad and said, "When you have slain me, let two men lay hold of my hair and draw my body all around the field, and when they have come to the middle of the field, there let them bury my bones. Then they must come away; but when seven moons have passed let them go again to the field and gather all that they find, and eat; it's my flesh; but you must have save a part of it to put in the ground again. My bones you cannot eat, but you may burn them, and the smoke will bring peace to you and to our children." On the morrow when the sun was rising he slew his wife; and, as she had bidden, men drew her body all about an open field, untill the flesh was worn away, and in the middle of the field they buried the bones. But when sven moons had gone by, and the husband came again to that place, he saw it all filled with beautiful tall plants; and he tasted the fruit of the plants and found it sweet, and he called it "Skar-mu-nal," corn. And on the place where her bones were buried he saw a plant with broad leaves, bitter to the taste, and he called it "Utar-Mur-wa-yeh," tobacco. Then the people were glad in their hearts, and they came to his harvest; but when when it was all gathered in, the man did not know how they should divide it, and he sent to KÍoskurbeh for counsel. When KÍoskurbeh came and saw the great harvest, he gave thanks to the Great Spirit and said, "Now have the first words of the first mother come to pass, for she said she was born of the leaf of the beautiful plant, and that her power should be felt over the whole world, and that all men should love her. And now that she is gone into this substance, take care that this, the second seed of the first mother, be always with you, fot it is her flesh. Her bones also have been given for your good; burn them; and the smoke will bring freshness to the mind. And since these things came from the goodness of a woman's heart, see that you hold her always in memory; remember her when you eat, remember her when the smoke of her bones rises before you. And because you are all brothers, divide among you her flesh and her bones - let all shares be alike - for so will the love of the first mother haven been fulfilled."
WINNEBAGO TRIBE __ STORIES OF WAK-CHUNG-KAKA, THE FOOLISCH ONE
C.D Cover from the Ramblin' Wayn album: ''DESTINATION ROAD"
1----- One day Wak-chung-kaka was walking over a hill and he looked down into a hollow where reeds grew tall, andhe thought he saw a trong of people with feathers on their heads. The wind blew through the reeds, and Wak-chung-kaka thhought that the people danced and hallooed "Wu-wu-wu!" So he put a feather on his head and went in among the people and danced and shouted "Wu-wu-wu!" He danced all day long, till at evening the wind dropped and everything was still; and then Wak-chung-kaka looked around him and found himself alone among the reeds.
2----- Wak-chung-kaka was walking one day beside the water when he saw a chief standing there dressed aal in black with a shining disk on his breast, and the chief was pointing across the water. Wak-chung-kaka spoke to him, but the chief never moved or answered; he still pointed steadily across the water. Wak-chung-kaka spoke to him again, and still there was no answer. Four times he spoke to him, and then at last Wak-chung-kaka grew angry and said: "I can point, too, and I can point longer than you." So Wak-chung-kaka set down his bundle and opened it and dressed himself aal in black like the chief, pointing across the water. But when he had stood thus for a great time without moving, Wak-chung-kaka began to weary of this, and looked around at the chief, and. behold! it was only the blackened stump of a burned tree with a white spot that the fire had not touched.
3---- Another time Wak-chung-kaka was walking along a sandy shore of a lake, and when he came to a point of the shore he heard a cry, "Wu-wu-wu!" He looked over the point, but could see nobody, so he walked on till he heard the cry: "Wu-wu-wu!" and saw a little cloud of flies fly up into the air. There was an elk's head lying on the shore, and a swarm of flies flew in at the neck-hole behind, and then they flew out again all at once. Wak-chung-kaka stood and looked at them. "That must be good sport," he thought. "I wish I could do that too." A little fly looked up at him and said, "Wak-chung-kaka, you can!" At once Wak-chung-kaka felt himself growing smaller and smaller, till he was no bigger than a fly, and then he easely went in at the hole in the head and flew out again, crying, "Wu-wu-wu!" He tought it was a fine sport to fly in and out, in and out, with the swarm of flies. So the flies let him play with them for a while, till at once, when Wak-chung-kaka was just starting to go in, he grew to his own natural size, and as he already had his head within the elk's head, the neck-hole fitted him so closely that he could not get his head out again. Wak-chun-kaka walked on, wearing the elk's head; and as he could not see very well, he walked into the lake. The water came up to the eye-holes of the head, and Wak-chung-kaka swarm untill he came near a village that stood beside the lake, and when the people saw the elk-horns moving along the water they said, "It is a water-spirit; let us offer him gifts." For ther are spirits in the ground, under the water, and in great springs of the hills, and the spirits often look like elk or buffulo. So the people brought tabacco and beads and laid them on the shore before Wak-chung-kaka, and he stayed in the water; and the young people prayed to him, "Spirit, grant us log life!" and he old people prayed, "Long life for our children!" and to every prayer Wak-chung-kaka answered, "Ho!" (yes). At length, when all the people were gathered before him, he said: "My nephews and nieces, I will grant your prayers if you will do what I tell you. Let two strong men take hold of my horns, one at each side, and pulled with all their might, while a third took a stone axe and very carefully chopped the elk's head down the middle, till, crack! the skull felt apart and there stood Wak-chung-kaka, and laughed, "haw-haw-haw!"
a little story which I dedicate to my mother's heart... RW
