Manataka American Indian Council
Adam and Eve
A
Tlingit Story
WHEN
this earth was very young, only two people lived on it,--a man called A'taam and
a woman called Lim. The Chief (or God) lived in the upper world, and the Outcast
(or Devil) lived in the lower world. They were enemies to each other, and tried
to do each other harm, but God was the more powerful. He frequently visited the
earth and talked with A'taam and Lim.
One day the Devil created an animal like a horse, and made it appear before the
man and woman. When the latter saw it, she said, "That is God come to visit
us"; but A'taam said it was not. At last, however, he believed it must be
God, and they went and spoke with it. Soon afterwards God appeared, and then
they recognized the difference. He was angry and said, "Why do you mistake
the Devil for me and converse with Lim? Have I not told you he is evil, and will
do you harm?" Then, looking at the animal, he said to the couple,
"Well, since this beast is here, I will so transform Lim that he will be
useful to you." He wetted both his thumbs, pressed them on the animal's
front legs, and thus marked Lim, 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 God 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.
Now God 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. Now the Devil
appeared, and, pretending to be God, he took the large long fruit of the white
pine, and gave it to Lim. She thought he was God, ate the fruit as directed, and
gave some to A'taam.
Then
the Devil 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 God came and saw what had happened, he sent the woman to live with
the Devil, and, taking A'taam, he 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 Lim.
Our thanks to Blue Panther Keeper of Stories blue_panther@mindspring.com