Native American Legends
Basket Woman, Mother of the Stars
An American Indian Legend - Nation Unknown
Back in the beginning of time, when all things were being created,
First Man lived in a forest of tall pine trees.
One day while on a hunting trip, he discovered a small lodge. Next
to the lodge was a tiny cornfield. "I wonder who lives here",
he thought.
The next day, First Man brought his wife, First Woman, through
the forest to see the lodge. As they came near, a little old woman
came out to greet them.
"I am basket woman, or Moon, the mother of the stars. I lured
you here."
Then she invited her visitors inside. Around a small fire sat four
old men: Wind, Cloud, Lightning and Thunder.
The lodge was filled with Moon's daughters. Soon the girls began
to sing and dance. Moon's daughters told First Man to watch and
listen very carefully so he could teach the sacred songs and dances
to others.
After the singing and dancing, Basket Woman's Daughters taught
First Man and First Woman ceremonies and games.
Evening Star danced in the west and held a basket representing
the moon. The basket was made of willow reeds held together with
mud, for the Earth is filled with trees.
Four daughters of Black Star were also there they danced and moved
toward the west and each placed what she carried in Evening Star's
basket two swan necks and two fawn skins, These represented the
four gods in the west.
The basket woman's daughters taught First Man and First Woman a
game.
They gave them the Moon basket, plum seeds which represented the
stars, and twelve sticks which are the circle of chiefs in the sky.
They used the sticks as counters.
All this they taught First Man and First Woman and reminded them
that Tirawahat sent the stars to the Earth in a moon-basket to teach
these first two everything that people were to do.
When First Man and First Woman had learned all they should, their
neighbors from the lodge jumped into their basket and flew away
up to the sky to return to their places.
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