Native American Legends
Of the woman who married the Thunder, and of their boy
A Passamaquoddy Legend
Once a woman went to the edge of a lake and lay down to sleep.
As she awoke, she saw a great serpent, with glittering eyes, crawl
from the water, and stealthily approach her. She had no power to
resist his embrace. After her return to her people her condition
betrayed itself, and she was much persecuted; they pursued her with
sticks and stones, howling abuse.
She fled from the village; she went afar into wild places, and,
sitting down on the grass, wept, wishing that she were dead. As
she sat and wailed, a very beautiful girl, dressed in silver and
gold, appeared, and after listening to her sad story said, "Follow
me!"
Then they went up on high into a mountain, through three rocks,
until they came into a pleasant wigwam with a very smooth floor.
An old man, so old that he was all white, came to meet them. Then
he, taking a short stick, bade her dance. He began to sing, and
as he sang she gave birth, one by one, to twelve serpents. These
the old man killed in succession with his stick as they were born.
Then she had become thin again, and was in her natural form.
The old man had a son, Badawk, the Thunder, and a daughter, Psawk-tankapic,
the Lightning, and when Thunder returned he offered to take her
back to her own people, but she refused to go. Then the old man
said to his son, "Take her for your wife and be good to her." So
they were married.
In time she bore a son. When the boy could stand, the old man,
who never leaves the mountain, called him to stand before him, while
he fastened wings to the child. He was soon able, with these wings,
to make a noise, which greatly pleased the grandfather. When a storm
is approaching, the distant rumbling is the muttering thunder made
by the child, but it is Badawk, his father, who comes in
the dark cloud and makes the roaring crash, while Psawk-tankapic
flashes her lightnings.
In after days, when the woman visited her people, she told them
that they never need fear the thunder or lightning.
Native American Legends
Back to Top
Other Native American Legends
|
Native American Legends A-B