Native American Legends
Walks all over the sky
A Tsimshian Legend
The Tsimshian believe that in the beginning one chief ruled the
sky. The chief had two sons and one daughter, and though they lived
in peace, there was no light in the sky, and the people and creatures
of the Earth lived beneath a canopy of darkness. The chief's children
were strong and brave and resourceful, and the chief was grateful
for this. The eldest child, a son, loved to flex his muscles. The
chief's daughter was also proud of her strength and beauty. The
second son was as handsome as his brother and sister, but most of
all he loved to use his mind. He often sat quietly, pondering all
there was to know in the world.
As the second son thought about the dark world below, he became
sad, for he imagined how lovely it might look in light and how pleased
the people of the Earth would be to see light. He decided he must
somehow bring light to the world.
One day he and his brother set off to gather wood in the sky forest.
"Look," said the youngest brother as he bent a slender
cedar twig into a ring, the size of a face. As his brother watched,
he tied wood all around a twig so that his creation looked like
a mask. He placed this mask over his face. "What are you doing?"
his brother asked, but without saying a word, the younger brother,
wearing his disguise began to walk east.
At that moment the people of the Earth looked up and saw light
rising in the east They were amazed by the light but they did not
know this was they chief's younger son. He had lighted his mask,
and as he moved, the flames burned brighter and brighter. He began
to run toward the west, flames shooting up from his mask, lighting
the world below. When the boy saw the people of the Earth celebrated
his light, he repeated his journey. Each day he ran from east to
west, wearing his burning mask, shedding light on the people.
Before long, the tribe assembled a council to talk about the light.
They called to the chief of the sky. "We are glad your child
has brought light to us," they told him, "but please ask
him to slow his pace. He takes the light away too quickly now."
The chief called his youngest son and told him of the people's request.
"I must run, father," the boy said. "If I walk too
slowly the mask will burn up."
The chief reported back to the people, who were dismayed by this
news. "Please, chief, do something. You rule the sky. Surely
you can slow your son down."
The chief's daughter was listening. She admired her younger brother
and the gift he had brought to the world. She too hoped to bring
a gift to the people. "Father, I will slow him down."
She said.
The next day, as the boy ran to the east to begin his journey,
his sister called to him, "Brother, wait for me," and
when he was halfway across the sky, she caught up to him. "Brother,"
she called as she raced to his side. She reached him and held his
arm, stopping him. That is why even today, the sun stops for awhile
in the middle of the sky. It is there brother and sister meet each
day.
The chief's eldest son saw his father's joy, and the people gratitude,
and began to wonder what he might give to the world. One night,
as his younger brother, who was called Walks-All-Over-The-Sky, lay
down to rest from his long day's journey, the elder son lay awake.
When he knew everyone was fast asleep, he rubbed his face with charcoal
and set off for the east. While the younger brother slept, his masked
face shed light from a smoke hole. The older brother rose into the
eastern sky, his charcoal-covered face reflecting the light that
came from the smoke hole.
Down on Earth a young child looked up and cried "Look, the
sun has risen again!" The people looked up and saw a soft light
rising into the sky. They shouted for joy, for though the eldest
brother was not as bright as the sun, he eased the darkness of night.
The people called him Walking-About-Early.
Time passed, and the children changed the world in other ways.
While Walks-All-Over-The-Sky slept, sparks flew from his mouth,
and these became stars. After the sky was filled with the sun, moon,
and stars, the chief's daughter began to wonder what gift she might
create. She wandered westward into the water, where her skirt became
soaked as she waded lost in though. That evening she stood by the
fire to warm herself and wrung the hem of her wet skirt by the fire.
As she did, water dripped onto the flames and a great cloud of steam
rose up and floated out across the world. She smiled with happiness,
for she now knew she had created fog , which traveled west to east
and refreshed the Earth with its cool touch.
"Father, look!" she cried, and the father blessed her.
The chief was at peace. Each of his children had offered gifts to
the world. Walks-All-Over-The-Sky walked each day, and with his
warmth and light he nourished the world. Walking-About-Early rose
and set every 30 days, and thus he divided the year. The fog the
chief's daughter created helped to refresh the Earth when it grew
weary. And the people praised the chief and his children.
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