A
Haida * Legend
Once a man found two wolf pups on the beach, he took them to his home and raised them.
When the pups had grown, they would swim out in to the ocean, kill a whale, and bring it to shore for the man to eat.
Each day they did this, soon there was too much meat to eat and it began to spoil.
When the Great Above Person saw this waste he made a fog and the wolves could not find whales to kill nor find they way back to shore.
Once a man found two wolf pups on the beach, he took them to his home and raised them.
When the pups had grown, they would swim out in to the ocean, kill a whale, and bring it to shore for the man to eat.
Each day they did this, soon there was too much meat to eat and it began to spoil.
When the Great Above Person saw this waste he made a fog and the wolves could not find whales to kill nor find they way back to shore.
They
had to remain at sea, those wolves became sea wolves (Orca).
There
was a time, before the coming of the white man, when the Wolf was a God. And a
powerful God at that, with his speed and cunning, he was God of the hunt. With
his mate, who he kept for life, and the cubs, together they were Gods of the
family.
But most of all, with his song, he was God of the night, a protecting spirit against the black, the unknown. He was a God that was very much a part of the old way.
But then came the white man, and his new ways. He worshiped a new God. A God who lived in the clouds. A God that had no shape, yet could be seen in everything, but the God himself, could not be seen.
Some of our people switched to this new God, and others switched only to save their lives.
The white man's nation grew. Our lands were taken, the fields were farmed, and the great trees cut to support the new nation.
In this new nation, there was no room for the Wolf.
His home was destroyed, his family hunted (for they made warm coats), and he was removed from his place as a deity, only to be placed in a zoo.
When man saw the Wolf, the great God caged, they laughed and laughed. Not only at the God they caged, but also at themselves for being so foolish as to believe that an animal could be a God to man.
The Only God for man had to be greater than man, so they believed.
Over many years, people began to doubt the God in the sky. How did he create man, the rivers, and the sky? Was there really a God, for no one saw him?
Man was so great, he placed a man on the moon, he tamed the animals, and invented machines that could do work and save lives. Who needed a God?
Many people did, but not the same God. There were Gods of Rock, Gods of the Screen as well as the Green God (Almighty Dollar). It seemed that everything had a God, and supporters that would fight for the cause.
Then the God of the sky fell from grace, only to be replaced by two Gods.
These two Gods were greater in power than the God of the sky. Together they fought, and divided the world between them. The eastern part went to the Great Bear (USSR), while the western half belonged to the Proud Eagle.
Both Gods wanted to be the only God, and they always fought with each other, costing them only the lives of their followers, a small price to pay for total power. And from his cage, the Wolf watched.
The fights between the two Gods grew more violent, with more people dying. People prayed to the two to stop, for they were afraid. The Gods both of them turned on the ones who were afraid and struck them down. Their only crime being of weak faith.
Then the people began to turn to the Wolf to protect them. "We were foolish" they cried, "please protect us, the Bear and the Eagle, they are mad." As a show of faith, they set the Wolf free.
The Wolf, not stopping at their cries, ran straight for the woods, and he was gone. The people sat numb, who would save them now? As night fell, the people could hear the Wolf singing, and ran to the sound. They found the Wolf sitting on the rim of a large canyon. "Come all of those who wish to be saved, for come daylight my brothers, the Eagle and the Bear will fight their last battle."
Who will protect you then, the Wolf cried? "Come into the canyon and I will bury you like a prized bone, and when the fighting is done I will dig you out." "Why did you run when we set you free? Will you run again, and leave us forever, cried some of the people?"
I ran to dig the canyon, so to save you all. If you do not trust my words so be it. You do not have to come to me." Many did not trust the Wolf, they feared he was angry with them for mocking him, and so he wouldn't protect them.
Those people went home, yet many stayed. The Wolf buried them deep in the earth, for their protection. He felt their fear, and sang to them, so they would sleep.
In the morning, the Wolf sat protecting his followers, when the Eagle came to visit. "Brother Wolf, please join me, for I have a plan that will destroy the Bear. I will cause the land he walks on to burn. The Bear can't fly, like I and he will burn." "Brother Eagle, your plan sounds like it will need no help from me. Just one thing, please leave some land for me to stand on." "But of course, replied the Eagle.
Then good luck, Brother. May you get what is rightfully yours.
The Eagle flew away. No sooner than he was a speck in the sky, the Bear came to visit his brother. "Brother," he growled "please join me in getting rid of the Eagle for he has become a pest." "The Eagle can fly, and we are both bound to the earth, how can we beat him?" asked the Wolf. "I have found a way to cause the stars to flame and fall on the earth, and as they fall the Eagle will not be able to fly." "You have a great idea, just one thing. Please, don't let any of your stars fall on me."
"Don't worry brother, nothing will happen to you." Then good luck, Brother, may you get what is rightfully yours, the Wolf called out as the Bear lumbered away.
Hours passed, yet the Wolf sat at his canyon. There he saw the dark smoke of death rise from the horizon. The sky began to fall in small flaming bits. His ears were filled with the cries of the followers that refused his aid, his nose filled with the odor of burning flesh.
But the land around the canyon did not change.
Finally, he heard the wounded cry of the Eagle and the low growl of the Bear, and then....................silence.
Nothing, not an animal or man stirred. The World was still.
Slowly the Wolf started to sing a song for the death of his brothers, and then he started a new one. A song which promised the sun and the moon, that he would not let this happen again.
He sang the song over and over again as he dug out his followers. And together they built a new world.
The Wolf was God again, and he and his family shall rule forever......
But most of all, with his song, he was God of the night, a protecting spirit against the black, the unknown. He was a God that was very much a part of the old way.
But then came the white man, and his new ways. He worshiped a new God. A God who lived in the clouds. A God that had no shape, yet could be seen in everything, but the God himself, could not be seen.
Some of our people switched to this new God, and others switched only to save their lives.
The white man's nation grew. Our lands were taken, the fields were farmed, and the great trees cut to support the new nation.
In this new nation, there was no room for the Wolf.
His home was destroyed, his family hunted (for they made warm coats), and he was removed from his place as a deity, only to be placed in a zoo.
When man saw the Wolf, the great God caged, they laughed and laughed. Not only at the God they caged, but also at themselves for being so foolish as to believe that an animal could be a God to man.
The Only God for man had to be greater than man, so they believed.
Over many years, people began to doubt the God in the sky. How did he create man, the rivers, and the sky? Was there really a God, for no one saw him?
Man was so great, he placed a man on the moon, he tamed the animals, and invented machines that could do work and save lives. Who needed a God?
Many people did, but not the same God. There were Gods of Rock, Gods of the Screen as well as the Green God (Almighty Dollar). It seemed that everything had a God, and supporters that would fight for the cause.
Then the God of the sky fell from grace, only to be replaced by two Gods.
These two Gods were greater in power than the God of the sky. Together they fought, and divided the world between them. The eastern part went to the Great Bear (USSR), while the western half belonged to the Proud Eagle.
Both Gods wanted to be the only God, and they always fought with each other, costing them only the lives of their followers, a small price to pay for total power. And from his cage, the Wolf watched.
The fights between the two Gods grew more violent, with more people dying. People prayed to the two to stop, for they were afraid. The Gods both of them turned on the ones who were afraid and struck them down. Their only crime being of weak faith.
Then the people began to turn to the Wolf to protect them. "We were foolish" they cried, "please protect us, the Bear and the Eagle, they are mad." As a show of faith, they set the Wolf free.
The Wolf, not stopping at their cries, ran straight for the woods, and he was gone. The people sat numb, who would save them now? As night fell, the people could hear the Wolf singing, and ran to the sound. They found the Wolf sitting on the rim of a large canyon. "Come all of those who wish to be saved, for come daylight my brothers, the Eagle and the Bear will fight their last battle."
Who will protect you then, the Wolf cried? "Come into the canyon and I will bury you like a prized bone, and when the fighting is done I will dig you out." "Why did you run when we set you free? Will you run again, and leave us forever, cried some of the people?"
I ran to dig the canyon, so to save you all. If you do not trust my words so be it. You do not have to come to me." Many did not trust the Wolf, they feared he was angry with them for mocking him, and so he wouldn't protect them.
Those people went home, yet many stayed. The Wolf buried them deep in the earth, for their protection. He felt their fear, and sang to them, so they would sleep.
In the morning, the Wolf sat protecting his followers, when the Eagle came to visit. "Brother Wolf, please join me, for I have a plan that will destroy the Bear. I will cause the land he walks on to burn. The Bear can't fly, like I and he will burn." "Brother Eagle, your plan sounds like it will need no help from me. Just one thing, please leave some land for me to stand on." "But of course, replied the Eagle.
Then good luck, Brother. May you get what is rightfully yours.
The Eagle flew away. No sooner than he was a speck in the sky, the Bear came to visit his brother. "Brother," he growled "please join me in getting rid of the Eagle for he has become a pest." "The Eagle can fly, and we are both bound to the earth, how can we beat him?" asked the Wolf. "I have found a way to cause the stars to flame and fall on the earth, and as they fall the Eagle will not be able to fly." "You have a great idea, just one thing. Please, don't let any of your stars fall on me."
"Don't worry brother, nothing will happen to you." Then good luck, Brother, may you get what is rightfully yours, the Wolf called out as the Bear lumbered away.
Hours passed, yet the Wolf sat at his canyon. There he saw the dark smoke of death rise from the horizon. The sky began to fall in small flaming bits. His ears were filled with the cries of the followers that refused his aid, his nose filled with the odor of burning flesh.
But the land around the canyon did not change.
Finally, he heard the wounded cry of the Eagle and the low growl of the Bear, and then....................silence.
Nothing, not an animal or man stirred. The World was still.
Slowly the Wolf started to sing a song for the death of his brothers, and then he started a new one. A song which promised the sun and the moon, that he would not let this happen again.
He sang the song over and over again as he dug out his followers. And together they built a new world.
The Wolf was God again, and he and his family shall rule forever......
he
followed a party which he judged to consist of twelve persons. When he came to
Looks-Like-A-Chicken-Tail butte, he turned South-West and saw smoke rising from
a camp. He waited till sunset, then he walked into the camp. There he stood for
a while, considering. He covered his head with his robe, carrying bows and
arrows under his robe in case of attack. He could see young men walking about
engaged in courting. As he went from tent to tent listening for signs of his
wife, their dog ran out from a tent and jumped about his master. He gave it
meat. The dog returned to the tent, whined, wagged its tail and ran out again
to its master. He went and stood in the doorway. Within he could see his wife
sitting. An old woman came in, and to his surprise his wife spoke to him in
Gros Ventures. She was an old woman who had also been taken prisoner and had
lived among the enemy until she was old.
He surveyed the situation of the camp. On the outskirts was a ravine where a spring had made a small pond. A trail led down to this pond, made by the woman going after water. Beside the pond grew Beaver Grass, long and fine, right down to the water's edge. There he hid, hoping that when his wife came down to get water, they might plan an escape. His plan was to start in the night, go Westward toward the mountains, and come back home. In the morning a stream of women came down to the water. At noon fewer came. In the early afternoon he saw the dog coming down the bank wagging its tail. His wife came to the edge of the spring and, standing on a stone, leaned over to dip water. He said "Stay just where you are, my own heart. I heard you talking last night with the old woman. My plan is for you to come out here when everyone is asleep. The people will expect us to go back to our old camp, so we will go towards the mountains and live on game on the way home. Afterwards we will go back and get our packages at the camp,"
He laid behind the grass. In the evening after the woman had left who came down to the water, the men came down and encircled the pond. They overpowered him, took away his bow and arrows and carried him away to a tent and gave him food. His wife came and looked into the tent. He said, "I believe it is you who have betrayed me."
They dug two holes in a circle, set in two posts, lanced his muscles next to the bone at wrists and ankles, stretched his arms and legs to the posts; then they scalped him, and tying the scalp to a long pole, they sent out drummers and all came out and danced the victory dance and carried his scalp about on the pole. They brought firewood and made a pile of it before and behind him, intending to burn him; but just then an old man came out who seemed to have authority, and stopped the dancing and made signs towards the Sun, but his words were unintelligible. The old Gros Ventre woman came to him and said, "My dear, it is all your wife's fault. You communicated with her when she went down to get water. When she returned she told the camp that there was a Corn Man down in the water-hole. I was taken away when young by these people and have been here ever since. I married and have children and grandchildren and hence been contented to live among them. When they brought the Gros Ventre woman here, as she was one of our tribe. I went over to her tent to comfort her. It was your wife who advised that you be captured and tortured to death. You cannot expect a woman to keep a secret. The man who spoke to the people told them that when we fight and kill an enemy we kill him quickly. He said, "The great God in the heavens is looking down upon us. If you burn this man, that Great Spirit will some day avenge this deed. He will punish us. Let us wait and see what will happen."
The next day when the people broke camp, some came over and pierced his eyes; then they left him and went away. For four days he remained hanging. On the fourth day towards dusk he heard an Owl hooting. He came nearer and hooted again. He could hear the grass rustling as from a man walking close to him. The steps stopped in front of him and a man said, "My son, the hooting of the Owl was myself. I have come to see what I can do to restore your sight." He heard him spitting on his hands and rubbing his palms together. The man told him to look up, and he rubbed the palms of his hands over his eyes, and his eyesight was restored. The man told him, "Fear not, the torture from which you were suffering has been caused by your wife. But you shall live and see your home again. You must stand and listen at daybreak when the Sun comes over the hill and you will hear the Earth trembling and the sound of something falling to Earth. That which you hear falling and whose vibration you feel is white clay, which is being made for you in the sky and dropped from the sky to Earth. You will find it near Red Grass butt beside Knife River. When you get home, when you give a dance, let the Grandma society clean a lodge site and pile the grass in the center as a symbol of your standing here. Strip a cane in four places as a symbol of the four days you have stood here without food and water. It will be a token of long life and prosperity. Give another such cane to a brother or some relative. The two canes are symbols of the two torture posts. There shall be a circle for the Wolf society and the old scouts shall circle around you. Take one winder to prepare all the articles for the dance. Ask all your friends and relatives to help you. They shall make arrows and give them as payment to the scouts who sing and tell their exploits as they shall give them to their sons and young relatives to use against those who torture you. Next year you will find these same people camping here, and you shall kill a hundred of them. You shall capture this old Gros Ventre woman and your wife. Save their lives, but do not make the woman your wife again. You shall marry the daughters of your chief. Teach your warriors to use in the battle shields made of Buffalo hide hardened by burning with hot stones.
The Owl Man told him that in the morning he would see Wolf-Of-The-Sunset dancing with his warriors. He must watch their dress and learn their songs and make this dance a part of his Mystery. In the morning Wolf-Of-The-Sunset came with his warriors, who were a pack of Wolves. They freed him and took him into their company by the name of Hungry Wolf. The scouts come in the rear. The Raven as he flies over the country seeing all that is going on is like the scout. It was the Raven who had told the Owl how the man was being tortured and had reported it to Wolf-Of-The-Sunset. That is why the two men who led the Wolf Dance and impersonate Wolf-Of-The-Sunset and Hungry Wolf wear Raven feathers. Just as the Wolves do for the "faster" in the dance, so the Wolves came that day, removed the rawhides that bound him and gave him the feast of fat of the Buffalo to eat. They said, "This will drive away the pain of the torture. When your people kill a Buffalo, after skinning the breastbone, they must take a mouthful of the fat, and whatever their sickness this will cure it." They took fat and anointed his wounds in his arms and feet and on the forehead. They daubed him with white clay all over and then, as a sign of healing, they made scratches with their fingernails in the clay on his calves, his forearm, and on his forehead, thus leaving the clay in streaks. This white clay is used in the Wolf ceremony. The heap in the center of the clearing is the symbol of his torture. When they dance about , they must go over to the right side (and dance from the right to the left) in order to insure long life and prosperity; if they start from the left, it is a sign of misery. So when people smoke, the pipe is handed to the extreme right of the circle and then handed around.
The Wolves told him to follow them. When he got over the divide, he found a Buffalo butchered and blood and kidney, liver and guts, laid aside from the Buffalo's head, sang a song, and his torn scalp was healed and the hair turned to the color of his own hair. Thus he reached home, Then he climbed up to his old lodge, face to the West, and said, "Hee-hay!" (which signifies "Listen!"). He spoke to the Wolves of the West and said, "This winter I shall have bedding (Buffalo hides) scraped for you and shall bring the Wolves into my lodge (meaning warriors) in order to conquer my enemies." Taking hunters and Dogs, he returned to his old camp and brought back his bundles. He placed food in those lodges where the societies met and in return they gave arrows and other things for the ceremony. He sent one of his sisters to the chief's lodge and asked for the hand of the chiefs two daughters in marriage.
During the winter he instructed the Wolves in the scout songs he had learned from the Wolves. In the summer he sent for the white clay and had the dance performed. After this he called for the young men through the announcer and for the old men who had endurance and speed and provided them with moccasins and provisions for the war path. On the outskirts of the village the warriors assembled. When they reached the butte, he was told that this was the place to mine the bright red ocher which is to be found there in pockets. Since he had too many scouts, he selected from the forty-five the fourteen who were the fastest runners. They had to run one by one between the two goals while the rest in the center tried to catch them.
This is called "running by." If anyone was caught before he reached the opposite goal, he was put out. They went on and sent out scouts ahead. They reported a hundred and fifty tents. There were 2500 persons in the village. They got close to camp, whooped, and attacked at daybreak. After a hundred warriors had been killed, he gave the signal to stop by waving his robe in the air. No women or children were killed, or any old people. The old Gros Ventre woman and the young man's wife were taken. The old woman was allowed to go back to the tribe; the wife was brought back to the village. No one would marry her, and it was she who introduced harlotry.
In the village they danced the greatest village dance ever known. Hungry Wolf lived to old age and had children and grandchildren. The mystery he conferred upon his son, and so it was handed down from generation to generation.
He surveyed the situation of the camp. On the outskirts was a ravine where a spring had made a small pond. A trail led down to this pond, made by the woman going after water. Beside the pond grew Beaver Grass, long and fine, right down to the water's edge. There he hid, hoping that when his wife came down to get water, they might plan an escape. His plan was to start in the night, go Westward toward the mountains, and come back home. In the morning a stream of women came down to the water. At noon fewer came. In the early afternoon he saw the dog coming down the bank wagging its tail. His wife came to the edge of the spring and, standing on a stone, leaned over to dip water. He said "Stay just where you are, my own heart. I heard you talking last night with the old woman. My plan is for you to come out here when everyone is asleep. The people will expect us to go back to our old camp, so we will go towards the mountains and live on game on the way home. Afterwards we will go back and get our packages at the camp,"
He laid behind the grass. In the evening after the woman had left who came down to the water, the men came down and encircled the pond. They overpowered him, took away his bow and arrows and carried him away to a tent and gave him food. His wife came and looked into the tent. He said, "I believe it is you who have betrayed me."
They dug two holes in a circle, set in two posts, lanced his muscles next to the bone at wrists and ankles, stretched his arms and legs to the posts; then they scalped him, and tying the scalp to a long pole, they sent out drummers and all came out and danced the victory dance and carried his scalp about on the pole. They brought firewood and made a pile of it before and behind him, intending to burn him; but just then an old man came out who seemed to have authority, and stopped the dancing and made signs towards the Sun, but his words were unintelligible. The old Gros Ventre woman came to him and said, "My dear, it is all your wife's fault. You communicated with her when she went down to get water. When she returned she told the camp that there was a Corn Man down in the water-hole. I was taken away when young by these people and have been here ever since. I married and have children and grandchildren and hence been contented to live among them. When they brought the Gros Ventre woman here, as she was one of our tribe. I went over to her tent to comfort her. It was your wife who advised that you be captured and tortured to death. You cannot expect a woman to keep a secret. The man who spoke to the people told them that when we fight and kill an enemy we kill him quickly. He said, "The great God in the heavens is looking down upon us. If you burn this man, that Great Spirit will some day avenge this deed. He will punish us. Let us wait and see what will happen."
The next day when the people broke camp, some came over and pierced his eyes; then they left him and went away. For four days he remained hanging. On the fourth day towards dusk he heard an Owl hooting. He came nearer and hooted again. He could hear the grass rustling as from a man walking close to him. The steps stopped in front of him and a man said, "My son, the hooting of the Owl was myself. I have come to see what I can do to restore your sight." He heard him spitting on his hands and rubbing his palms together. The man told him to look up, and he rubbed the palms of his hands over his eyes, and his eyesight was restored. The man told him, "Fear not, the torture from which you were suffering has been caused by your wife. But you shall live and see your home again. You must stand and listen at daybreak when the Sun comes over the hill and you will hear the Earth trembling and the sound of something falling to Earth. That which you hear falling and whose vibration you feel is white clay, which is being made for you in the sky and dropped from the sky to Earth. You will find it near Red Grass butt beside Knife River. When you get home, when you give a dance, let the Grandma society clean a lodge site and pile the grass in the center as a symbol of your standing here. Strip a cane in four places as a symbol of the four days you have stood here without food and water. It will be a token of long life and prosperity. Give another such cane to a brother or some relative. The two canes are symbols of the two torture posts. There shall be a circle for the Wolf society and the old scouts shall circle around you. Take one winder to prepare all the articles for the dance. Ask all your friends and relatives to help you. They shall make arrows and give them as payment to the scouts who sing and tell their exploits as they shall give them to their sons and young relatives to use against those who torture you. Next year you will find these same people camping here, and you shall kill a hundred of them. You shall capture this old Gros Ventre woman and your wife. Save their lives, but do not make the woman your wife again. You shall marry the daughters of your chief. Teach your warriors to use in the battle shields made of Buffalo hide hardened by burning with hot stones.
The Owl Man told him that in the morning he would see Wolf-Of-The-Sunset dancing with his warriors. He must watch their dress and learn their songs and make this dance a part of his Mystery. In the morning Wolf-Of-The-Sunset came with his warriors, who were a pack of Wolves. They freed him and took him into their company by the name of Hungry Wolf. The scouts come in the rear. The Raven as he flies over the country seeing all that is going on is like the scout. It was the Raven who had told the Owl how the man was being tortured and had reported it to Wolf-Of-The-Sunset. That is why the two men who led the Wolf Dance and impersonate Wolf-Of-The-Sunset and Hungry Wolf wear Raven feathers. Just as the Wolves do for the "faster" in the dance, so the Wolves came that day, removed the rawhides that bound him and gave him the feast of fat of the Buffalo to eat. They said, "This will drive away the pain of the torture. When your people kill a Buffalo, after skinning the breastbone, they must take a mouthful of the fat, and whatever their sickness this will cure it." They took fat and anointed his wounds in his arms and feet and on the forehead. They daubed him with white clay all over and then, as a sign of healing, they made scratches with their fingernails in the clay on his calves, his forearm, and on his forehead, thus leaving the clay in streaks. This white clay is used in the Wolf ceremony. The heap in the center of the clearing is the symbol of his torture. When they dance about , they must go over to the right side (and dance from the right to the left) in order to insure long life and prosperity; if they start from the left, it is a sign of misery. So when people smoke, the pipe is handed to the extreme right of the circle and then handed around.
The Wolves told him to follow them. When he got over the divide, he found a Buffalo butchered and blood and kidney, liver and guts, laid aside from the Buffalo's head, sang a song, and his torn scalp was healed and the hair turned to the color of his own hair. Thus he reached home, Then he climbed up to his old lodge, face to the West, and said, "Hee-hay!" (which signifies "Listen!"). He spoke to the Wolves of the West and said, "This winter I shall have bedding (Buffalo hides) scraped for you and shall bring the Wolves into my lodge (meaning warriors) in order to conquer my enemies." Taking hunters and Dogs, he returned to his old camp and brought back his bundles. He placed food in those lodges where the societies met and in return they gave arrows and other things for the ceremony. He sent one of his sisters to the chief's lodge and asked for the hand of the chiefs two daughters in marriage.
During the winter he instructed the Wolves in the scout songs he had learned from the Wolves. In the summer he sent for the white clay and had the dance performed. After this he called for the young men through the announcer and for the old men who had endurance and speed and provided them with moccasins and provisions for the war path. On the outskirts of the village the warriors assembled. When they reached the butte, he was told that this was the place to mine the bright red ocher which is to be found there in pockets. Since he had too many scouts, he selected from the forty-five the fourteen who were the fastest runners. They had to run one by one between the two goals while the rest in the center tried to catch them.
This is called "running by." If anyone was caught before he reached the opposite goal, he was put out. They went on and sent out scouts ahead. They reported a hundred and fifty tents. There were 2500 persons in the village. They got close to camp, whooped, and attacked at daybreak. After a hundred warriors had been killed, he gave the signal to stop by waving his robe in the air. No women or children were killed, or any old people. The old Gros Ventre woman and the young man's wife were taken. The old woman was allowed to go back to the tribe; the wife was brought back to the village. No one would marry her, and it was she who introduced harlotry.
In the village they danced the greatest village dance ever known. Hungry Wolf lived to old age and had children and grandchildren. The mystery he conferred upon his son, and so it was handed down from generation to generation.
Ukatangi
talked and talked. He talked so much, he could only hear himself. Not the
river, not the wind, not even the wolf.
The raven came and said, “The wolf is hungry. If you stop talking, you will hear him. The wind, too. And when you hear the wind, you will fly.”
So Ukatangi stopped talking, and soon heard the wind rushing by. In the quiet, he could hear the directions of its currents, swiftly lifting and falling. The music of the wind changed Ukatangi’s nature, and he became the eagle.
The eagle soared, and it’s flight said all it needed to say.
The raven came and said, “The wolf is hungry. If you stop talking, you will hear him. The wind, too. And when you hear the wind, you will fly.”
So Ukatangi stopped talking, and soon heard the wind rushing by. In the quiet, he could hear the directions of its currents, swiftly lifting and falling. The music of the wind changed Ukatangi’s nature, and he became the eagle.
The eagle soared, and it’s flight said all it needed to say.
The
White Wolf
The great White Wolf ascended the highest snow capped mountain peak and quietly surveyed the world below. The wind gently ruffled his thick coat. How he loved being so high almost at one with the diamond stars. He cherished these times of ascension where he felt one with the Universe, able to commune with Maya, the Moon Goddess. Looking down through ice-blue eyes, White Wolf could see crystals sparkling as the stars of the Earth, one or two colours would always catch his eye and heal his body. He felt at peace. As he cast his mind back he could clearly recall the times when he was searching, troubled. He remembered as his mind descended, step by step, down the steep mountain until he reached the forest floor. Back then, at the bottom of the mountain he gazed into the still waters of the clear pond and he asked himself “Why am I so Empty?” As he looked around he saw troubled faces, moving around as if in a daze. “Where is the joy?” he wondered. As he looked into the pond he wondered what it was that had been missing, like a void inside. From an early age he felt troubled, responsible for others, always trying to please, he felt alone and this weighed heavily upon his shoulders. “Why do we care so much about what others think?” As time went by and the seasons changed he carried this weight around with him, a burden on his very existence. He wondered why he felt this way. “Who am I?” he wondered. Feeling very sad and frustrated a teardrop fell into the water below and shattered the image being reflected. At that moment he glimpsed a better way of being, a happier way, he saw himself reborn. Light seemed to fall like Excalibur through one of the trees and he looked up. There was a blue butterfly lightly dancing across the forest. The White Wolf gasped in surprise at how beautiful this butterfly looked. Then he noticed a snow white owl looking at him with intense inquiry. A thought flashed across the back of his eyes and he wondered “is all of this a reflection of my thoughts and my moods?” When the teardrop broke the water it seemed to smash some kind of reflection he had not really seen clearly, as if it had all been an illusion, like a dream, and now he could look through it, “remove the lie to see the truth”. He had always wondered “what am I not seeing?” He had a feeling he needed to look not just through his eyes but through his heart. He wondered if the light had come from within.
As he raised his head from the depths of despair he saw something new, something pure, something magical. As his thoughts turned to the beauty of the blue butterfly, he felt lighter, happier, more connected. He wondered if the troubled faces of those around him were in fact mirroring his own troubled face perhaps as a message to him. When he gasped at the beauty of the blue butterfly he saw the Owl looking at him, as he had been scanning the flight path of the butterfly. Then he saw something more beautiful than he had ever seen before. As his glance rose up even higher, he saw the magnificent luminescence of the Moon Goddess. Her light seemed to illuminate the whole world. His heart lifted. Was he now seeing through his heart? Is this why all this beauty suddenly became visible? Was it not always there but he had just not seen it? He had a sense that the heaviness was not due to anything outside of himself but due to his own thoughts. He wanted to climb up and be as close to the Moon as possible. So he began his ascension.
Along the way he would stop and talk to the animals around him. A deer smiled at him and said “listen to language of emotion and feel how it vibrates in your very being”. Then he met a Unicorn with the voice of a harp and said “the wise do not judge those around them before looking deep within. At that moment, we see we are all One.” The Blue Butterfly returned and said “find the Blessing in every situation, it will guide you to a greater knowing of who you are.” By this time White Wolf had forgotten about the heavy weight of responsibility, he felt as light as a feather. He wondered if all he needed to do was look up and embrace a new perspective. The forest looked so different now, everyone he met seemed happy and friendly. A tortoise popped out and said “we need to come out of the shadows now and move into the light”.
And then he heard what seemed like silky waters cascading over smooth facades of the earth. Maya, the Moon Goddess welcomed White Wolf home.“Dear One, we have been watching you and urging you to follow the wisdom of your own heart. You are starting to see its light and feel its warmth. It will soothe your mind and nourish your Being. The heart has vast oceans to explore and currents to ride. Your heart will bring you all that you need and the food and nourishment and provisions for your journey. Trust Dear One. This is a journey of great Trust and epic proportions such as Homer’s Odyssey. Without a map and visual aids you will experience more than those who rely on things external to themselves. Yours is a sacred path for those who choose to go beyond reason and the known, who have the courage to branch out on a new path and see where it leads. This path is unchartered, it has no prior footsteps upon it. You are taking the first steps, you are the pioneers. To do this requires great trust. Leave behind the compass and the maps and go it alone. You will be safe. The dangers are many but only from your own fears in your mind. This is how to connect to the wisdom of the heart, Dear One. Step by Step. Unplanned. Without pre-empting the outcome. This is St Francis of Assisi, the Wise One to the animals and nature, living totally from the heart. This will be your comfort. Your guide. Your food and nourishment. Your freedom and independence. No need do you have for the approval of others when you are so filled with love and approval of Self. This will fulfil you and sustain you. This will be your greatest gift, to yourself and your greatest contribution to others. You are living it already Dear One. You are doing it. Being it. One with Life and Existence with each breath. One With Love and Truth, with Great Spirit and the pond of eternal wisdom. You have the love and support of the Universe to be who you want to be. Go now and be free”.
Text By JennyD
The great White Wolf ascended the highest snow capped mountain peak and quietly surveyed the world below. The wind gently ruffled his thick coat. How he loved being so high almost at one with the diamond stars. He cherished these times of ascension where he felt one with the Universe, able to commune with Maya, the Moon Goddess. Looking down through ice-blue eyes, White Wolf could see crystals sparkling as the stars of the Earth, one or two colours would always catch his eye and heal his body. He felt at peace. As he cast his mind back he could clearly recall the times when he was searching, troubled. He remembered as his mind descended, step by step, down the steep mountain until he reached the forest floor. Back then, at the bottom of the mountain he gazed into the still waters of the clear pond and he asked himself “Why am I so Empty?” As he looked around he saw troubled faces, moving around as if in a daze. “Where is the joy?” he wondered. As he looked into the pond he wondered what it was that had been missing, like a void inside. From an early age he felt troubled, responsible for others, always trying to please, he felt alone and this weighed heavily upon his shoulders. “Why do we care so much about what others think?” As time went by and the seasons changed he carried this weight around with him, a burden on his very existence. He wondered why he felt this way. “Who am I?” he wondered. Feeling very sad and frustrated a teardrop fell into the water below and shattered the image being reflected. At that moment he glimpsed a better way of being, a happier way, he saw himself reborn. Light seemed to fall like Excalibur through one of the trees and he looked up. There was a blue butterfly lightly dancing across the forest. The White Wolf gasped in surprise at how beautiful this butterfly looked. Then he noticed a snow white owl looking at him with intense inquiry. A thought flashed across the back of his eyes and he wondered “is all of this a reflection of my thoughts and my moods?” When the teardrop broke the water it seemed to smash some kind of reflection he had not really seen clearly, as if it had all been an illusion, like a dream, and now he could look through it, “remove the lie to see the truth”. He had always wondered “what am I not seeing?” He had a feeling he needed to look not just through his eyes but through his heart. He wondered if the light had come from within.
As he raised his head from the depths of despair he saw something new, something pure, something magical. As his thoughts turned to the beauty of the blue butterfly, he felt lighter, happier, more connected. He wondered if the troubled faces of those around him were in fact mirroring his own troubled face perhaps as a message to him. When he gasped at the beauty of the blue butterfly he saw the Owl looking at him, as he had been scanning the flight path of the butterfly. Then he saw something more beautiful than he had ever seen before. As his glance rose up even higher, he saw the magnificent luminescence of the Moon Goddess. Her light seemed to illuminate the whole world. His heart lifted. Was he now seeing through his heart? Is this why all this beauty suddenly became visible? Was it not always there but he had just not seen it? He had a sense that the heaviness was not due to anything outside of himself but due to his own thoughts. He wanted to climb up and be as close to the Moon as possible. So he began his ascension.
Along the way he would stop and talk to the animals around him. A deer smiled at him and said “listen to language of emotion and feel how it vibrates in your very being”. Then he met a Unicorn with the voice of a harp and said “the wise do not judge those around them before looking deep within. At that moment, we see we are all One.” The Blue Butterfly returned and said “find the Blessing in every situation, it will guide you to a greater knowing of who you are.” By this time White Wolf had forgotten about the heavy weight of responsibility, he felt as light as a feather. He wondered if all he needed to do was look up and embrace a new perspective. The forest looked so different now, everyone he met seemed happy and friendly. A tortoise popped out and said “we need to come out of the shadows now and move into the light”.
And then he heard what seemed like silky waters cascading over smooth facades of the earth. Maya, the Moon Goddess welcomed White Wolf home.“Dear One, we have been watching you and urging you to follow the wisdom of your own heart. You are starting to see its light and feel its warmth. It will soothe your mind and nourish your Being. The heart has vast oceans to explore and currents to ride. Your heart will bring you all that you need and the food and nourishment and provisions for your journey. Trust Dear One. This is a journey of great Trust and epic proportions such as Homer’s Odyssey. Without a map and visual aids you will experience more than those who rely on things external to themselves. Yours is a sacred path for those who choose to go beyond reason and the known, who have the courage to branch out on a new path and see where it leads. This path is unchartered, it has no prior footsteps upon it. You are taking the first steps, you are the pioneers. To do this requires great trust. Leave behind the compass and the maps and go it alone. You will be safe. The dangers are many but only from your own fears in your mind. This is how to connect to the wisdom of the heart, Dear One. Step by Step. Unplanned. Without pre-empting the outcome. This is St Francis of Assisi, the Wise One to the animals and nature, living totally from the heart. This will be your comfort. Your guide. Your food and nourishment. Your freedom and independence. No need do you have for the approval of others when you are so filled with love and approval of Self. This will fulfil you and sustain you. This will be your greatest gift, to yourself and your greatest contribution to others. You are living it already Dear One. You are doing it. Being it. One with Life and Existence with each breath. One With Love and Truth, with Great Spirit and the pond of eternal wisdom. You have the love and support of the Universe to be who you want to be. Go now and be free”.
Text By JennyD
A
Cherokee Legend
An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. "A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy.
"It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego." He continued, "The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too."
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"
The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."
Here is the same story known as "The Wolves Within"
An old Grandfather said to his grandson, who came to him with anger at a friend who had done him an injustice, "Let me tell you a story.
I too, at times, have felt a great hate for those that have taken so much, with no sorrow for what they do.
But hate wears you down, and does not hurt your enemy. It is like taking poison and wishing your enemy would die. I have struggled with these feelings many times." He continued, "It is as if there are two wolves inside me. One is good and does no harm. He lives in harmony with all around him, and does not take offense when no offense was intended. He will only fight when it is right to do so, and in the right way.
But the other wolf, ah! He is full of anger. The littlest thing will set him into a fit of temper. He fights everyone, all the time, for no reason. He cannot think because his anger and hate are so great. It is helpless anger,for his anger will change nothing.
Sometimes, it is hard to live with these two wolves inside me, for both of them try to dominate my spirit."
The boy looked intently into his Grandfather's eyes and asked, "Which one wins, Grandfather?"
The Grandfather smiled and quietly said, "The one I feed."
Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States (principally Georgia, the Carolinas and Eastern Tennessee). Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian-language family.
An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. "A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy.
"It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego." He continued, "The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too."
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"
The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."
Here is the same story known as "The Wolves Within"
An old Grandfather said to his grandson, who came to him with anger at a friend who had done him an injustice, "Let me tell you a story.
I too, at times, have felt a great hate for those that have taken so much, with no sorrow for what they do.
But hate wears you down, and does not hurt your enemy. It is like taking poison and wishing your enemy would die. I have struggled with these feelings many times." He continued, "It is as if there are two wolves inside me. One is good and does no harm. He lives in harmony with all around him, and does not take offense when no offense was intended. He will only fight when it is right to do so, and in the right way.
But the other wolf, ah! He is full of anger. The littlest thing will set him into a fit of temper. He fights everyone, all the time, for no reason. He cannot think because his anger and hate are so great. It is helpless anger,for his anger will change nothing.
Sometimes, it is hard to live with these two wolves inside me, for both of them try to dominate my spirit."
The boy looked intently into his Grandfather's eyes and asked, "Which one wins, Grandfather?"
The Grandfather smiled and quietly said, "The one I feed."
Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States (principally Georgia, the Carolinas and Eastern Tennessee). Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian-language family.
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