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There was nothing else whatsoever throughout the great space of the ages
save everywhere black darkness in it, and everywhere void desolation.
In the beginning of the new-made, Awonawilona conceived within himself and
thought outward in space, whereby mists of increase, steams potent of
growth, were evolved and uplifted. Thus, by means of his innate knowledge,
the All-container made himself in person and form of the Sun whom we hold
to be our father and who thus came to exist and appear. With his
appearance came the brightening of the spaces with light, and with the
brightening of the spaces the great mist-clouds were thickened together
and fell, whereby was evolved water in water; yea, and the world-holding
sea.
With his substance of flesh outdrawn from the surface of his person, the
Sun-father formed the seed-stuff of twain worlds, impregnating therewith
the great waters, and lo! in the heat of his light these waters of the sea
grew green and scums rose upon them, waxing wide and weighty until,
behold! they became Awitelin Tsita, the "Four-fold Containing
Mother-earth," and Apoyan Tä'chu, the "All-covering Father-sky."
From the lying together of these twain upon the great world-waters, so
vitalizing, terrestrial life was conceived; whence began all beings of
earth, men and the creatures, in the Fourfold womb of the World.
Thereupon the Earth-mother repulsed the Sky-father, growing big and
sinking deep into the embrace of the waters below, thus separating from
the Sky-father in the embrace of the waters above. As a woman forebodes
evil for her first-born ere born, even so did the Earth-mother forebode,
long withholding from birth her myriad progeny and meantime seeking
counsel with the Sky-father. "How," said they to one another, "shall our
children when brought forth, know one place from another, even by the
white light of the Sun-father_"
Now like all the surpassing beings the Earth-mother and the Sky-father
were changeable, even as smoke in the wind; transmutable at thought,
manifesting themselves in any form at will, like as dancers may by
mask-making.
Thus, as a man and woman, spake they, one to the other. "Behold!" said the
Earth-mother as a great terraced bowl appeared at hand and within it
water, "this is as upon me the homes of my tiny children shall be. On the
rim of each world-country they wander in, terraced mountains shall stand,
making in one region many, whereby country shall be known from country,
and within each, place from place. Behold, again!" said she as she spat on
the water and rapidly smote and stirred it with her fingers.
Foam formed, gathering about the terraced rim, mounting higher and higher.
"Yea," said she, "and from my bosom they shall draw nourishment, for in
such as this shall they find the substance of life whence we were
ourselves sustained, for see!"
Then with her warm breath she blew across the terraces; white flecks of
the foam broke away, and, floating over above the water, were shattered by
the cold breath of the Sky-father attending, and forthwith shed downward
abundantly fine mist and spray! "Even so, shall white clouds float up from
the great waters at the borders of the world, and clustering about the
mountain terraces of the horizons be borne aloft and abroad by the breaths
of the surpassing of soul-beings, and of the children, and shall hardened
and broken be by thy cold, shedding downward, in rain-spray, the water of
life, even into the hollow places of my lap! For therein chiefly shall
nestle our children mankind and creature-kind, for warmth in thy
coldness."
Lo! even the trees on high mountains near the clouds and the Sky-father
crouch low toward the Earth-mother for warmth and protection! Warm is the
Earth-mother, cold the Sky-father, even as woman is the warm, man the cold
being!
"Even so!" said the Sky-father; "Yet not alone shalt thou helpful be unto
our children, for behold!" and he spread his hand abroad with the palm
downward and into all the wrinkles and crevices thereof he set the
semblance of shining yellow corn-grains; in the dark of the early
world-dawn they gleamed like sparks of fire, and moved as his hand was
moved over the bowl, shining up from and also moving in the depths of the
water therein.
"See!" said he, pointing to the seven grains clhtmled by his thumb and four
fingers, "by such shall our children be guided; for behold, when the
Sun-father is not nigh, and thy terraces are as the dark itself (being all
hidden therein), then shall our children be guided by lights--like to
these lights of all the six regions turning round the midmost one--as in
and around the midmost place, where these our children shall abide, lie
all the other regions of space! Yea! and even as these grains gleam up
from the water, so shall seed-grains like to them, yet numberless, spring
up from thy bosom when touched by my waters, to nourish our children."
Thus and in other ways many devised they for their offspring.
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