Kotharian Lightning

From Wichita Folklore

In olden times some of the people lived in villages and some out by themselves. There was a family, father, mother, and daughter, who lived out by themselves. The old man made his living by hunting game, buffalo, deer, turkey, etc. The woman hauled the wood and did the work which fell to the women to do. One time she went out in the timber after wood, and when she had tied the wood with buffalo rope and was all ready to go home, she sat down, and was about to rise on her feet when she saw an arrow in the ground in front of her. As she was about to pick it up she saw some one coming, she said that the arrow was his. He was a fine looking young man. His name was Owner-of-Black-and-White-Flint-Knives (Dahaacutsnaatiah). He told her to give up the arrow, but she refused to give it up, and the young man started back toward the west, where he had come from. The young woman followed him, asking him to stop and get his arrow, but he kept on, and the woman followed him. They went a good way from where she was putting up the wood, when the man finally stopped and she gave him his arrow. Then she discovered that she could not turn back, the young man having charmed her.

Finally darkness came, and they stopped for the night. They built a fire and ate some meat. When they retired the young man told the woman to lie down by herself, and he lay down by himself. Early the next morning, they started again, and traveled all that day, until darkness overtook them, and they camped again for the night. This time the woman thought that she was to sleep with the man. When bedtime came the man told the woman to lie down on one side of the fire. On the next day they started again, traveling until darkness overtook them. They stopped to rest for the night. By this time, the woman had given up all hope of ever sleeping with the man. They built a fire, ate supper and went to sleep, the woman sleeping in one place and the man sleeping in another. Int he morning after breakfast, they started, and traveled all day, and finally arrived at the home of the man.

The women now saw the young man’s mother and four sisters. The young man asked for something to eat, and they gave him some meat. His sisters also ate the same kind of meat. When the woman’s supper time came the old woman gave her some buffalo meat and some parched corn. The strange woman thought that she would sleep with the young man’s mother. She went to bed with the old woman. Next morning all ate breakfast and the young woman noticed that they had food of their own, the man and his sisters having meat for themselves, the old woman meat for herself, which she shared with the young stranger.

The morning they supposed that the young man was going out hunting, and his four sisters went out to swim, for they were fond of swimming, so the strange woman was left at home with the old woman. The old woman began to tell the young woman how mean her children were; that their food was human flesh; that her son went out hunting, not for any kind of game, but for human beings; that he had great powers to attack human beings; that when he killed anybody he would butcher him and bring home his flesh for himself and his sisters. She told the young woman a great deal about the young man and his four sisters. All that day the young man was out hunting and his four sisters were out swimming. The old woman told the young woman that this way her children passed their time. At sundown the four sisters came home, and after a while the young man came, and they were all hungry. The man made his sisters prepare the supper at once. The young man was feeling bad because he had not killed any game, and said he was going to try again the next day.

The next morning, after all had eaten breakfast, the young man started on his hunting trip again. His sisters went out to the lake for their bath, and the old woman remained at home with the young woman until the brother and sisters came home. This happened every day. One day the old woman said to the young woman, “Let us get the young man to eat some food.” They pounded some corn into meal and put it away until the young man returned. After the meal, all went to sleep, and the two women who had remained at home rose from their bed, and while the young man was asleep, put the corn meal into his mouth and made him eat it. The young man rose from the bed and said to them, “Now, since you have done this to me you have taken away from me my powers, and now I shall have to live like any other human being, and will always have less powers, for I had great powers before you did this to me.” After he had eaten the meal he hunted all kinds of game, such as deer, turkey, and buffalo, for his meat from this time on.

After that time the four women went out to the lake and ceased to return. The young man now called together all his neighbors, who were the wild animals and fowls of the air. They came to his place and asked why he had called them. He told them that his sisters had gone to the lake and had not returned home since the two women had done him the wrong, and he wanted his sisters to come home. He told them that his sisters had laid their clothes on the dry ground; that he wanted some one to go and get them; that whoever should get them and bring them home should have the four women for his wives. He cautioned them, saying that they must keep themselves concealed before reaching the place, and must run hard after taking the clothes, for, if overtaken, they would have to die. All agreed to accept the offer made by the young man. They were asked to make the trial one at a time.

The Jack-Rabbit (Watsch) was the first one to try. He at once started for the lake, and had to sneak around in order not to be seen. He finally succeeded in getting the clothes, and at once began to run back to where he had started from. When the women found out what had happened to their clothes they started after the Rabbit. When about half-way to the young man’s lodge they overtook him and killed him, and took their clothes back to the lake. These four women were Ducks (Sotschodes), and were fast runners and swimmers. Each man tried his luck, but every one failed to reach the home of the young man. There was a man known as a swift runner, whose name was Swift-Hawk (Guesseios), who tried his luck. He kept himself pretty well concealed until he reached the place where the clothes were. Then he picked them up and began to run as fast as he could. When the four women found out that some one had taken away their clothes they started after him. They caught him near the young man’s home, and killed him while running, took their clothes and returned to the lake. There was now but one man left of those who had entered the contest to get the young man’s sisters for wives, and this was Small-Hawk (Kasiossekits). He started for the place where the clothes were. He kept himself pretty well hid, the same as the rest had done, so as not to be discovered. Finally he reached the lake, took the clothes, and commenced to run for the young man’s home, but the sisters saw him and ran after him.

Small-Hawk, being the fastest runner known, ran his best and kept running, and reach the door of the lodge nearly exhausted. He ran into the lodge with the clothes and just as he entered, the four women passed the door. Small-Hawk was now within the lodge with the clothing. The sour sisters passed the lodge, and when they turned back they stopped at it, begging the people to give them their clothes. The brother of the four women asked them to come in, and said if they did not come in he would not let them have their clothes. They finally agreed to live in the house if he would give back their clothes. The brother told his sisters that Small-Hawk would be their husband thereafter, and they agreed to do anything that he should ask them to do. Small-Hawk was there, ready to become their husband. They were again all living together with Small-Hawk and their brother’s wife, whom he had brought a long distance.

Once upon a time the brother took a notion to take his wife back to her home, when he learned that she was pregnant. It must be remembered that Owner-of-Black-and-White-Flint-Knives now had less powers, since the women had fed him what human beings ate, but there were still people who feared him. They started on their journey and traveled until about the middle of the afternoon, when they stopped for the night. The man told his wife to gather a big pile of wood; for some one would be around at night to fight him, and in order to have light they must have plenty of wood to keep the fire burning all night. He said he knew he was to lose his life, for he no longer had the same feeling or the same powers as he had had in his earlier life, when nothing could bother him, but now, having less powers, some sort of animal was going to carry him off. In order to prevent this for a time they must keep up a good fire and remain near it. He also told her that when the child should be born, she should call him Young-Flint-Knife (Tahaaniyer); that when it was about time for her to give birth she should be left alone in the lodge; that she must not allow the child to come out any other than the usual way for a child to come out; that she should keep talking to the child inside, for he would refuse to come out, but she must keep telling him to come out just where a child ought to come out; that when the child should be born she should give him one piece of black flint and one of white to eat, and the first time he should want to know what short of things were for boys to play with, bow and arrows should be given him.

That night, when they had the fire built, they heard some creature asking if he could come around. The man told him to come on; that he was ready for him. The creature came and they at once began to pull one another. Every time the creature pulled Owner-of-Black-and-White-Flint-Knives a little distance from the fire, he would begin to pull back, and would bring the animal to the fire. Thus they pulled back and forth to and away from the fire, the animal’s intention being to carry off the man. They pulled each other back and forth all night, but as soon as it was daylight they parted. The foe was Double-Faced-Monster (Witschatska).

The man and his wife began to travel again, going toward the east. About the middle of the afternoon they stopped and gathered a big pile of wood. About dark there came that same thing that had visited them the night before, which asked if it might come around, and the man told him to come around, and that he would meet him. They began to get hold of one another. The Double-Faced-Monster would try to carry the man far enough into the dark so that he could take him off, but about the time he would carry him far enough to get an advantage, the man would pull the Double-Faced-Monster back and would call his wife to make the fire burn and have plenty of wood on it, for he intended to throw the Double-Faced Monster into the fire. They continued this pulling back and forth until morning, then parted.

The husband and his wife began to travel again. About the middle of the afternoon they stopped to get plenty of wood, for they knew that the Double-Faced Monster would come again. At dark there came this same Double-Faced-Monster. They met and began to pull each other around, one pulling to the light, the other to the dark. The woman kept the fire burning all night, and whenever the wood began to burn out, the Double-Faced-Monster would begin to carry the husband a good distance from the fire. Then his wife would put some more woof on the fire, and when it commenced to burn they would come back to the light. They continued this until morning, then parted. Owner-of-Black-and-White-Flint-Knives was getting tired of this hard fighting, which had continued for three nights.

Again they traveled, and there was two days’ journey yet to go, and the husband knew by the way his strength had been reduced that he would be carried off the next night. While they were on the way he began to tell his wife that perhaps she would have to go to her home alone, for he knew that he would be carried off; that she should not tell her son who his father was until he should get big enough, and then if he wanted to know, she should tell him that something had taken him away; that when he should call for playthings she should give him his elk horn bow, and arrows. They traveled all day, and stopped the same time as usual and commenced to bring wood and pile it up, getting ready for the fight. About dark the Double-Faced-Monster called to the Owner-of-Black-and-White-Flint-Knives to get ready for the fight, for he was coming again to take him. They again began the fight and the woman kept up the fire. When he would be taken off for a distance he would call for his wife to build the fire, and then he would come back with the Double-Faced-Monster. About daylight she began to run out of wood, so that the Double-Faced-Monster gained a little greater distance into the darkness, and when they came back they did not approach as close to the fire as usual. The strength of Owner-of-Black-and-White-Flint-Knives was becoming less, the wood was burning out. When there was no more wood to make a fire Double-Faced-Monster took off the Owner-of-Black-and-White-Flint-Knives. His wife heard him calling to her to build up the fire; but there was no more wood, and then the daylight came and the woman was alone.

She continued her journey alone and arrived at her home about noon. The people were surprised to see her again, and greeted her with joy. She told her parents about her life among the strange people and how she was taken away; what sort of a man she had, and how he came to lose his life while on the way to her home. She then told her parents that she was pregnant, that when born the child should be called Young-Flint-Knife. Time soon passed and she began to prepare for her confinement. She told her parents to leave the place and allow her to stay alone until the child was born. When she was giving birth the child began to talk inside of her womb, asking to be allowed to come through her mouth, but the woman refused. She told him to come through the same place that all children came, but he said he did not want to. They kept arguing about this and finally she told him that by coming out of her mouth he might kill her; that he should hold his breath and come out. The child did, and there was born to the woman a boy, and it was named Young-Flint-Knife.

When the child was born it did not need to be carried around like a young child, but sat down and called for something to eat. She gave him the black stone, then the white stone to eat, telling him that that was his food, and after he had eaten it she would nurse him. Day after day the child grew, and finally he began to hunt and shoot with his arrows, killing birds of all kinds, turkeys, and deer. He became a famous boy in every way. He had great powers, as his father had had, but he was not really like his father, for his food was like that of any other human being. When he grew older and of better mind, he began to ask who his father was, and what had become of him, and whether he was dead or living. As soon as his mother began to realize that he was fully grown, she told him that something had taken his father off while they were on the way to her home, and she told him where the place was where he had been carried away from her. Young-Flint-Knife then told his mother to grind enough meal for him to take along with him, and he would go and hunt for the being that had carried off his father. He started on the trip in search of his father.

When he came to the place and found the trail of the Double-Faced-Monster he followed it. He kept traveling until he came to a deep canyon with steep sides. He looked down and saw that there was no way to get down. The sides of the canyon were smooth and perpendicular, so that it was impossible for any one to go down. He followed up the canyon, looking to see whether he could see anyone, until he came to where he could see but very little, and down there he saw a man getting water. From the description, he thought that the man was his father. He slid down the steep wall when he saw this man again, and called him, saying, “I am now here to get you, and am bound to take you back home to mother.”

He asked Owner-of-Black-and-White-Flint-Knives what the Double-Faced-Monsters were, when they were home, and what time they came home. His father said that it was dangerous for him to be around, for the older Double-Faced-Monsters were out somewhere, and he supposed that they already knew of Young-Flint-Knife’s arrival. They at once went up to the place where the creatures were. They walked in the caves, and there they saw the young ones at home by themselves. The children came up to them and began to scratch their legs, and whatever blood was on their claws they would suck. Young-Flint-Knife noticed some things hanging inside the place, and he asked the young ones what these things were. They replied that they were their hearts; that they were hung there so that there would be no chance of anyone killing their father and mother. Young-Flint-Knife took his arrow and struck one of these, and down went one of the young ones. Young-Flint-Knife then asked whose were the other hearts; then he stuck his arrows into them, one after another, until he thought he must have killed all of them.

Young-Flint-Knife and his father walked out, and the Owner-of-Black-and-White-Flint-Knives was released from his troubles. They looked for the deepest place int eh creek, and when they found it, Young-Flint-Knife asked his father to dive in. He dived, and when he came out of the water he was changed so that he bore the same appearance as before he was carried away from his wife. They then went on to Young-Flint-Knife’s home. When they arrived the parents were glad to see them again, for they had known that Young-Flint-Knife was going to meet danger when he set out, and had not expected him to return; but Young-Flint-Knife, having great powers, knew how to get to the safest place, and knew when the Double-Faced-Monsters were at home, and when they were away. He was now much stronger than his father. They were at home but a little while, when Owner-of-Black-and-White-Flint-Knives told his son that he had less powers than formerly. He said that because he was old and had less power, he feared that the Double-Faced-Monster, or some other enemies might capture him, and make him suffer again all that he had so recently suffered. In order to prevent a recurrence of this, he wanted his son to leave with him and become something else. So the Owner-of-Black-and-White-Flint-Knives and his son, Young-Flint-Knife, waited until night, then went up in the sky and became Stars. They left their people behind, who exist on earth as human beings.

Source:

The Mythology of the Wichita, George A. Dorsey, 1904