English Translation


4. The Killing of the Eagles
Lawrence Mithlo

(4.1)
Then he removed all of the intestines of this Bull he had killed.
And he poured all of the blood of that same Bull into them.

(4.2)
Then, [to] his mother, the White Painted Woman, he spoke thus [to her]:
"My mother, now [to] that Eagle who kills with his eyes, he who will not permit people to live, I am going [to him] also."
Child of the Water said to her.
And he started off to him.

(4.3)
Then, now, to the plain;
[but] before he went out to the plain,
he wound those intestines he had filled with blood all around him[self].
And then he went out to the plain for [the Eagle].1

(4.4)
Then, [the Eagle], from over there at the rock that extends to the sky on which he lies with his children looking in every direction -- where he sits searching for something to come out somewhere -- saw him.
Suddenly he swooped down.
He grabbed him with his claws.
Immediately, at that place, blood began to flow.
He picked him up.
He carried him back over there to the rock that extends to the sky on which his children lay.

(4.5)
Then he threw him over to where his children were sitting.
He spoke thus to his children:
"Eat this up quickly!"
he said to them.
Then he sat down again on the place on the extended rock on which he usually sat.

(4.6)
Then his children began to eat.
And they reached out to [Child of the Water].
Then:
"Sss -- -!"
he said to them.
Then they were afraid.

(4.7)
They called over there to where their father was sitting:
"My father, this one said 'Sss -- -!' to us!"


(4.8)
Then their father spoke thus to them:
"Go right ahead [and] eat him! That one died long ago. That noise is the air coming out of his wounds."
their father said to them.
And, just as he had told them this, he flew away somewhere again.

(4.9)
Then Child of the Water took out a stone axe which lay in his pocket.
Then he began to knock them down with it.
He killed them.
Only that one which was born last he spared.

(4.10)
Then Child of the Water asked that one who was born last:
"When Is your father returning?"
he said to him.

(4.11)
Then that little one spoke thus to him:
"When the male rain 2 starts to come [and] the water dust starts to fall, he will return."
he said to him.

(4.12)
Then:
"Where does he usually sit?"
said [Child of the Water] to him.

(4.13)
"Over there, at that point of rock, he usually sits."
he said to him.

(4.14)
Then now, he lay in wait for [Eagle] at the place where [the little one] had told him he usually sat.
Then, as [Eagle] swooped back to that place, there was a great noise.
There, at the place where he usually sat, he alighted.
Before he noticed him, [Child of the Water] hit him on the side of the head with the stone axe.
He knocked him off [the rock].

(4.15)
Then he questioned the little one again.
"Now, when Is your mother returning?"
he said to him.

(4.16)
"When the female rain2 starts to come [and] the water dust starts to fall, she will return."
he said to him.

(4.17)
Then:
"Where does she usually sit?"
he said to him also.

(4.18)
"Over there, at that point of rock, she usually sits."
he said to him.

(4.19)
Then he lay in wait there for her also.
From far away was heard the noise of her flying.
She was swooping down to her perch.
Before she noticed him, [Child of the Water] hit her also on the side of the head.
He knocked her off [the rock].
He killed her.

(4.20)
Then that little one, the one he had spared, he spoke thus to him:
"Now, you carry me down."
he said to him.

(4.21)
So then he started to carry [Child of the Water] down again.
He had carried him down.
There [Child of the Water] hit his head also.
He killed him.

(4.22)
Then he was pulling out [the Eagles'] feathers.
"Let these become all varieties of birds!"
he said as he scattered them in all directions.
By that [act] he created all of the different birds that exist.

(4.23)
Then he returned to his mother again.
"My mother, I have killed them."
he said to her.

(4.24)
And his mother was very happy about it.
"That is good, my child!"
she said to him.




Ethnological Notes
Morris Opler



4.1
That is, he went out where Eagle could see him.

4.2
While more than one explanation has been obtained, most informants say that male rain is a heavy shower accompanied by thunder, and female rain is a lighter shower without thunder.