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Coyote and the Creation, Mescalero Apache Text

excerpted from Chiricahua Apache Texts, with Ethnological Notes

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5. Coyote and the Creation as told by Charles Smith

5.1.

"I am going away again."

5.2.

"Why are you going to tire yourself out? Just now you were very tired. You no sooner come in and sit down on the ground at home than you dash out again. Now I've become tired of you. You are continually leaving us in an empty camp. We too would like to see other places. Take us with you over there."

5.3.

Coyote said to her:

5.4.

"You see, some of those children of mine are small. Some of them cannot swim. There is much that frightens them. They soon become tired.

5.5.

"I know about all sorts of places. Therefore, I will get all sorts of things from people of many kinds. I am learning as I travel about. Therefore, do not follow me over there. Let me go about by myself. Do not speak of this to me again.

5.6.

"Good things are said about the Frog people. Because of that, I shall go to them. I shall bring back something for you."

5.7.

"My father, [said Coyote's son] I like it right here. So, you go on. I will take care of everything: water, wood, and all. Therefore, my mother, do not speak [further] to him. Let him start out over there. He will bring back something for us."

5.8.

Coyote's wife spoke thus to him:

5.9.

"Very well, I shall not do so again. When I have been to these people, then I shall not go anywhere from you again. We will return to our own people. I do not know where the camp is but someone somewhere will tell us about it. Later, when I return, I will tell you the story. Therefore, all of you embrace me well. Then I'll leave you."

5.10.

Then they embraced one another.

5.11.

From there he went on.

5.12.

5.13.

"Where is the camp of the Frog People?"

5.14.

"Go right on in that direction."

5.15.

5.16.

From there he went on farther.

5.17.

"Coyote, where are you going?"

5.18.

5.19.

Without speaking to each other again, they parted.

5.20.

Coyote stopped before him.

5.21.

5.22.

"From right here."

5.23.

"I [am one of] those who are called Rump people

5.24.

"Tell me exactly where the camp of the Frog people is."

5.25.

"On the farther side of the fourth ridge from the edge of the mountains, there are four little mountains.

5.26.

"Friend, I am grateful to you. Thank you many many times."

5.27.

From there he went on farther.

5.28.

5.29.

"Where are you going?"

5.30.

"Ho! Where are you going! I'm going over there. What do you want?"

5.31.

Then the two stood before each other.

5.32.

"You will tell me a story later."

5.33.

"Earth! Now, for some reason,

5.34.

From there he kept on along the road.

5.35.

He stood on the east side of it.

5.36.

Then he went on.

5.37.

From there he went on again to the next lake.

5.38.

From there he went on further.

5.39.

There four streams came together and flowed into the lake at that place.

5.40.

[Coyote] stopped before him.

5.41.

So that one was the first of all living creatures to be transformed.

5.42.

5.43.

From here [Coyote] went on.

5.44.

Then [the voice] spoke thus to him again:

5.45.

"Then the thorny plants also:

5.46.

"Now all varieties of yucca:

5.47.

"Now, on to all varieties of trees:

5.48.

"All kinds of people, all people, will repeatedly make use of you in some good way."

5.49.

Then [Coyote] looked about everywhere.

5.50.

There were many plains everywhere.

5.51.

There were many springs also.

5.52.

He thought also about all kinds of snakes.

5.53.

"Now all the varieties of lizard:

5.54.

"Now then, all varieties of rodent:

5.55.

"And now all kinds of antelope and deer:

5.56.

"And now the various bears:

5.57.

"And now the varieties of mountain lion:

5.58.

"All the varieties of badger:

5.59.

"And now all the varieties of those with feathers, the varieties of hawk that kill:

5.60.

"All the varieties of little birds:

5.61.

[Coyote] has now come to the various ravens, who are those of the class of carrion-eaters that fly.

5.62.

"Now [come] those who have cloven hoofs [and] those whose feet are bunched.

5.63.

"Now I have become very tired.

5.64.

"Now you have given yourself the name 'Coyote'.

5.65.

"Who are you who move me about the places I have not created?

5.66.

From inside a cloud there was a roar of thunder.

5.67.

Then the cloud moved down to the surface of the earth before him.

5.68.

The being who had just come,

5.69.

"Now, since you do not want to be human,

5.70.

At this point, Coyote trotted away.

5.71.

Then he looked about him everywhere.

5.72.

"All varieties of plant will clothe earth.

5.73.

"The voices of all sorts of birds that do not [now] exist will be heard singing and making a noise.

5.74.

"People made in my image will follow me.

5.75.

"Now I will cool the earth's surface.

5.76.

"Then, after this,

5.77.

"Now the rivers will flow.

5.78.

"Even clouds will start to move.

5.79.

"Even the varieties of cactus will have much fruit

5.80.

"Now, my father, look at all I have made for you to give to humankind. Now, tell me of anything of any kind that is lacking."

5.81.

"Yes, it is all good.

5.82.

"Yes, now I know it.

5.83.

White Painted Woman came to him.

5.84.

"Herb medicine, if they breathe you four times, they will be cured by your power

5.85.

"Another one, a medicine-that-lives,

5.86.

"Now, here is the medicine-that-moves-for-you.

5.87.

"'Yellow medicine', you will be called.

5.88.

"Now, from here on, there are all sorts of medicines, my grandson.

5.89.

"Now you also, face medicine,

5.90.

"Now you also, red medicine

(5.91.

5.92.

"Now then, gray medicine,

5.93.

"Now, that-redness-which-customarily-emerges-with-medicine,

5.94.

"Turquoise, if you do not cause trouble,

5.95.

"Yellow stone medicine, you too,

5.96.

"Black stone medicine,

5.97.

"Now, all of you that I will make medicines,

5.98.

"Now, from here on,

5.99.

"Spurge, they will boil your leaves and seeds for food.

5.100.

"Since all kinds of medicines and plants are good for everything,

5.101.

5.102.

"Living medicine,

5.103.

"Now, there will also be no lack of the different insects with man.

5.104.

"All varieties of cattle,

5.105.

"Now then, all of you who fly over the surface of the earth will be of value to humankind and I have made you so that all of your skins and flesh is of value to Indians [and] white men.

5.106.

"And also, the skin, flesh, and anything else of all of you who live in the water will be of value to Indians and white men.

5.107.

"Now then, there is nothing more of value to me that I can set down on the surface the earth for you.

5.108.

"Now I shall put you all together.

5.109.

"I shall be with you in a little while.

5.110.

"Therefore, my children, my sisters, my brothers, my uncles, [and] all those who are variously related to me:

Linguistic Notes by Harry Hoijer

Ethnological Notes Morris Opler

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"People made in my image will follow me.

(5.74)[74]

"nDéne sheełt'éne shikék'eyágo. Shitaań dáshíͅ dasidáń nahá'áíͅlaaí; 'Égodiͅee shaidéń'áͅee 'áshłáͅgo. Díík'eh k'ehgóͅzhónébeenaasháí. Dooshé'édeegodiłndídago, Dáha'yá dágóbí góndiií naatsénágóyałkosyá. 'Ágot'égo naanágoyałndííłdaał. K'adi, nndéne díí nahíígo, Beehinahndágo Ha'yánzhóͅyá 'ánádaał'iͅiͅłgo nahaaní'iͅiͅ."

"People made in my image will follow me. My father who lives up above[14] has made it so for you; He has given what is lacking to me to create. I am one who lives by means of all that is beautiful. They are not to speak evil of me even to themselves, Even in any of the thoughts they are thinking. They will behave in this way. Now, you who are human, I have given you that by means of which you live And [that which] you will make beautiful anywhere.

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(5.74) Linguistic Notes

1. The literal translation of the first line is as follows: "Human beings / people like me / being in my trail."

2. k'ehgóͅzhónébeenaasháí 'I am one who lives by what is beautiful'. k'eh- 'by reason of'; góͅzhóné 'that which is beautiful'; bee- 'by means of it'; naashá 'I go about, I live'.

3. dooshé'edeegodiłndídago 'they are not to speak evil of me even to themselves'. This form is not clear: doo-...-da negative; shé- 'of me, about me'; 'édee- 'by means of oneself'. godiłndí seems to be a form of the verb 'to say' but that theme has the zero rather than the -ł- classifier. Where, too, does the connotation 'to speak evil' come from?

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Ethnological Note Ethnological Note
This reference to a heavenly father is probably the result of Christian influence. The older Apache refer to the source of their personal supernatural power by a word that can be roughly translated Giver of Life. Now this word and another of Spanish derivation sometimes are used in a vague way to allude to a creator. It is probably to this creator that Child of the Water addresses the sentence. I am satisfied that the conception is a recent one. Child of the Water is here asserting that the task of creation has been delegated to him by one in the sky. In the story of his birth, Child of Water's mother is given as White Painted Woman, and, as his name indicates, his father is the water. See Chiricahua text 1: "The Child of Water".