INDIAN FOLK TALES

The white man who went to the New World discovered there a large body of strange legends. These were the tales told by the American Indians, the imaginative people whose stories were partly tribal and partly a body of religious belief. Because the Indians of the United States and Canada had no written language, many of their legends have been lost, but through the diaries  and journals kept by early missionaries, some have been presented and have become the expressions of primitive culture.

The Indians used their legends to explain things they did not know or understand. They told tales that explain how the world was created, how life began and how the mountains were formed. They made Gods of the sun, the sky, the earth and the winds. Always they were conscious of the importance of  storytelling. All of the legends have a flavor that is unique to the Indians.

THE ROCKS OF BRYCE CANYON

Stretching below the rim of the Pink Cliffs of Bryce Canyon, Utah, are some strangely contorted natural rock sculptures that look like men, animals, miniature cities, cathedrals and temples... The Paiute Indians and other tribes have woven a legend about them.

Before there were any Indians, Bryce Canyon was the home of the creatures who were really birds, animals and lizards that did not have the power to make themselves look human. These strange animal-people were ruled by a powerful trickster-hero, Coyote, who could also change his shape and do many other strange deeds.

Like the human beings, these animal-people began fighting and stealing among themselves, and Coyote decided that they were bad. He became so angry that he turned them all into rocks in the positions they were in at the moment. That is why the rocks of the canyon look like people who are sitting, standing, bending over and fighting. These creatures had liked to daub themselves with paint and that is why their faces are colored. Also that is why the Paiute Indians refer to the place a s Angka-ku-wass-a-wits, "red painted faces."

Other Indians say the Bryce Canyon has the ruins of a great city built long ago by the Coyote, which was then buried in the mud. Some of the mud washed away and now the ruins are partially exposed to view. They call it Coyote's Lost City.