SKY WOMAN
All but a few of the Indian tribes of North America had a myth cycle that explained for them how the world was created and how the rivers, lakes, and mountains were formed. With little difference in detail the same myth of creation prevailed among the Iroquois of New York State, the Algonquins and other eastern tribes. The version given here is native to the Senecas.
Once all mankind lived in a celestial paradise. Below this paradise, there was no earth but only a watery expanse, inhabited by waterfowl and water animals. There was no sun in this watery world but heaven was enlightened by the beautiful blossoms of Tree of Light which stood before the lodge of the Chief of Heaven.
The Chief of Heaven had married a beautiful young woman in accordance with the dictates of a dream. Presently, she became pregnant simply from inhaling the chief's breath, but he was not aware of the miraculous nature of what had happened and became very jealous. Then another dream told him that he should tear the Tree of Light from the ground. He did so and it left a great gaping hole in the floor of heaven. When he came upon his wife peering down into the great hole he had made, jealous rage overcame him and he gave her a push. She fell from the celestial region down toward the terrestrial water. The Chief of Heaven then threw down other objects- corn, deer, wolves, bears, tobacco, squash, beaver and many other things that ultimately would grow in the lower world.
But that world had not come into existence. The unfortunate wife, who came to be known as the Sky Woman ,was seen as she fell, by the numerous creatures that already inhabited the great ocean. They decided to help her. The water birds folded their wings one against another to catch her and slow her fall, and the water animals tried to arrange a landing place. The Great Snapping Turtle swam to the surface and held his shell above water while other animals dived to the bottom of the sea for earth. The Muskrat brought up some, as did the Toad. These little bits of earth were deposited on the great hard shell of the turtle and somehow the earth and the turtle shell began to grow onto an island.
The birds bore the Sky Woman down gradually, fresh birds replacing wearied ones as time went on, presently they put her on the newly formed island. The Sky Woman walked about on the island and even took handfuls of earth as it multiplied and threw them about, and the island grew large and the horizons moved out beyond human vision. Plant, trees and grass began the grow, and the animals which had fallen after the Sky Woman also flourished and propagated. In this way was the earth born and the Sky Woman became the Great Earth Mother .
