Woman
Who Fell from the Sky
a Haudenosaunee
Creation story.
In the beginning, in the Sky World, a pregnant wife asked her husband
to fetch the delicacies she craved. But she wanted the bark of a root
of the Great Tree in the middle of the Sky World, which none were
permitted to touch. Finally, however, he gave in, and scraped away
soil to bare the root of the Tree. Underneath was a hole, and as the
woman peered down into it, she fell through. The birds helped transport
her as she fell, and the great Sea Turtle received her on his back.
Here, on the Sea Turtle's
back, she planted bits of the roots and plants she had brought from
the Sky World. And she walked across the turtle's back, planting,
praying and creating the Earth that we know as Turtle Island.
The woman who had
fallen from the sky then had a daughter, who became impregnated by
the West Wind. While in the womb, the daughter's unborn twins began
to quarrel about how they should emerge, the left-handed twin refusing
to be born in the usual way. Instead, he forced himself out of his
mother's left armpit, killing her as a result. The newborn twins then
buried their mother, who became Corn Mother, source of corn, beans
and squash, the Three Sisters of the Iroquois. From her heart grew
sacred tobacco, used to send messages and thanks to the Sky World.
The two brothers continued
to compete with each other as they created the animals and plants,
and in the process, represented different ways of living. Right-Handed
Twin created the beautiful hills, lakes, blossoms, gentle creatures;
Left-Handed Twin, the jagged cliffs and whirlpools, thorns and predators.
Right-Handed Twin was always truthful, reasonable, goodhearted, and
"straight-arrow"; Left-Handed Twin lied, fought, rebelled
and made "crooked" choices.
Because Right-Handed
Twin created human beings, he is known as "Our Creator,"
and "The Master of Life." But Left-Handed Twin helped, and
invented rituals of sorcery and healing. The world they built included
both cooperation and competition, lovingkindness and aggression.
After they finished
their creations, the continued to compete in other ways - by gambling,
by playing lacross, then fighting with clubs. One day, grasping a
deer antler, Right-handed Twin finally prevailed, and killed his brother,
throwing the body of Left-Handed Twin over the edge of the earth.
As a result, Right-Handed Twin rules day and the Sky-Worldand Left-Handed
Twin prevails over night and the lower world.
Grandmother Skywoman
was furious that Right-Handed Twin murdered his brother, and accused
him of wrongdoing. Angry, and believing that grandmother had always
favored the errant Left- Handed Twin, he cut off her head and threw
it up toward the sky, where it became the Moon. Then he threw her
body into the ocean, where it became all the fish of the sea.
