The Mythology of North America

by Bierhorst, John

• ISBN13: 9780195146233
• ISBN10: 0195146239
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-08-22
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

The growing economic and political influence of Native American tribes has brought religious issues, once little noted, increasingly to the fore. Timeless in their basic structures, the continent's principal myths are now emerging as sacred histories that have contemporary significance. In this wide-ranging volume, John Bierhorst carefully delineates eleven mythological regions--from the Arctic to the Southwest and from California to the East Coast--presenting the gods, heroes, and primary myths of each area. First published in 1985, this indispensable guide has been updated to reflect the latest scholarship in Native studies. In a new Afterword, Bierhorst describes the recent impact of ancient myths in the arena of American Indian affairs and shows how Native Americans have successfully used mythology as oral evidence to reclaim land rights and to repatriate grave goods. Citing specific cases, he shows how new legislation and changing attitudes "have provided a basis for bringing myth to the negotiating table and into the courtroom." Detailed maps show tribal locations and the distribution of key stories. Indian artworks illustrate the texts and samples of differing narrative styles add enrichment, as some of the world's purest and most powerful myths are made more accessible--and more meaningful--than ever before.

Author Biography

John Bierhorst is the author, editor, or translator of more than thirty books on Native American lore--eight of which have been named Notable Books by the American Library Association.

Table of Contents

A Note on Pronunciation	ix
Introduction	1	(24)
Part One: Northwest Coast
The Hungry Heroes	25	(13)
Clans, Crests, and Ceremonies	38	(9)
Family Ties	47	(10)
Part Two: Far North
Storytelling in the Arctic	57	(8)
Athapascan Variations	65	(12)
Part Three: Southwest
The Emergence	77	(16)
Heroes and Their Grandmothers	93	(7)
The Dying God	100	(13)
Part Four: West Central
Creators of California	113	(9)
Great Basin Heroes and Heroines	122	(11)
Part Five: Coast-Plateau
Remaking the World	133	(8)
Making the World as it is	141	(12)
Part Six: Plains
Father Creators and Boy Heroes	153	(12)
Earth and Sky	165	(7)
Myths for the Future	172	(13)
Part Seven: East
Lost Worlds of the Southeast	185	(9)
The Northeast: Turtle Island	194	(11)
The Northeast: Gluskap's Country	205	(8)
Part Eight: Midwest
The Hare Cycle	213	(12)
Lore of the Kin	225	(9)
Afterword	234	(7)
Notes on Sources	241	(22)
Index	263