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FIRE Stories, Folktales, Folklore, Fairy Tales, Legends, Myths, History, Nursery Rhymes, Fantasy & Facts Scroll down or click on your choice below • SOS: Searching Out Stories/Info - Fire Advice, Comments and References from Storytellers, Teachers and Librarians Depicted: Prometheus Steals Fire |
SOS: SEARCHING OUT STORIES AND INFORMATION - FIRE
Advice, Comments and References from Storytellers, Teachers and Librarians
(excerpts from Storytell posts plus original research)
Book titles and online links are in blue and underlined. Click on them to get more stories and information.
Story titles are in quotation marks.
To retell any stories, get permission from the copyright holder if the material is not in the public domain.
Posts are added chronologically as they are received by Story Lovers World.
1) There's a story called "How Coyote Got Fire for Man," or more accurately, "Coyote Steals Fire from the Devil Woman." My source was Just One More by Jeanne B. Hardendorff - she cited it as a "Western Native American Tale." Looked up a Karuk myth version which is hard to read as it's written as a play and is a translation of a recording. Fire does get into sticks in the first version - and frog gets to be a hero as well as all the animals who help coyote "assembly-line" style. I use it at the Horse Camp I do, and let the campers sort of act out the assembly line - choosing an animal to be to help pass the fire.
2) This may be "Stealing Fire," which I found on Thomas Doty's website some time ago. He attributes it to the Shasta people. Look under Literary Works at:
http://www.dotycoyote.com/index.html
3) There's a book published in 1957 by Anne B. Fisher, Library of Congress number 57-8065, published by Parnassus Press. It's called Stories California Indians told (California State series)
4) There is a transformative creature who befriends the few Sioux people on earth. There are some wicked beings, also. The writer refers to them as "bad fairies" but they look more like ugly gremlins. The little creatures refuse to share the fire they keep safe in their tents.The transformative creature turns himself into a pine needle and drops down into the little creatures' fire. Then immediately transforms again in a white bird and flies away with the burning bit he took from the fire. As he flies sparks fall down on the earth where certain rocks and trees keep them hidden deep within. That's why you can make fire from certain rocks and trees. The white bird turned black from the fire and today this black bird trickster is known as Raven. The story is a Sioux how-and-why story called How Fire Got into the Rocks & Trees: A Story Based on Indian Legend (American Heritage Series)
5) Origins of Fire. Try these:
http://www.humanity.org/voices/folklore/asmat/ (Indonesia)
http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1993/2/93.02.12.x.html (Puerto Rico)
http://www.indians.org/welker/origfire.htm (Jicarilla Apache)
6) Myths of the Origin of Fire
7) "Origin of Fire" from Jicarilla Apache (another version).
Myth:
At that early day the trees could talk, but the people could not burn them, as they were without fire. Fire was at length obtained through the instrumentality of the Fox. One day Fox went to visit the geese, têtl, whose cry he wished to learn. They promised to teach him, but it would be necessary for him to accompany them in their flights, in order to receive instruction. They gave him wings with which to fly, but cautioned him not to open his eyes while using them. When the geese rose in flight Fox flew with them. As darkness came on, they passed over the inclosure where the fire-fllies, ko-na-tcic'-æ, lived. Some gleams from their flickering fires penetrated the eyelids of Fox, causing him to open his eyes. His wings at once failed to support him, and he fell within the walls of the corral in which were pitched the tents of the fireflies. Two flies went to see the fallen Fox, who gave each a necklace of juniper berries, kotl'-te-i-tsæ, to induce them to tell him where he could pass the wall which surrounded them. The fireflies showed Fox a cedar tree which would bend down at command and assist any one to pass over the wall. In the evening Fox went to the spring where fireflies obtained water, and found colored earths suitable for paint, with which he gave himself a coat of white. Returning to camp, he told the fireflies that they ought to have a feast; they should dance and make merry, and he would give them a new musical instrument. They agreed to his proposal, and gathered wood for a great camp-fire, which they ignited by their own glow, Before the ceremonies began, Fox tied shreds of cedar bark to his tail, and then made a drum, the first ever constructed, which he beat for some time. Tired of beating the drum, he gave it to one of the fireflies and moved nearer the fire, into which he thrust his tail, in opposition to the advice of those about him, who said it would surely burn. " I am a medicine-man," said Fox, "and my tail will not burn." However, he kept a close watch upon it, and when the bark was burning well he said, "It is too warm for me here; stand aside and let me go where it is cooler." Fox ran away with tail blazing, followed by the fireflies, who cried, " Stop, you do not know the road; come back." Straight to the cedar-tree Fox ran, and called, "Bend down to me, my tree, bend down." The tree lifted him out of the inclosure, and on he ran, still pursued by the fireflies. As he passed along, the brush and wood on either side was ignited by the sparks which fell from the burning cedar, and fire was widely spread over the earth. Fox became fatigued from running, and gave the firebrand to the hawk, i-tsatl'-tsu-i, which carried it on, and finally delivered it to the brown crane, tsi-nês-tso'-i. This bird flew far southward, but not so far but that one tree was not reached, and it will not burn to this day. (No name for such a tree among the Jicarilla Apaches.) The fireflies pursued Fox to his burrow and informed him that, as punishment for having stolen fire from them and spread it abroad over the land, he should never be permitted to use it himself.
http://tinyurl.com/yafv7oq
8) Origin of Fire from the Hupa
Myth:
It was the Old-man-across-the-ocean. He picked up stones and struck them together. Nothing happened. Then he picked up a willow root and whittled it down to the dry part. He bored holes in it and then setting another stick in one of the holes, rolled it, between his hands. He was surprised to see smoke come out. Soon fire rolled out. That was the way it happened. They do that way now.
Footnotes
197:1 Told at Hupa, July 1902, by McCann to offset a story by a Redwood Indian which tells of the stealing of fire.
Source: http://www.sacred-texts.com/nam/ca/hut/hut15.htm
9) From southern British New Guinea:
The people of Woodlark Island have another tale in which the origin of the sun and moon is connected with the origin of fire. According to this, 36 in the beginning an old woman was the sole owner of fire, and she alone could eat cooked food, while other people must devour theirs raw. Her son said to her: "You are cruel. You see that the taro takes the skin off our throats, yet you do not give us fire with which to cook it"; but since she proved obdurate, he stole some of the flame and gave it to the rest of mankind. In anger at his action, the old woman seized what was left of her fire, divided it into two parts, and threw them into the sky, 37 the larger portion thus becoming the sun, and the smaller the moon.
More information at:
http://www.sacred-texts.com/pac/om/om11.htm
10) "Origin Myths" by Robert Carneiro (National Center for Science Education)
Among many elements of culture purportedly unknown to the earliest people was fire. However, rather than being given fire by the gods, most primitive peoples say they had to steal it. In myth I recorded among the Amahuaca of eastern Peru, fire was stolen from the stingy ogre, Yowashiko, by a parrot who flew away with a burning brand in its beak. Angered by the theft, Yowashiko tried to douse the flames by sending rain. However, other larger birds spread their wings over the parrot, thus keeping the flames alive so that eventually fire became available to everyone. This account is of course reminiscent of Greek mythology, in which Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to mankind.
Source and more information:
http://www.ncseweb.org/resources/articles/3570_origin_myths_12_7_2000.asp
11) Maori Myth of the Origin of Fire
Myth:
Fire had disappeared from the world of light. Mahuika, the mother of fire, lived in the underworld, each of her fingers being children of fire. Maui, however, didn't wish for fire to return to the world of light, so he tricked Mahuika into giving him one of her fingers of fire, Returning to the world of light, Maui extinguished the flame by pouring water on it. Returning to Mahuika, Maui tricked her into giving him a second finger saying he had lost the first. Maui returned to the world of light again with the second finger and extinguished the flame. Returning again and again, Maui eventually tricked Mahuika into giving him each of her fingers except for the last one. At this point, Mahuika realized that she had been deceived and flew into a rage, throwing her last finger into the forest of the world of light causing a great fire to spread through the forest. Mahuika pursued Maui into the burning forests. Fearing for his life, Maui took the form of a forest eagle and prayed to Tawhirimatea, the god of storms, to bring forth rain, and a great flood fell upon the earth. Knowing that she would perish if the fire were to be extinguished, Mahuika ran into the world of light to save her child. Realizing she was losing her battle against the great flood, Mahuika hid in the kaikomako tree with her last remaining finger. There she perished while her finger slept. To this day, Mahuika's sleeping child can be woken by rubbing together the dry wood, bringing forth once again the first of Mahuika.
Beautiful quilt by Ku Bailey illustrating this myth at:
http://www.arikiart.com/ku-bailey-quilt-gallery/pages/Maori%20Myth%20of%20the%20Origin%20of%20Fire.htm
12) "Grandmother Spider Steals the Fire" (Creation story of the Choctaw People of Tennessee and Mississippi)
Myth:
The Choctaw People say that when the People first came-up out of the ground, People were encased in cocoons, their eyes closed, their limbs folded tightly to their bodies. And this was true of all People, the Bird People, the Animal People, the Insect People, and the Human People. The Great Spirit took pity on them and sent down someone to unfold their limbs, dry them off, and open their eyes. But the opened eyes saw nothing, because the world was dark, no sun, no moon, not even any stars. All the People moved around by touch, and if they found something that didn't eat them first, they ate it raw, for they had no fire to cook it.
All the People met in a great Pow-wow, with the Animal and Bird People taking the lead, and the Human People hanging back. The Animal and Bird People decided that dark was not good, but cold and miserable. A solution must be found!!! Someone spoke from the dark, "I have heard that the people in the East have fire". This caused a stir of wonder, "What could fire be"!!! There was a general discussion, and it was decided that if, as-rumor-had-it, fire was warm and gave light, they should have it too. Another voice said, "But the people of the East are too greedy to share with us". So it was decided that the Bird and Animal People should steal what they needed, the fire!!!
But, who should have the honor!!! Grandmother Spider volunteered, "I can do it!!! Let me try"!!! But at the same time, Opossum began to speak. "I, Opossum, am a great Chief of the animals. I will go to the East and since I am a great hunter, I will take the fire and hide it in the bushy hair on my tail". It was well know that Opossum had the furriest tail of all the animals, so he was selected.
When Opossum came to the East...
•••••
The rest of the story is at:
http://www.indigenouspeople.net/spider.htm
13) "The First Fire" from the Cherokee People
Myth:
In the beginning of the world, there was no fire. The animal people were often cold. Only the Thunders, who lived in the world beyond the sky arch, had fire. At last they sent Lightning down to an island. Lightning put fire into the bottom of a hollow sycamore tree.
The animal people knew that the fire was there, because they could see smoke rising from the top of the tree. But they could not get to it on account of the water. So they held a council to decide what to do.
Everyone that could fly or could swim was eager to go after the fire. Raven said, "Let me go. I am large and strong."
At that time Raven was white. He flew high and far across the water and reached the top of the sycamore tree. While he sat there wondering what to do, the heat scorched all his feathers black. The frightened Raven flew home without the fire, and his feathers have been black ever since.
Then the council sent Screech Owl. He flew to the island. But while he was looking down into the hollow tree, a blast of hot air came up and nearly burned out his eyes. He flew home and to this day, Screech Owl's eyes are red.
Then Hooting Owl and Horned Owl were sent to the island together. But the smoke nearly blinded them, and the ashes carried up by the wind made white rings about their eyes. They had to come home, and were never able to get rid of the white rings.
Then Little Snake swam across to the island, crawled through the grass to the tree....
•••••
The rest of the story is at:
http://www.indigenouspeople.net/firstfir.htm
14) "How Rabbit Brought Fire to the People" from the Creek People
Myth:
In the beginning there was no fire and the earth was cold. Then the Thunderbirds sent their lightning to a sycamore tree on an island where the Weasels lived. The Weasels were the only ones who had fire and they would not give any of it away.
The people knew that there was fire on the island because they could see smoke coming from the sycamore, but the water was too deep for anyone to cross. When winter came the people suffered so much from the cold that they called a council to find some way of obtaining fire from the Weasels. They invited all the animals who could swim.
"How shall we obtain fire?" the people asked.
Most of the animals were afraid of the Weasels because they were bloodthirsty and ate mice and moles and fish and birds. Rabbit was the only one who was brave enough to try to steal fire from them. "I can run and swim faster than the Weasels," he said. "I am also a good dancer. Every night the Weasels build a big fire and dance around it. Tonight I will swim across and join in the dancing. I will run away with some fire."
He considered the matter for a while and then decided how he would do it. Before the sun set he rubbed his head with pine tar so as to make his hair stand up. Then, as darkness was falling, he swam across to the island.
The Weasels received Rabbit gladly because they had heard of his fame as a dancer. Soon they had a big fire blazing and all began dancing around it. As the Weasels danced, they approached nearer and nearer the fire in the centre of the circle. They would bow to the fire and then dance backwards away from it.
When Rabbit entered the dancing circle, the Weasels shouted to him: "Lead us, Rabbit!" He danced ahead of them, coming closer and closer to the fire. He bowed to the fire, bringing his head lower and lower as if he were going to take hold of it. While the Weasels were dancing faster and faster, trying to keep up with him, Rabbit suddenly bowed very low so that the pine tar in his hair caught fire in a flash of flame.
He ran off with his head ablaze....
•••••
The rest of the story is at:
http://www.indigenouspeople.net/howrabbi.htm
15) Fire myths are remarkably alike in essentials. In the Greek myth, Prometheus stole fire from Zeus, the strongest god in heaven, to give to mankind. A tribe in the Northern Territory of Australia is recorded as saving that only Koimul, the strong and sullen one, had the secret of fire and he would never tell. His secret lay in the two sticks which he held tightly in his armpits. Only the Rainbow bird was able to snatch them away as he flashed and silently swooped upon Koimul. Wirritt-Wirritt, the rainbow bird, gave the fire sticks to an old man who was able to twirl the pointed end of one stick into a notch of the other. This friction caused the wood dust to spark and soon, a fire. In another land, another culture, by the same means, Agni, with wild hair and swift tongue of flame, rises in Vedic India. So these myths go on -- some culture hero or kindly animal gains possession of fire in every continent in the Dreamtime of the world....
More information at:
http://www.theosociety.org/pasadena/sunrise/29-79-80/hu-hkrau.htm
16) To the primitive man the shaft of light coming down from heaven was typical of the original descent of fire for the benefit and improvement of the human race. The Sioux Indians account for the origin of fire by a myth of unmistakable kinship; they say that "their first ancestor obtained his fire from the sparks which a friendly panther struck from the rocks as he scampered up a stony hill."[52] This panther is obviously the counterpart of the Aryan bird which drops schamir. But the Aryan imagination hit upon a far more remarkable conception. The ancient Hindus obtained fire by a process similar to that employed by Count Rumford in his experiments on the generation of heat by friction. They first wound a couple of cords around a pointed stick in such a way that the unwinding of the one would wind up the other, and then, placing the point of the stick against a circular disk of wood, twirled it rapidly by alternate pulls on the two strings. This instrument is called a chark, and is still used in South Africa,[53] in Australia, in Sumatra, and among the Veddahs of Ceylon. The Russians found it in Kamtchatka; and it was formerly employed in America, from Labrador to the Straits of Magellan.[54]
More information at:
Scroll down to "[51] Kelly, Indo-European Folk-Lore, pp. 147, 183, 186, 193."
http://www.worldwideschool.org/library/books/lit/literarystudies/mythsandmyth%2Dmakers/chap5.html
17) The Maui Myths from the New Zealand Electronic Text Centre
In the myth concerning the origin of fire we again encounter Maui. The sun desired to send a boon to mankind, hence he sent his own son, Auahi-turoa (personified form of comets), down to earth as the bearer of fire. This fire-bringer took to wife one Mahuika, said in one version to be a young sister of the Dawn Maid, and their offspring amounted to five. The names of these young folk are the names of the five fingers of the hand, and they are called the Fire Children. In far-off India, Agni, the fire-god, had ten mothers, who were the ten fingers of the hands. Maui hied him to Mahuika and craved the gift of fire for man. Mahuika, who figures as the personified form of fire, gave him one of the Fire Children (that is, one of her fingers), which she pulled off for that purpose. The deceitful Maui took this fire aside and destroyed it, then returned to beg another. This action he repeated until he asked for the last of the five fingers of Mahuika. This she plucked off and angrily threw at him, whereupon flames of fire sprang forth, and Maui fled, pursued by Fire. So hard-pressed was he that he was forced to call upon Te Ihorangi (personified form of rain) to save him. Then heavy rains came to his aid, and the raging fire was conquered. The remnants of that fire fled to the forest to seek a refuge—fled to Hine-kaikomako and sought shelter within her body. Now, this maid is the personified form of the kaikomako tree (Pennantia corymbosa), and it is the wood of this species that is utilized by the Maori for the purposes of generating fire. Thus the seed of fire ever abides within the body of Hine-kaikomako, the Fire-conserver.
Even so were the Fire Children destroyed by Maui; but those children were the offspring of the sister of Hine-nui-te-po, the ex Dawn Maid, who abides in the underworld of darkness and death. Hereto pertains another story, for Hine of the Underworld resolved to avenge the death of the Fire Children by destroying Maui, and the great contest began between that twain. She did so slay him, though one version states that he regained life.
More information at:
http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-BesMaor-c3-6.html
18) Do Myths Have Meaning?
...So also there are myths relating to the evolution of man. One such myth is that of Prometheus. There was a time in human evolution when man was so only in form but was really no better than a beast. The myth says that Prometheus stole fire from heaven and brought it to earth; for this, Zeus punished him by tying him to a rock and sending a vulture every day to peck at his liver. Every time the bird tore out the organ, a new one would grow, and once again the vulture would peck and the torture would continue. This agony lasted for long, until he was freed by Herakles or Hercules.
Prometheus bringing fire to earth refers to the light of mind given to man by solar deities or manasaputras, who endowed him with the power to choose and to think and reason. At incarnation, this mind becomes dual. The aspect of mind which is entangled with kama (passions) represents the eternal vulture of unsatisfied desires, despair and regret. Zeus represents the Host of primeval progenitors, or "Fathers," who created senseless men without mind, while the divine Titan (Prometheus) stands for spiritual creators. This drama is enacted every day within us, where the lower passions chain, or obstruct, the higher aspirations to the rock of matter and give rise to the vulture of pain, sorrow and repentance.
Prometheus also represents fire by friction. The name Prometheus is related to the Sanskrit word Pramantha, i.e., the instrument used for kindling the fire. H. P. Blavatsky points out that this myth of Prometheus bringing fire to earth does not represent man's first discovering the fire, because fire was never discovered but existed on earth from the beginning. This relates to the opening of man's spiritual perception (The Secret Doctrine, II, 523). In the Vedic sutras we are told that by rapidly rotating the stick in the socket, first heat and then fire was produced. The stick was called Pramantha, the disc was called Arani. Thus, Prometheus represents fire by friction or Pavamana fire, which cements Manas with Buddhi. The gift of mind was given so that man could become as a god. But man can become so only when his terrestrial and divine natures are in harmony, or the animal element is controlled and subdued....
More information at:
http://www.teosofia.com/
19) "How Maui Brought Fire to the World" (a more complete version)
ne everning, after eating a hearty meal, Maui lay beside his fire staring into the flames. He watched the flames flicker and dance and thought to himself, "I wonder where fire comes from."
Maui, being the curious person that he was, decided that he needed to find out. In the middle of the night, while everyone was sleeping. Maui went from village to village and extinguished all the fires until not a single fire burned in the world. He then went back to his whare and waited.
The next morning there was an uproar in the village.
"How can we cook our breakfast, there's no fire!" called a worried mother.
"How will we keep warm at night?" cried another.
"We can't possibly live without fire!" the villagers said to one another.
The people of the village were very frightened. They asked Taranga, who was their rangatira, to help solve the problem.
"Someone will have to go and see the great goddess, Mahuika, and ask her for fire," said Taranga.
None of the villagers were eager to meet Mahuika, they had all heard of the scorching mountain where she lived. So Maui offered to set out in search of Mahuika, secretly glad that his plan had worked.
"Be very careful," said Taranga. "Although you are a descendant of Mahuika she will not take kindly to you if you try and trick her."
"I'll find the great ancestress Mahuika and bring fire back to the world," Maui assured his mother.
Maui walked to the scorching mountain to the end of the earth following the instructions from his mother and found a huge mountain glowing red hot with heat. At the base of the mountain Maui saw a cave entrance. Before he entered, Maui whispered a special karakia to himself as protection from what lay beyond. But nothing could prepare Maui for what he saw when he entered the sacred mountain of Mahuika.
Mahuika, the goddess, rose up before him, fire burning from every pore of her body, her hair a mass of flames, her arms outstretched, and with only black holes where her eyes once were. She sniffed the air.
"Who is this mortal that dares to enter my dwelling?"
Maui gathered the courage to speak, "It is I, Maui, son of Taranga."
"Huh!" yelled Mahuika. "Mauui, the son of Taranga?"
"Yes, the last born, Maui-tikitiki-a-Taranga."
"Well then, Maui-tikitiki-a-Taranga, welcome, welcome to the essence of the flame, welcome my grandchild."
Mahuika stepped closer to Maui, taking a deep sniff of his scent. Maui stood completely still, even though the flames from Mahuika's skin were unbearably hot.
"So... why do you come, Maui i-tikitiki-a-Taranga?" Mahuika finally asked.
Maui said, "The fires of the world have been extinguished, I have come to ask you for fire." Mahuika listened carefully to Maui, and then she laughed. She pulled a fingernail from one of her burning fingers and gave it to him....
•••••
The rest of the story is at:
http://www.tki.org.nz/r/maori/nga_pakiwaitara/maui-mahuika/index_e.php
20) Query: I am looking for fire stories that will emphasis both the dangerousness of fire - but also its cleansing properties. I have some material i can draw on, but advice from the list would be good.
Janet D. 8/1/01
Responses:
a) The first story that popped into my head isn't about fire but does have fire as part of the tale. It is Little Burnt Face
, also known as The Native American Cinderella. You can find Milbre Burch's version in Ready-To-Tell Tales (American Storytelling)
by Holt and Mooney.
Karen C. 8/1/01
b) Don't forget the justice story, "Fire on the Mountain." I think it is well enough known that I don't need to summarize, but if that bothers anybody, just drop me a line.
Tom B. 8/1/01
c) There is a lovely version about fire connected to the Greek mythology, though I could not find written version.Bones:
Hasta, goddess of fire, was one of the gods that had a place in the Olympic table or hall of fame. those who had a place there would be worshipped by man. Dioniosus / Backhoes did not have place there at all!! The gods were faced with a problem with a giant no one could overcome till at last Dioniosus / Backkhus managed to make him drunk and the gods could overcome him. As a reword, Dioniosus / Backkhus wanted a place near the table. No one wanted to give him his/her place till Hasta said: "I can give you my place. People will always bend and worship me (the way we do with our hands to a bonfire on a cold night) long after you all will be forgotten." And she gave him her place. When I tell this story, I used to bow down towards a fire or an imaginary fire...
Whenever the Jews had troubles coming their way, the Ba'al Shemtov (a great and rightous Rabbi) would go into the woods, light fire in a special manner in a special place and pray a special prayer and the danger will be over. Then his student after him who took his position faced the same situation - he did not know the prayer but he knew how and where to light the fire and ask for the danger to move away and it helped. His student after him two generations from the Ba'al Shemtov did not know how to light the fire, but he could find the special place in the woods and it was enough for dealing with the danger. But the third generation forgot the place also.... five generations after the Ba'al Shemtov there was danger. The Rabbi of the time sat in his chair and said to heaven: "We do not know the prayer nor the place nor the way to light the fire, but we do know how to tell the story about that," and he asked for the danger to be removed knowing the story WAS enough.
Tuly Israel
21) "How Fire Came To The Six Nations" - an Iroquois myth
Often, around the fire in the long house of the Iroquois, during the Moon of the Long Nights, this tale is told.
Myth:
Three Arrows was a boy of the Mohawk tribe. Although he had not yet seen fourteen winters he was already known among the Iroquois for his skill and daring. His arrows sped true to their mark. His name was given him when with three bone-tipped arrows he brought down three flying wild geese from the same flock. He could travel in the forest as softly as the south wind and he was a skillful hunter, but he never killed a bird or animal unless his clan needed food. He was well-versed in woodcraft, fleet of foot, and a clever wrestler. His people said, 'Soon he will be a chief like his father.' The sun shone strong in the heart of Three Arrows, because soon he would have to meet the test of strength and endurance through which the boys of his clan attained manhood. He had no fear of the outcome of the dream fast which was so soon to take. His father was a great chief and a good man, and the boy's life had been patterned after that of his father.
When the grass was knee-high, Three Arrows left his village with his father. They climbed to a sacred place in the mountains. They found a narrow cave at the back of a little plateau. Here Three Arrows decided to live for his few days of prayer and vigil. He was not permitted to eat anything during the days and nights of his dream fast. He had no weapons, and his only clothing was a breechclout and moccasins. His father left the boy with the promise that he would visit him each day that the ceremony lasted, at dawn.
Three Arrows prayed to the Great Spirit. He begged that soon his clan spirit would appear in a dream and tell him what his guardian animal or bird was to be. When he knew this, he would adopt that bird or animal as his special guardian for the rest of his life. When the dream came he would be free to return to his people, his dream fast successfully achieved.
For five suns Three Arrows spent his days and nights on the rocky plateau, only climbing down to the little spring for water after each sunset. His heart was filled with a dark cloud because that morning his father had sadly warned him that the next day, the sixth sun, he must return to his village even if no dream had come to him in the night. This meant returning to his people in disgrace without the chance of taking another dream fast.
That night Three Arrows, weak from hunger and weary from ceaseless watch, cried out to the Great Mystery. 'O Great Spirit, have pity on him who stands humbly before Thee. Let his clan spirit or a sign from beyond the thunderbird come to him before tomorrow's sunrise, if it be Thy will.' As he prayed, the wind suddenly veered from east to north. This cheered Three Arrows because the wind was now the wind of the great bear, and the bear was the totem of his clan. When he entered the cavern he smelled for the first time the unmistakable odor of a bear: this was strong medicine. He crouched at the opening of the cave, too excited to lie down although his tired body craved rest. As he gazed out into the night he heard the rumble of thunder, saw the lightning flash, and felt the fierce breath of the wind from the north. Suddenly a vision came to him, and a gigantic bear stood beside him in the cave. Then Three Arrows heard it say, 'Listen well, Mohawk. Your clan spirit has heard your prayer. Tonight you will learn a great mystery which will bring help and gladness to all your people.' A terrible clash of thunder brought the dazed boy to his feet as the bear disappeared. He looked from the cave just as a streak of lightning flashed across the sky in the form of a blazing arrow. Was this the sign from the thunderbird?
Suddenly the air was filled with a fearful sound. A shrill shrieking came from the ledge just above the cave. It sounded as though mountain lions fought in the storm; yet Three Arrows felt no fear as he climbed toward the ledge. As his keen eyes grew accustomed to the dim light he saw that the force of the wind was causing two young balsam trees to rub violently against each other. The strange noise was caused by friction, and as he listened and watched fear filled his heart, for, from where the two trees rubbed together a flash of lightning showed smoke. Fascinated, he watched until flickers of flames followed the smoke. He had never seen fire of any kind at close range nor had any of his people. He scrambled down to the cave and covered his eyes in dread of t his strange magic. Then he smelt bear again and he thought of his vision, his clan spirit, the bear, and its message. This was the mystery which he was to reveal to his people. The blazing arrow in the sky was to be his totem, and his new name - Blazing Arrow.
At daybreak, Blazing Arrow climbed onto the ledge and broke two dried sticks from what remained of one of the balsams. He rubbed them violently together, but nothing happened. 'The magic is too powerful for me,' he thought. Then a picture of his clan and village formed in his mind, and he patiently rubbed the hot sticks together again. His will power took the place of his tired muscles. Soon a little wisp of smoke greeted his renewed efforts, then came a bright spark on one of the stick. Blazing Arrow waved it as he had seen the fiery arrow wave in the night sky. A resinous blister on the stick glowed, then flamed - fire had come to the Six Nations!
22) A Cowichan Story
So long ago that the time could not be counted by suns or moons, a band of Cowichan Indians was drying deer meat in the sun. They spoke of how good it would be if they only had a small sun to warm them when the big sun left to let darkness come. They thought that they would never get that thing because what they wanted would take much power and magic, more than even their most powerful shamans had.
As the people wished and talked, a little bird chirped loudly close by. It flew close to the people and they saw that it was a beautiful brown bird with a bright red tail which seemed to flicker even when the bird sat still. The bird looked down on the Indians from a branch just over their heads.
'What do you want, little bird?' asked an old man who had power to speak with birds.
'Nothing do I wish, Wise One, but I bring you what you wish,' it replied. 'I have something which is called fire on my tail, which is hot like a small sun. It will comfort you when the winds of winter blow, cook your meat, and bring cheer when the sun has gone, but it must be earned. Tell your tribe to meet me here when the sun comes again and ask each one to bring a little dry branch with pitch pine on it.'
Before the people could ask why, the bird suddenly disappeared. 'We should obey the wishes of that bird,' the old man counseled. 'It may bring much good fortune to us.'
When the sun shone again, the people awaited the coming of the bird. Each carried a pine branch with pitch pine on it, as they had been told. A loud tweet made the people look upward. The brown bird sat on a branch above their heads, though nobody had seen it come. It asked in a language that all understood, 'Are you ready?'
They answered, 'Yes!'
'Then you must follow me, and the one who first catches up with me will be given fire, but only if the one who does so is one who does right, is patient, and tries hard without losing courage. Come!'
The bird flew off over rough ground and thick forest. The chase proved too hard for many and they gave up. Over fast-flowing streams and dangerous marshes and swamps, the bird flew. More and more of the people had neither the strength nor courage to keep on and they were forced to drop out of the chase. 'Too hard!' 'Too difficult!' 'Too dangerous!' they gasped as they fell on the ground to rest.
At last one young warrior got close enough to call to the bird, 'Give me of your fire, little bird. I have followed you far and well and I have done no wrong.'
'It is not as you say,' said the bird, flying higher and faster than before. 'You think only of yourself. That is bad. You shall not have my fire.'
A second young man caught up with the bird. 'Share your fire with me,' he called. 'I am a good man.'
'A good man does not take that which belongs to another,' the bird answered, flying faster and faster. Soon, seeing it was no longer followed, the bird flew to the ground and perched beside a woman who was nursing an old man who looked very sick. 'Bring a dry branch with pitch pine on it,' said the brown bird. 'Fire have I on my tail and you shall have it. It will keep your sick man warm and cook your food.'
The woman was afraid of a bird that could speak. When she found her voice, she said, 'You are good, little one, but I deserve not a magic gift. What I do, I do because it is right. The inner voice tells me that I must take care of one who is sick.'
'Much good I know you do,' said the bird, 'and it is greater good than that done by many people because the good you do, you think is only your duty. Come, bring a branch and take of my fire. You think first of others, so you may share the gift with them.'
The woman gladly brought a branch and lit it at the little fire which flickered on the bird's tail. Since that time, the Indians have had fire.
23) Lee-Lee Goro from Verna Aardema's book Misoso: Once Upon a Time Tales from Africa
This may help. It focuses on the fire deities of Hawaii, Ireland, and Greece.
http://www.mythinglinks.org/ct~firedeities.html
Nancy K.
24) As I recall, Jim Kjelgaard, the same author who wrote "Big Red" and other dog stories, did a good juvenile work on early man called Fire-Hunter
Different cultures have different stories about the origin of fire. I have had fun with the Prometheus story, because most listeners are only familiar with half the story, that he gave fire to man against the will of Zeus and was punished for it. The rest of the story includes the fact that Prometheus was the artist who DESIGNED man, at the behest of Zeus. He was giving the gift of fire to his own creation. My own take on it is that man feared the sky a little less when he had his own fire on the ground.
Nick S. 10/1/01
25) :Fire, Water, Truth and Falsehood" — an Ethiopian Tale - From Heather Forest’s Wisdom Tales from Around the World (World Storytelling)
Bones:
Long ago, Fire, Water, Truth, and Falsehood lived together in one large house. Although all were polite toward each other, they kept their distance. Truth and Falsehood sat on opposite sides of the room. Fire constantly leapt out of Water’s path.
One day they went hunting together. They found a large number of cattle and began driving them home to their village. “Let us share these cattle equally,” said Truth as they traveled across the grasslands. “This is the fair way to divide our captives.”
No one disagreed with Truth except Falsehood. Falsehood wanted more than an equal share but kept quiet about it for the moment. As the four hunters traveled back to the village, Falsehood went secretly to Water and whispered,”You are more powerful than Fire. Destroy Fire and then there will be more cattle for each of us!”
Water flowed over Fire, bubbling and steaming until Fire was gone. Water meandered along, cheerfully thinking about more cattle for itself.
Falsehood, meanwhile, whispered to Truth. “look! See for yourself! Water has killed Fire! Let us leave Water,m who has cruelly destroyed our warmhearted friend. We must take the cattle high in the mountains to graze.”
As Truth and Falsehood traveled up the mountain, Water tried to follow. But the mountain was too steep, and Water could not flow upwards. Water washed down upon itself, splashing and swirling around rocks as it tumbled down the slope. Look and see! Water is still tumbling down the mountainside to this day.
Truth and Falsehood arrived at the mountaintop. Falsehood turned to Truth and said in a loud voice, “I am more powerful than you! You will be my servant. I am your master. All the cattle belong to me!”
Truth rose up and spoke out, “I will not be your servant!”
They battled and battled. Finally they brought the argument to Wind to decide who was master.
Wind didn’t know. Wind blew all over the world to ask people whether Truth or Falsehood was more powerful. Some people said, “A single word of Falsehood can completely destroy Truth.” Others insisted, “Like a small candle in the dark, Truth can change every situation.”
Wind finally returned to the mountain and said, “I have seen that Falsehood is very powerful. But it can rule only where Truth has stopped struggling to be heard.”
And it has been that way ever since.
26) "Pele’s Wrath of Fire" (Hawaii) from Earth Tales from Around the World
Bones:
Dancers flowed to the rhythm of the drums while a procession of people in brightly colored costumes moved past the feast offering of fish, fowl and pigs. Wrestlers, racers and other challengers met in contest while nearby, musicians played for the hula dancers. n Puna, on the island of Hawaii, it was the time of the festival of Lono makua.
The local chief, Kahawali, challenged his friend, Ahua, to a contest down the slope of Ka holua ana o Kahawali. Each would slide down the slope on a sled called a holua. Ahua went first and had a strong run. Then Kahawali grasped his holua, ran to full speed and plunged down the slope with the holua beneath him. Kahawali went farther and won the contest.
As Kahawali finished his winning run, cheering voices rang out and echoed amid the hills. Up in the fiery crater of the volcano Kilauea, the goddess Pele heard the celebration and became excited. She took the form of a woman and left Kilauea to join in the festivities.
“What is the excitement about?” Pele asked the people in the crowd.
“Did you not see the magnificent run that Kahawali made on his holua?” they asked Pele. “There is no one who could beat him!”
“Hmm,” Pele thought to herself, “no mere human could better me at the holua contest.”
Even though it was not customary for a woman to enter this particular sport, Pele cried out, “Chief Kahawali, I wish to challenge you to a contest upon the holua.”
“Very well,” replied Kahawali, who also saw Pele as a woman, “but be prepared to lose!”
Pele and Kawawali oiled up the runners of their holuas. Soon, they were streaking down the slope. Kahawali was the most experienced of the two sledders and his sled traveled the longest distance.
“Your sled is superior to mine,” Pele insisted. “Let us switch sleds and try again.”
“Aole!” cried Kahawali, “No! Perhaps my wife could use my holua, but you are a stranger. Who are you to ask?” With those words, Kahawali lunged and flew farther down the slope upon his sled.
Oh, but Pele was angry. With stomping feet she took her natural form and split the mountain in two. People fled in terror as the earth quaked. Pele screamed, “Speak Kilauea.” There was a deep rumbling, then tongues of fire and rivers of flowing lava flowed from the volcano. Pele called thunder and lightning down from the sky and rode the burning floes down the slope toward Kahawali, consuming everyone and everything in her path.
When Kahawali turned and saw that Pele was almost upon him, he grabbed his spear and ran. The flaming mass advanced with great speed. Kahawali came to his mother’s house. They rubbed noses in a compassionate[ greeting. Kahawali said, “My heart goes out to you, but your time is at hand.”
Next Kahawali arrived at the door of his own house, where his wife and two children, Poupoulu and Kaohe, waited. He rubbed noses with the three and said, Pele is nearly upon us!”
“Please, do not go,” his wife implored. “Stay here with us. What happens to one, will happen to us all.”
“There is a great hole in my heart,” said Kahawali with tears in his eyes, “but I must go.” He ran on with the lava close behind. In a short distance, the trail came to a deep chasm that was too wide to be jumped. Kahawali used his long spear to create a bridge upon which he crossed. As soon as he came to the other side, Kahawali grabbed the spear and ran onward. The lava poured into the chasm behind him, filled it and continued the chase.
Just as Kahawali reached the ocean, his brother was returning from a fishing trip. Kahawali jumped into the canoe and the two of them paddled furiously away from the island. When Pele saw they were escaping, her rage grew into fury. She threw flaming rocks from Kilauea at the brothers, which landed harmlessly in the sea and created boiling rolls of steam. Pele blew her deadly sulfurous smoke and smothering ash in their direction, but the wind carried it back in her face.
When Kahawali and his brother were a safe distance out to sea, he used his spear for a mast and his royal cloak for a sail. The sail caught a wind from the east, which carried the brothers to safety on the island of maui. In time, they journeyed to molokai, and then on to Oahu, the home of their father, Kolonohailaau, and sister, Kane wahine keaho. Kahawaqli and his brother settled on the island of Oahu with their father and sister.
It is said that Pele is still angry at Kahawali. At some time in the future, she will again unleash a rage of fiery destruction,. No one knows when that time will come.
27) "The Fire Race" - Freely adapted from a traditional Karuk story.
Story:
In the old days, the Karuk people lived along the middle branch of the Klamath River in Northwest California. They were known as the Kurok-arara, and that means "the people who live upriver."
Before we moved here, I used to live way up in the country in the mountains. I loved being in the garden more than almost anything else. Being in the garden meant there was always something to do. Gardeners can just never leave things be, or at least this gardener couldn't. One Fall day, I was digging a hole next to the porch, so I could plant a vine I had rescued from a house down the block. I hoped, after a while, that vine would climb up the side of the porch and cover it with leaves. I hoped, once the salvaged vine had a couple of seasons of growth going for it, I could come outdoors in the morning and sit on my porch and enjoy my first cup of coffee while I mused over the garden. Maybe I'd even be able to sit out there on hot summer days in the shade of the vine I'd rescued.
Now, that porch was covered with old cedar shingles. What I hadn't noticed was that over the years since I'd nailed up those shingles a family of Yellow Jackets had moved in and made themseves at home in under the porch railing.
I'd been meaning for a while to scrape and paint that railing, but time got away. If I had scraped the porch railing and painted it, I might have noticed the Yellow Jackets flying in and out from behind the cedar shingles and done something about it. But if I had I'd have no place to start telling this story.
I started digging away. The Yellow Jackets came poking their heads out from in under the porch shingles and started flying around my head, but I was reckless and kept on digging. After a while I started sweating, so I leaned back on my shovel handle and wiped my face with the back of my hand.
Well, those Yellow Jackets took that opportunity to get even with me for disturbing their rest. Before I knew it, those Yellow Jackets flew into my face. Three of them landed on my upper lip, and even though I had the same mustache then that I have now my mustache didn't even begin to get in those Yellow Jackets' way. They stung me - one, two, three times - right in my lip. Yow !!! That really hurt. Those Yellow Jacket stings burned like fire, and that's where our story begins.
This is the way I heard it.
A long time before that Fall day that I started digging that hole next to the porch to plant the vine, there was no fire anywhere. Well, that is, the only people who had fire were the three Yellow Jacket sisters. You know how hot they are.
Those three sisters were tough cookies. They guarded their fire, because they wanted to keep it all for themselves. They were a little selfish. That's true. So, even though every other animal around got cold when winter came the three sisters didn't care. Even though some animals almost froze that didn't bother those Yellow Jacket girls either. Not a bit. They kept the fire locked up and far away from the other animals.
This was a situation that had to come to a head, and one day it did. The animals were tired of being cold. No matter how they tried the winters were endless, and weary, and miserable, but the animals watched those Yellow Jacket sisters. They were warm. Their house was warm. They never seemed tired or out of sorts because the winter was too long. They had fire.
So, the animals all got together and sat down on one of those long dark days and started talking about the cold and why the three girls with the yellow jackets were always warm and they weren't. After awhile, they all came to the conclusion that it had to be the girls' fire. The fire must have kept those girls warm while everybody else shivered. The animals were determined to get a piece of that fire for themselves. If they had to, why, they'd steal it from those girls
Coyote scratched his chin stubble, pulled his whiskers and pointed out that though he had no problem with stealing a piece of the girls' fire seeing as it was for the common good and all, but he'd need the help of every other animal in that circle if a trick he had in mind had a chance of working. Now, Coyote was known to be a clever fella. Most of the other animals had been tricked by him on occasion. They knew if Coyote had a trick in mind, then it was probably worth helping him carry it out. So they did.
It went this way.
Coyote planted Eagle, and Mountain Lion, and a couple of the other bigger animals outside of the three sisters' house. He told them when he gave them the word that he wanted them to start the biggest free-for-all they could. He told them to jump and shout and scream and throw each other around and have themselves a great time. Well, he cautioned them to be careful because he wanted them to fool those Yellow Jacket girls not to gouge each other's eyes out or to twist each other's arms out of their sockets or anything like that. Then Coyote took little Frog aside and told him to move on down towards the river - where it wasn't frozen - when the action started and to wait right there. Frog was Coyote's back-up plan.
It was the middle of the winter and Eagle, and Mountain Lion, and the rest of the gang that Coyote had set up were awful bored. They figured, if nothing else, making a lot of noise and commotion would take the edge off the winter. Those Yellow Jacket girls were just as bored by the winter as everybody else was. When the riot started they just ran out of their door and stood outside their house cheering on the free-for-all. Those three just loved a good fight.
While all the noise was going on out front Coyote sneaked around the back of the house and climbed through a window. He went to the sisters' fireplace and he grabbed a burning stick in his teeth. Well, yes, the fire was hot. It singed his whiskers and burned his chin stubble, and it was too hot to hold for long, but Coyote wanted it anyway. Coyote held on to that stick, jumped back out the window, and streaked off. He hoped the girls wouldn't see him getting away with a piece of their fire.
But that's not the way that went. One of those Yellow Jacket girls smelled smoke and ran back to the house. She saw Coyote running out from the back of their house and disappearing up into the woods. She ran back out front and shook her sisters and pointed at Coyote making off with the burning piece of stick.
Those girls took chase. Now, Coyote being four-footed could run. He was a great sprinter but those three girls had wings, and they flew right after him. Coyote dodged, and turned, and ran this way and that, but no matter how many end runs he tried those girls stayed on his tail. They weren't going to see him snatch their fire out from under their noses - not if they had anything to say about it.
Coyote started to wear out. Eagle saw how things were, and before the girls could snatch their burning stick back from Coyote, he decided it was his turn to give them a run they wouldn't soon forget.
Eagle flew as hard as he could to catch up with Coyote, and then he climbed way up into the air. Eagle turned and dropped like a bolt of lightning toward Coyote who handed off the burning stick to Eagle, and before the three Yellow Jacket girls knew what was going on Eagle took off with that burning stick clamped in his beak.
Coyote collapsed in the snow with a big smile spreading across his muzzle. This was the best trick he'd had part of in a long time.
Eagle tore off into the high blue sky, but those girls didn't lose a beat. They took right off after him too. They didn't know how to give up. If Eagle flew one way the girls were flying right beside him. If Eagle turned on a dime they were there to give him his change. You know how Eagle can fly, but that day belonged to those three girls. They kept right on him until Eagle was just as worn out as old Coyote.
Then it was Mountain Lion's turn. She flew over the snow. Eagle saw her running at full tilt from way up in the clouds and dropped like a thunder burst right down to where Mountain Lion waited. Eagle passed the fire off to her and just sat in the snow trying to catch his breath. That same big smile spread across Eagle's beak. This certainly was one way to make winter a lot less boring.
Mountain Lion ran as fast as she could. She flashed over the snow like a shadow, but the girls were there. She leaped from tree to tree to see if she couldn't lose them, and she almost lost herself, but those three sisters stayed on her long tail. Mountain Lion ran up into the hills and tried to hide in between the rocks, but that didn't help either. The girls were always there before she was. Now Mountain Lion is fast, and she's strong, but those three sisters had the edge that day, and they wore her out too.
And that's the way things happened that day. Mountain Lion handed the burning stick off to the Red-Tailed Hawk. Red-Tailed Hawk passed it on to Mother Wolf. The Mother Wolf passed the fire over to the Mountain Goats, but not even the Mountain Goats could climb fast enough or high enough to stay far enough away from the Yellow Jacket girls, and down the line it went.
Several hand-offs later, the fire had made its way to little Frog who was waiting by the river. By that time the stick had burned itself down to a tiny coal, and Frog hid that hot coal in his mouth. He turned his feet toward the sky, splashed those three sisters in the face, and dove down into the river. He dug with all he had until he made his way down to the mucky bottom. Frog scraped a hole out of the river muck and hid there with that burning coal still hot in his mouth.
Those three sisters flew around the river for a long while waiting for Frog to give up, but he stayed down there. He stayed and stayed and the three sisters waited until it got dark. That's when the Yellow Jacket sisters had to finally give up. Though they had lost a tiny coal which had probably burned out by that time they figured they had a whole stove-full of fire at home. Frog could stay in the river bottom until spring if he wanted to. They'd had enough and flew off home. But they were still angry. They're still angry now.
Little Frog just lay down there dug into the bottom, and that hot coal burned into his tongue no matter how much he tried to roll it around in his mouth. He waited and waited and when he finally figured the coast had to be clear little Frog streaked for the surface and spit the hot coal out of his mouth and took a long breath of chilled winter air to cool his tongue. When Frog spit the coal out, old Willow Tree who was waiting there for Frog swallowed the tiny bit of fire that was left.
That was a day.
Well, the next day came, and Coyote went down to the river bank. Coyote tipped his hat to the Willow Tree and then asked if he might have the use of two sticks. Since Willow Tree had more than enough sticks to go around she let him snap off a couple of pieces. Willow was a generous tree.
Coyote called the other animals, Eagle, Mountain Lion, Red-Tailed Hawk, Mother Wolf, and the Mountain Goats and all the rest who were sitting there shivering away over to the river bank. He showed them how to pull the fire back out of the sticks Willow Tree had let him use. Frog showed up just as things got started. His tongue was frizzled up, but Frog wanted to see what was going to become of everything that had happened the day before.
Coyote scraped together a little bed of dry moss. On top of the moss he piled some thin little pieces of bark. Then Coyote started to rub the two willow sticks together. Not much happened right off, but Coyote kept on rubbing. He rubbed harder and harder and faster and faster, and the faster and harder Coyote rubbed those sticks together the hotter they got. After what seemed like forever the sticks started to smoke. When they smoked so much and got so hot that Coyote couldn't hold onto them he pushed the smoking sticks down into the bed of moss and bark he had piled up in front of him. The Moss started smoking away, and then the bark started burning. It burned just a little at first, but Coyote laid a few more sticks on the pile. Those sticks caught too, and pretty soon Coyote had himself a nice little fire going.
Now Coyote knew better than to use more fire than he needed. He built the fire just so high, and then he let it level off and burn down into coals which warmed up all the other animals who had gathered around.
Now all the animals know how to make fire, and each winter night the animals gather in a secret circle deep in the woods and they take turns telling stories to keep the boredom away.
The Yellow Jacket sisters are still angry. Those three take every opportunity to remind anybody whoever might be standing around just how angry they are.
That's the way I heard this story about the three Yellow Jacket sisters told. It's a good story for a cold night.
tsu tse li Yona nv no hi
28 September 2001
28) "The Snow-Daughter and The Fire-Son"
Story:
There was once upon a time a man and his wife, and they had no children, which was a great grief to them. One winter's day, when the sun was shining brightly, the couple were standing outside their cottage, and the woman was looking at all the little icicles which hung from the roof. She sighed, and turning to her husband said, 'I wish I had as many children as there are icicles hanging there.' 'Nothing would please me more either,' replied her husband. Then a tiny icicle detached itself from the roof, and dropped into the woman's mouth, who swallowed it with a smile, and said, 'Perhaps I shall give birth to a snow child now!' Her husband laughed at his wife's strange idea, and they went back into the house.
But after a short time the woman gave birth to a little girl, who was as white as snow and as cold as ice. If they brought the child anywhere near the fire, it screamed loudly till they put it back into some cool place. The little maid throve wonderfully, and in a few months she could run about and speak. But she was not altogether easy to bring up, and gave her parents much trouble and anxiety, for all summer she insisted on spending in the cellar, and in the winter she would sleep outside in the snow, and the colder it was the happier she seemed to be. Her father and mother called her simply 'Our Snow-daughter,' and this name stuck to her all her life.
One day her parents sat by the fire, talking over the extraordinary behaviour of their daughter, who was disporting herself in the snowstorm that raged outside. The woman sighed deeply and said, 'I wish I had given birth to a Fire-son!' As she said these words, a spark from the big wood fire flew into the woman's lap, and she said with a laugh, 'Now perhaps I shall give birth to a Fire-son!' The man laughed at his wife's words, and thought it was a good joke. But he ceased to think it a joke when his wife shortly afterwards gave birth to a boy, who screamed lustily till he was put quite close to the fire, and who nearly yelled himself into a fit if the Snow-daughter came anywhere near him. The Snow-daughter herself avoided him as much as she could, and always crept into a corner as far away from him as possible. The parents called the boy simply 'Our Fire-son,' a name which stuck to him all his life. They had a great deal of trouble and worry with him too; but he throve and grew very quickly, and before he was a year old he could run about and talk. He was as red as fire, and as hot to touch, and he always sat on the hearth quite close to the fire, and complained of the cold; if his sister were in the room he almost crept into the flames, while the girl on her part always complained of the great heat if her brother were anywhere near. In summer the boy always lay out in the sun, while the girl hid herself in the cellar: so it happened that the brother and sister came very little into contact with each other--in fact, they carefully avoided it.
Just as the girl grew up into a beautiful woman, her father and mother both died one after the other. Then the Fire-son, who had grown up in the meantime into a fine, strong young man, said to his sister, 'I am going out into the world, for what is the use of remaining on here?'
'I shall go with you,' she answered, 'for, except you, I have no one in the world, and I have a feeling that if we set out together we shall be lucky.'
The Fire-son said, 'I love you with all my heart, but at the same time I always freeze if you are near me, and you nearly die of heat if I approach you! How shall we travel about together without being odious the one to the other?'
'Don't worry about that,' replied the girl, 'for I've thought it all over, and have settled on a plan which will make us each able to bear with the other! See, I have had a fur cloak made for each of us, and if we put them on I shall not feel the heat so much nor you the cold.' So they put on the fur cloaks, and set out cheerfully on their way, and for the first time in their lives quite happy in each other's company.
For a long time the Fire-son and the Snow-daughter wandered through the world, and when at the beginning of winter they came to a big wood they determined to stay there till spring. The Fire-son built himself a hut where he always kept up a huge fire, while his sister with very few clothes on stayed outside night and day. Now it happened one day that the King of the land held a hunt in this wood, and saw the Snow-daughter wandering about in the open air. He wondered very much who the beautiful girl clad in such garments could be, and he stopped and spoke to her. He soon learnt that she could not stand heat, and that her brother could not endure cold. The King was so charmed by the Snow-daughter, that he asked her to be his wife. The girl consented, and the wedding was held with much state. The King had a huge house of ice made for his wife underground, so that even in summer it did not melt. But for his brother-in-law he had a house built with huge ovens all round it, that were kept heated all day and night. The Fire-son was delighted, but the perpetual heat in which he lived made his body so hot, that it was dangerous to go too close to him.
One day the King gave a great feast, and asked his brother-in- law among the other guests. The Fire-son did not appear till everyone had assembled, and when he did, everyone fled outside to the open air, so intense was the heat he gave forth. Then the King was very angry and said, 'If I had known what a lot of trouble you would have been, I would never have taken you into my house.' Then the Fire-son replied with a laugh, 'Don't be angry, dear brother! I love heat and my sister loves cold--come here and let me embrace you, and then I'll go home at once.' And before the King had time to reply, the Fire-son seized him in a tight embrace. The King screamed aloud in agony, and when his wife, the Snow-daughter, who had taken refuge from her brother in the next room, hurried to him, the King lay dead on the ground burnt to a cinder. When the Snow-daughter saw this she turned on her brother and flew at him. Then a fight began, the like of which had never been seen on earth. When the people, attracted by the noise, hurried to the spot, they
aw the Snow-daughter melting into water and the Fire-son burn to a cinder.
And so ended the unhappy brother and sister.
(From the Bukowinaer Tales and Legends. Von Wliolocki.)
(from The Yellow Fairy Book
Source:
http://www.rickwalton.com/folktale/yellow30.htm
Mary Lee S. 5/9/06
Response:
This is a wonderful tale. It is from Bukovina, which is not far from where I work in Romania. I will look up to see if there are other tales about fire. There is a Moldavian belief that when a great storyteller tells a story, a fire circles the house in which the tale is told, and everyone is protected. Very different.
Laura S. 5/9/06
29) "The Human Who Learned How to Start Fires"
Story:
It was back in the old days before animals could talk and humans could understand them. A human learned how to start fires. The priests did not like it, after all fire was a gift of the Creator and if any one could start fires no one would need priests. At first they ignored the human but then the human started to share knowledge with others. So the priests plotted to kill the human but before they could the human left to wander the world and share learning. The priests convinced the people that fire was a part of religion and should only be started with the help of priests and for a long time that is the way it was. At last people started to start fires on their own and they remembered the human and started to search for him. As they searched the priests followed. When ever fire was found the priests researched and recorded and set rules for fire starters. The people studied the rules. After all there had to be rules. Without rules there would be chaos wouldn't there, people would have to think and thinking was hard work wasn't it? The priests used their rules to keep control and as long as they were able to control the rules they were able to control and as long as they were able to control, people would need priests. As long as there were rules and not guidelines priests would rule and fire would be controlled. Aslong as there was control, priests would be fed.
Wayfarer Tomm 3/9/07
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