Native American Literature - Supernatural and Superstitions - Essay Example

? Native American Literature – supernatural and superstitions Outline I. Introduction II. Body A. Supernatural beliefs and Black Hawk’s autobiographyB. Relation with animals and their spirit C. Corn Spirit D. God, spirit and rituals II. Conclusion Native American literature originated in the nineteenth century.  This literature was a link between oral tradition that was prevalent for centuries before the advent of Europeans and the growing of modern fiction in the 1960s. Native American literature was written in English and was ever more text based. Native American authors of the nineteenth century wrote autobiographies and novels which comprised of conventional narratives like the fraud tale or forming myth to craft mix forms.  The nineteenth century marked the rise of immense political disturbance for the Native Americans like the Removal Act of 1830. These disruptions reflect on many of the famous works of the Native American authors. (Natives American Nations)          Supernatural belief among the Algonquins as ‘Manitous’ and Iroquois and Hurons as ‘Okies’ or ‘Otkons’ was largely prevalent (Native American Nations). These words refer to all the types of supernatural being ranging from fairies, giants to monsters. In the autobiography of Black Hawk author describes a large bird, as “he was white, with wings like a swan, but ten times larger.” (Sayre, 262) Hawk essentially talks about his tribal identity rather than national identity. Every primitive Indian has a mentor who provides guidance and protection. He talks of the custom of visiting the graves of friends and relatives in order to “keep them I repair for many years” (Sayre 263). When in grief, the place where the bones and remains of their forefathers lay buried was the best place to visit. The Great Spirit was supposed to have mercy on the individual at such a place. According to customs after a member died their possessions were all given away in order to gain the mercy of the Great Spirit by showing their modesty through reduction to poverty (Sayre 264). In the Mud Diver Story or Munsee (first told in Munsee Delaware language a long time ago), portrays their beliefs about existence some of which might seem to possess supernatural context. For instance, a story amongst the Native Americans proposes that Red Hawk’s family stayed near the Garden of Edens and after ousting Adam and Eve God went to this family and charged them of committing sin but the Red Hawk said that such a word does not exist in their language. Again, the giant bullfrog is represented in their stories as “eyes are too big for their stomachs” and it drinks the entire water in Mi’kmaq story. Both Algonquins and Iroquois tribe believed that earth had originated from the rear side of a tortoise. The turtle is known for “diving down to the mud, burrowing under and coming up with mud on its back” and in later versions the painted turtle is used to symbolize the earth’s beauty (Pritchard, 6). An Indian hunter tries to seek apology from the animal he has wounded or killed. For example in the book called ‘Tour to the Lakes’ by Mc Kinney, the author describes the discomfort some Indians faced in a party by seeing a stuffed moose. They thought that the spirit would get offended, so they started offering remorseful speeches and breathing tobacco smoke at it, as a placatory offering. Bones were treated with care so that the spirit of the dead does not take any offense (Native American Nations). In the story ‘Buffalo Wife’ Coyote is the villain and his misfortunes were brought about by his greed and misdeeds, which angered the spirit of the buffalo who chases him. Coyote manages to befriend the buffalo that gifted him a buffalo wife. He killed his Buffalo wife to meet his hunger and an outside force prevented him to eat the flesh despite his hunger. The spirit of the buffalo wife perhaps brought this about. This tale brings animals and man together and shows how the spirit of animals also had important things to teach a man. However the legend also explains superstitiously that this incident prevents the buffaloes from traveling deeper into the west (Bastian and Mitchell, 60). Apart from buffaloes, dogs have also played a crucial role in the lives of the Native Americans and this animal was bestowed with qualities of loyalty, reliability and self-sacrifice. In the story ‘The dogs who saved their master’ the hunter is saved only by listening to his little dog Four Eyes and keeps his promise made to the dog by taking care of his wife who bears puppies one of which looks like Four Eyes. Such stories might not be realistic but they reveal the superstitious beliefs. Another story, ‘Why Coyote has yellow eyes” talks of a dog who is known as ‘God’s Dog’. Coyote comes back in different forms and shapes and plays the role of a “trickster, transformer and a fool” from time to time in Native American stories (Caduto and Bruchac 161).           Traditional tales that transmitted from father to a son is another source of superstitious ideas. These ideas are the combination of serious beliefs, which invokes laughter. India mind believes that human destiny; the forces of nature rule their intellect and passion. If a strong wind blows it is believed that the water –lizard who is the maker of the wind has come out of his pond. If lightening is spiky that means that the thunderbird is fidgety in its nest. If the corns get destroyed that means that the Corn Spirit is annoyed. All these superstitions prove that primitive Indian was untamed and barbaric (Native American Nations). A Tuscarora legend says that initially people were blessed with great harvest and their misfortunes began after a prolonged ungratefulness to their Creator and wastage of food and neglect of the farms. Only one person named Dayohagwenda was different and never forgot to store his grains. One day he met an old man who was recognized as the Corn Spirit and if he left the village all the people who were neglecting him would die. So they began to honor and respect him. Another tale ‘Why Crows Like Corn’ says that crows are found near the cornfields and without any trace of a crow near the cornfield people knew that the corn would not be sweet. This is established through a story of owl and a crow in this story (Bastian and Mitchell 75).             ‘Why I Am a Pagan’ written by Zitkala-Sa, there is a strong sense of superstitions mentioned in the lines, “There is one God who gives reward or punishment to the race of dead men. In the upper region the Christian dead are gathered in unceasing song and prayer. In the deep pit below, the sinful ones dance in torturing flames. Think upon these things, my cousin, and choose now to avoid the after-doom of hell fire!" (Sa and Dominguez, 106)  This story is about spiritual independence of the Native Americans.  The author lives in his native land, which is under the rule of foreign government. The conventional belief is that sinful people are punished in hell after their death.  In Indian Superstitions and Legends by Simon Pokagon, Friday is considered as an unlucky day. Authors classmates tell him not join his new class from Friday because it will bring him bad luck and he will remain a backbencher in his class, “to-morrow is Friday-an unlucky day-and very likely, if you start, then you will always be at the tail-end of your class.” (Averill, 83) This statement shocked the author. He mentioned his predecessors never worshipped idols. They believed that the spirits ruled everything in nature. They believed four sister gods controlled winter, spring, summer, autumn. When they saw the rainbow they thought god has smiled and when they experienced thunderstorm they thought that god is angry. In his words, “each mountain, stream, and lake had its spirit” (Murray, 44) Superstition and supernatural power largely loom in the Native American literature. The works of many poets and authors of that century revolves around these themes. Charles Eastman’s work ‘Sioux Mythology’ attempts to preach the Indian religion as the supreme or “higher” one. The unrefined mind can distinguish the Deity with the help of some concrete medium. Sioux worshiped Wakan Tanka, a single Great Spirit. Every trivial object such as the “medicine man’s pouch” was considered as a deity since it was supposed to convey the powers of the Great Spirit (Murray 44).   Therefore, Native American literature is mostly based on the folklore narrated by the tribes and the Native Indians. Writers of the Native American literature incorporate lots of superstition and supernatural elements in their works. Indians believe that every inanimate thing has a mysterious power. Spirits loom around the water bodies. Lakes and rivers have a soul and it can hear the voice of men and react accordingly (Native American Nations). Men and animal are very much parallel. Every animal has a ruler who is believed to exist somewhere. An idea prevails that men be indebted to flora and fauna for their first origin. References 1. Averill, Patricia. Cameron, Xlibris, 2006 2. Bastian, Dawn Elaine and Judy K. Mitchell, Handbook of Native American mythology. ABC-CLIO, 2004. 3. Caduto, Michael J. and Joseph Bruchac. Keepers of the Animals. Fucrum publishing, 1997 4. Sa, Zitkala and Susan Rose Dominguez. American Indian Stories, University of Nebraska Press, 2003 5. Sayre, Robert F. American Lives, Univ. of Winsconsin Press, 1994 6. Murray, David. Matter, magic and spirit University of Pennsylvania Press, 2007. 7. Pritchard, Evan, Native American Stories of the sacred. Skylight Paths publishing, 2005. Read More