Indian Myths

Long ago there was an Indian girl whose name was Swa no’ wa. She could not live in the village with her clan. Some said she was too proud. Others said she had magic power and talked with those who were own their way to the Land of the Little People. She lived with her grandmother in a lodge in the forest. They were very poor. Sometimes they had no food.

From the lodge they could see a high and beautiful mountain. Swa no’ wa loved to watch it at sunset. On the top of this mountain, beyond the reach of any hunter, lived a very large bird. This bird was as tall as a tree. He was king of all the eagles, hawks, and owls on that mountain. He had great magic power. He could do wonderful things, and was much feared.

One day Swa no’ wa was walking in an old Indian field. A shadow fell over her. Looking up she saw the King of Birds flying down toward her. In great fright she ran into the woods and crawled into a hollow log.

The Bird followed her. He flapped his wings and made a wind which blew down trees. His cries sounded like the roar of thunder. He took the log in his terrible claws and carried it away to his home in the mountaintop. There he shook it to make Swa no’ wa come out. But she was so frightened she would not.

When the Bird had gone away the girl came out. From this high peak she could see only fog and clouds below her. She could not get down. She looked all about. She saw a large nest. In it were two young birds, each as large as an elk. The Bird had killed their mother.

So Swa no’ wa had to live on the mountain. She greatly feared the King of Birds. She was very sad. She wanted to go home to her grandmother. But there was way­.

One day a Golden Hornet flew about the mountaintop. It stopped before her. It remained in space beating the air with its loud-humming wings. She wondered at it. And as she looked, it changed into a handsome young Indian warrior.

“I am the younger brother of the Bird,” he said. “On this high peak his magic is too strong for me. I cannot take you away. But some way for you to get down will be found. In the valley below I will keep you safe. There my magic is as great as his. I will not let him harm you.”

Then the fine young man became again a Golden Hornet. His shining wings beat the air before her. As she looked, the Bird flew back to the peak. The Hornet darted down and was gone.

Swa no’ wa thought long. She must find a way to get down from the mountain. Then she began to feed one of the young birds. She wanted it to grow rapidly, and she wanted it to be her friend. At last she was glad. The young bird could fly.

One day as it stood at the edge of the peak she sprang upon its back and threw her arms around its neck. This threw the bird off the rock and it went tumbling through the air. Soon it spread its wings and began to fly. With a small stick Swa no’ wa tapped it on the head to make it fly down to the valley. After a while she could see the land.

When they were about to come to the land, Swa no’ wa heard the bird coming after them. His angry cries were terrible. Now she tapped the young birds head sharply, and it came down quickly to the ground. She got down from the birds back and pulled the long feathers from its wings so that it could not follow her.

The Golden Hornet soon came to Swa no’ wa. In an instant it was once more the fine young man. They went into a cave where the bird could not get them. The bird went away and did not come back. He was afraid of his brother, the Golden Hornet.

The fine young man lead Swa no’ wa to the village. They were married. They lived in the lodge of her grandmother. Their children became the Hawk Clan of the tribe.

Back to the index

Back to the top