"This bird was so terrible that all were afraid to go near it. They stood far off and shot arrows at it. When the arrows hit the wampum bird it was very angry. It stood up to its full height and shook itself with rage. When it did this, great showers of the most beautiful beads fell all about. They covered the ground like hail. When picked up they were found to be of two colors, white and purple. They were the wampum. White wampum grew on the bird’s body, and the purple wampum grew on its wings."
Indian Myths
The Wampum Bird
The village stood by a lovely lake. The Singing Maidens once danced on the waves of this lake. And from the mountains rising above it the Rainbow built the Beautiful Bridge to the sky.
The chief of that village had a daughter. Her name was I o’ ra, “the beloved.” She was kind to the old and the poor. She taught the boys to shoot arrows. She sewed beads on moccasins for the little girls. She was the life and joy of the village. The young men loved her, but she did not love one of them. She said she would marry a stranger. She had seen him in her dreams.
The marshland was on the other side of the lake. Cranberries grew there. One day I o’ ra went to the marsh to get some cranberries. When I o’ ra came to the cran-berry marsh, she saw a great bird. It was half a tree tall. It was angry and frightful to look upon. It was eating cranberries, and it seemed unable to flyaway.
I o’ ra was afraid, for this bird was one of Ska’ reh’s monsters. She ran back to the village. There she told about the big bird she had seen in the cranberry marsh.
The village was in fear. The people ran to the council house. The hookies worked their magic. When they had done so, they said this new bird was the wam-pum bird. It was a wicked monster, and it might kill the people and burn the village. And they said the wampum beads with which it was covered were very precious. Wampum was Indian money. It was also for belts and for beads to wear on clothes and around the neck. And then the gods loved wampum, for it was often made of the finest pearl to be found.
The chief said that the young man who would kill the wampum bird should have I o’ ra for his wife. Then every young warrior got his bow and arrows and hurried away to kill the wampum bird.
This bird was so terrible that all were afraid to go near it. They stood far off and shot arrows at it. When the arrows hit the wampum bird it was very angry. It stood up to its full height and shook itself with rage. When it did this, great showers of the most beautiful beads fell all about. They covered the ground like hail. When picked up they were found to be of two colors, white and purple. They were the wampum. White wampum grew on the bird’s body, and the purple wampum grew on its wings.
When it seemed that no one could kill the wampum bird, a fine young warrior was seen coming out of the woods near by. The chief told him the wampum bird must be killed. The warrior said he, could kill the bird.
The stranger cut a slender willow from the marsh. From that he made an arrow, which he shot at the bird. No one saw the arrow leave his bow. And they did not see it hit the bird. But the bird rolled over and was dead in a minute. The arrow had gone through its head and eyes.
The bird was stripped of all its wampum beads, and those which had been shaken off were gathered up. They were all taken to the council house. They were more than the largest lodge would hold.
Then the chief said to the young warrior, “Tell me where you came from.”
The stranger answered proudly that he was a Delaware.
“Then,” said the chief, “you must die at the stake. You are an enemy. Our people are at war.”
When the young warrior was tied to the stake to be burned, he was not afraid. He began to sing his song of death. Then I o’ ra ran to him. She stood by him. She said he should not be harmed, for he had killed the monster wampum bird. “Send for his people and have an end to the war,” she cried.
As I o’ ra had said, so it was done. Peace was made. And I o’ ra and the young Delaware warrior were married. At her Wedding she wore many strings of the beautiful wampum pearl.
