The following link from blogger Linda Tate contains both an audio version and other links to the Seneca myth “Origin of Folk Stories.” Like many myths, it orders the world while providing a narrative backing for how things came to be. It can be read metaphorically, with physical events in the narrative corresponding to mental events/struggles as well. (Metaphor, remember, is an identification of two unlike things, so it requires a lot from readers.)
Obviously, there are symbols in the myth as well as connections to contemporary culture. An interesting one with this myth is the fact that the villagers are fickle and very much focused on personal appearances. The point is that we have much more in common, culturally, than we might suspect. Read flexibly, marking up your text.
Candela Citations
- Seneca, The Origin of Stories. Authored by: Jeremiah Curtin's 1889 collection, Seneca Indian Myths (linked to by Tate in her blog). Provided by: StoryWeb. Located at: http://www.thestoryweb.com/seneca/. Project: American Lit 1. License: Public Domain: No Known Copyright