Eight years made the span of four days and four nights when the world was new. It was while yet such days and nights continued that men were led forth, first in the night, that it might be well. For even when they saw the great star (móyachun 'hlána), which since then is spoken of as the lying star (mókwanosona), they thought it was the Sun himself because ib burned their eyeballs so! Men and the creatures were were more alike then than now: black were our fathers the late born of creation, like the caves from which they came forth; cold and scaly their skins like those of mud-creatures; goggled their eyes like those of an owl; membranous their ears like those of cave-bats; webbed their feet like those of walkers in wet and soft places; and according as they were older or younger, they had tails, longer or shorter. They crouched when they walked, often crawling along the ground like toads, lizards and newts; like infants who still fear to walk straight, they crouched, as before-time they had in their cave-worlds so that they might not stumble and fall or come to hurt themselves in the uncertain light. And when the morning star rose they blinked excessively as they saw its brightness and cried out that surely now the Father was coming; but it was only the elder of the Bright Ones, gone before with elder nations and with his shield of flame, heralding from afar (as we herald with wet shell scales or crystals) the approach of the Sun-fatHer! And when, low down in the east the Sun-father himself appeared, even though he was shrouded in the middle of the great world waters, they were so blinded and heated by his light and glory that they cried out to one another in anguish and fell down wallowing and covering their eyes with their bare hands and arms. Yet they kep looking to the light and kept struggling toward the sun as moths and other night creatures seek the light of a camp fire and even though they're burned keep seeking that light!

   Thus before long they became used to the light and to this high world they had entered. When they arose and no longer walked bended over, it was then that they first looked full upon one another and in horror of their filthier parts strove to hide.these, even from one another, with girdles of bark and rushes; and when by thus walking only upon their back feet the same became bruised and sore, they sought to protect them with woven sandals of yucca fiber.





©1996, Richard Hooker

For information contact: Richard Hines
Updated 6-6-1999