Embark on a mystical journey to the dawn of time, where the Creator emerges from total darkness to weave the fabric of our world. This beautifully illustrated Apache creation myth explores the sacred connection between spirits, nature, and the birth of the earth and sky, perfect for readers of all ages.
In the vast, silent darkness of the beginning, a shimmering disc of yellow and white appears suspended in the void. Within this glowing circle sits the Creator, a bearded man who rubs his eyes as if waking from a long, peaceful sleep.
With a single gaze, the Creator transforms the void, sending rays of light upward and creating a shimmering sea of brilliance below. To the east, streaks of golden dawn break through, while soft clouds of every color begin to drift through the new expanse.
The Creator wipes his brow and rubs his hands together, sending a shining cloud drifting into the air. Upon this cloud sits a young girl, known as Girl-Without-Parents, who gazes at the Creator with wonder as she begins her journey.
Sun-Spirit and Small-Boy emerge from the Creator's hands, joining him and the girl on their small, floating cloud. Together, the four spirits sit in deep thought, wondering how they will build a world large enough for everyone to live upon.
The spirits mix their sweat together to form a tiny brown ball, no larger than a small bean, which the Creator drops into the air. One by one, they take turns kicking the ball, watching in amazement as it expands further with every strike.
Tarantula spins four long cords of black, blue, yellow, and white, stretching them to the far corners of the horizon. With mighty pulls, the earth is stretched into a vast, smooth plain that reaches as far as the eye can see.
A tiny Hummingbird is sent to explore the new world, darting to the north, south, east, and west. He returns with joyful news, reporting that the earth is beautiful and that sparkling water now rests on the western side.
Because the earth continues to roll and dance unsteadily, the Creator fashions four giant, colorful posts to hold it in place. The Wind carries these pillars to the cardinal points, finally making the world sit still and firm beneath the spirits' feet.
High above the new earth, the Creator and twenty-eight helpers work together to fashion a magnificent sky. During this time, Lightning-Maker discovers three mysterious creatures hidden within a turquoise shell, waiting to be given their true forms.
After a sacred ritual in a cloud-covered sweat house, the Creator gives the strangers their features and their holy purposes. Sky-Boy, Earth-Daughter, and Pollen-Girl stand ready to protect the sky, the crops, and the health of all people.
Animals, elements, the solar system, and natural phenomena are revered by the Apaches. That which is beyond their understanding is always ascribed to the supernatural. In the beginning nothing existed--no earth, no sky, no sun, no moon, only darkness was everywhere. Suddenly from the darkness emerged a thin disc, one side yellow and the other side white, appearing suspended in midair. Within the disc sat a small bearded man, Creator, the One Who Lives Above. As if waking from a long nap, he rubbed his eyes and face with both hands. When he looked into the endless darkness, light appeared above. He looked down and it became a sea of light. To the east, he created yellow streaks of dawn. To the west, tints of many colors appeared everywhere. There were also clouds of different colors. find me multiple pictures so I can make a children's story book out of this creation story Creator wiped his sweating face and rubbed his hands together, thrusting them downward. Behold! A shining cloud upon which sat a little girl. "Stand up and tell me where are you going," said Creator. But she did not reply. He rubbed his eyes again and offered his right hand to the Girl-Without-Parents. "Where did you come from?" she asked, grasping his hand. "From the east where it is now light," he replied, stepping upon her cloud. "Where is the earth?" she asked. "Where is the sky?" he asked, and sang, "I am thinking, thinking, thinking what I shall create next." He sang four times, which was the magic number. Creator brushed his face with his hands, rubbed them together, then flung them wide open! Before them stood Sun-Spirit. Again Creator rubbed his sweaty brow and from his hands dropped Small- Boy. All four Spirits sat in deep thought upon the small cloud. "What shall we make next?" asked Creator. "This cloud is much too small for us to live upon." Then he created Tarantula, Big Dipper, Wind, Lightning-Maker, and some western clouds in which to house Lightning-Rumbler, which he just finished. Creator sang, "Let us make earth. I am thinking of the earth, earth, earth; I am thinking of the earth," he sang four times. All four Spirits shook hands. In doing so, their sweat mixed together and Creator rubbed his palms, from which fell a small round, brown ball, not much larger than a bean. Creator kicked it, and it expanded. Girl-Without-Parents kicked the ball, and it enlarged more. Sun-Spirit and Small-Boy took turns giving it hard kicks, and each time the ball expanded. Creator told Wind to go inside the ball and to blow it up. Tarantula spun a black cord and, attaching it to the ball, crawled away fast to the east, pulling on the cord with all his strength. Tarantula repeated with a blue cord to the south, a yellow cord to the west, and a white cord to the north. With mighty pulls in each direction, the brown ball stretched to immeasurable size--it became the earth! No hills, mountains, or rivers were visible; only smooth, treeless, brown plains appeared. Creator scratched his chest and rubbed his fingers together and there appeared Hummingbird. "Fly north, south, east, and west and tell us what you see," said Creator. "All is well," reported Hummingbird upon his return. "The earth is most beautiful, with water on the west side." But the earth kept rolling and dancing up and down. So Creator made four giant posts--black, blue, yellow, and white to support the earth. Wind carried the four posts, placing them beneath the four cardinal points of the earth. The earth sat still. Creator sang, "World is now made and now sits still," which he repeated four times. Then he began a song about the sky. None existed, but he thought there should be one. After singing about it four times, twenty- eight people appeared to help make a sky above the earth. Creator chanted about making chiefs for the earth and sky. He sent Lightning-Maker to encircle the world, and he returned with three uncouth creatures, two girls and a boy found in a turquoise shell. They had no eyes, ears, hair, mouths, noses, or teeth. They had arms and legs, but no fingers or toes. Sun-Spirit sent for Fly to come and build a sweathouse. Girl- Without-Parents covered it with four heavy clouds. In front of the east doorway she placed a soft, red cloud for a foot-blanket to be used after the sweat. Four stones were heated by the fire inside the sweathouse. The three uncouth creatures were placed inside. The others sang songs of healing on the outside, until it was time for the sweat to be finished. Out came the three strangers who stood upon the magic red cloud-blanket. Creator then shook his hands toward them, giving each one fingers, toes, mouths, eyes, ears, noses and hair. Creator named the boy, Sky-Boy, to be chief of the Sky-People. One girl he named Earth-Daughter, to take charge of the earth and its crops. The other girl he named Pollen-Girl, and gave her charge of health care for all Earth-People. Since the earth was flat and barren, Creator thought
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