A POMO MYTH

THE POMO HAD ASSEMBLY HOUSES FOR SHARING STORIES AND MYTHS AFTER DINNER. ONE MYTH WAS ABOUT MARUMDA AND KUKSU WHO MAKE THE WORLD. THE PEOPLE DISCUSSED THEIR TYPES OF COOKING, HUNTING, WAYS OF RAISING CHILDREN, HOW THEY MADE BASKETS, AND WHAT TYPES OF FISH THEY CAUGHT AND HOW THEY CAUGHT THEM.

AN ELDER USUALLY TOLD THE MYTHS AND IT WENT AS FOLLOWS.

MARUMDA LIVED IN THE NORTH AND WAS AN OLD MAN. HIS HOUSE LOOKED LIKE SNOW AND ICE. HE ASKED HIS OLDER BROTHER HOW HE SHOULD MAKE THE WORLD. HE PULLED OUT 4 OF HIS HAIRSAND SAIS: "LEAD ME TO MY BROTHER".HE HELD HIS HAIRS TO THE EAST, THEN TO THE NORTH, THEN TO THE WEST, AND FINALLY TO THE SOUTH.

THE HAIRS FLOATED AROUND AND LEFT A STREAK OF FIRE. AND MARUNDA RODE IN THE CLOUD HOUSE WHICH WAS FLOATING ON THE STREAK OF FIRE. HE WENT TO SLEEP AND THEN HE FLOATED TO HIS BROTHER'S HOUSE.

KUKSU'S HOUSE WAS LIKE A A CLOUD OR LIKE SNOW. KUKSU SAID LET'S GO TO THE EAST SIDE AND HE TOOK OFF A LITTLE SACK HUNG AROUND HIS NECK. HE TOOK OFF A LITTLE SACK HUNG AROUND HIS NECK THAT WAS FILLED WITH TOBACCO. HE SMOKED SOME TOBACCO IN HIS PIPE WITH HIS BROTHER. THEN HE SAID GOODWILL BE OUR KNOWLEDGE AND MAY IT HAPPEN!

THEN MARUNDA SCRAPED HIMSELF IN THE ARMPITS AND HE GOT OUT SOME WAX. HE GAVE IT TO KUKSU AND HE STUCK IT BETWEEN HIS TOES. AND HIS ARMPIT WAX HE PUT BETWEEN MARUNDA'S TOES. THEY BOTH REMOVED IT AND BLEW ON IT FOUR TIMES. THEN THEY MIXED TOGETHER THEIR ARMPIT WAX WITH THE HAIRS.

AFTER THAT THEY STOOD UP AND THEY FACED ALL FOURDIRECTIONS AND THEN FACED THE NADIR. THEY SAID PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE ACCORDING TO THIS PLAN. THEY WILL HAVE PLENTY OF HEALTHY FOOD AND THERE WILL BE FOOD FROM THE LAND AND FROM THE WATER. THE PEOPLE WILL HAVE GOOD INTENTIONS AND THEY WILL PLAN MANY THINGS.

THE TRAVELING FIRES IN THE SKY WILL BE THE SUN. THE ONE WHO GIVES LIGHT IN THE NIGHT IS NIGHT SUN. AND MARUNDA MADE A SPEECH AND A WISH ABOUT THESE WORDS WILL BE RIGHT. AND ACCORDING TO THIS PLAN THERE WILL BE PLENTY OF NUTS, GRAIN ACORNS AND CLOVER.
THEN HE PUT THE ARMPIT WAX INTO HIS SACK. AND HE FLOATED AWAY INTO THE NORTH SINGING A WISHING SONG.

AS WILLIAM BENSON TELLS THE STORY