Notes- “The World on the Turtle’s Back”
American Literature and Composition
Mr. Huitt
- Creation myth- a specific group of people’s views on the creation of the world. Involvement of the supernatural or a supreme deity.
o Native American creation myths show man and nature to be working in harmony
- “The World on the Turtle’s Back”
o Setting- an endless ocean that was below a great void of air. In the sea lived “the fish and the creatures of the deep” and in the air were the birds.
§ Sky-World- land of the Iroquois; very similar to what one would expect the earth to look like.
o Symbols/ Main characters of the creation philosophy
§ The Great Tree- a tremendous tree that grew leaves, flowers, and various fruits. Its root system spread out over the Sky-World and it was not to be marked or mutilated.
· The Center of the Sky-World
· The source of temptation
· Essential in the creation of the earth (roots/other material from the base of the tree)
§ The turtle- necessary to be the floor of the earth/ to use its broad back to carry the woman and allow for the world to be created.
§ The muskrat- symbolic of the sacrifice needed for this creation. Shows the relationship between man and nature. The dirt of the earth and its creatures are essential to the world.
§ Daughter- never knew the Sky-World, only her mother, the animals and the rest of nature.
· Only having contact with “the mother”, who was from the Sky-World.
· She bears the children of a man from the gods above
§ Right Handed Twin and Left Handed Twin
· RH was born naturally; LH was born out of his mother’s armpit, killing her in the process.
· Fated to be either good or bad
· Burial of mother created corn, squash, and tobacco.
· Represent the two ways of the world
o Deer- mountain lion
o Squirrel- weasel
· RH had most to do with the creation of man; however, there was involvement by LH
o Suggests man is capable of both good and evil.
o Death breeds life
§ The mother (previously mentioned).
§ The Left Handed Brother does not die; instead, he becomes ruler of the “the fearful realm of night”.
§ The grandmother, upon her death at the hands of the RH brother, watches from the sky as “Our Grandmother, the Moon.”