The Warm-Winds and Cold-Winds people are adversaries. When the Warm-Winds travel north, the Cold-Winds counter with frigid gusts, hail, and snow, forcing their retreat. Conversely, as the Cold-Winds move south, the Warm-Winds respond with heat and rain, causing the Cold-Winds to fear melting and withdraw. This ongoing struggle explains the balance between hot and cold weather.
Source:
Tahltan Tales
by James A. Teit
The American Folklore Society
Journal of American Folklore
Vol.32, No.124, pp.198-250
April-June, 1917
Vol.34, No.133, pp.223-253
July-September, 1921
Vol.34, No.134, pp.335-356
October-December, 1921
► Themes of the story
Conflict with Nature: The story personifies natural elements, depicting a struggle between warm and cold forces that influence weather patterns.
Cosmic Order and Chaos: The tale illustrates the balance and tension between opposing natural forces, contributing to the world’s climatic equilibrium.
Origin of Things: The myth provides an explanation for the origin of weather patterns, attributing them to the actions of the Warm-Winds and Cold-Winds people.
► From the same Region or People
Learn more about Tahltan people
The Warm and Cold Winds people were enemies. When the Warm-Winds people walked abroad and travelled north, the Cold-Winds people were afraid, and made cold winds blow from the north to drive them back.
The farther north the Warm-Winds people came, the more afraid the Cold-Winds people became, and the harder and colder they made the winds blow, sending hail and snow with them. The Warm-Winds people always turned back in fear of freezing.
When the Cold-Winds people travelled south, the Warm-Winds people in turn became afraid, and blew their hot breaths on them and urinated on them. Their urine was rain. The Cold-Winds people became afraid of melting, and turned back.
► Continue reading…
Thus we see them striving at the present day, and each is still afraid of the other. When each stays in his own country, as they do sometimes for considerable lengths of time, there is no fighting; and the weather is neither hot nor cold, but temperate. When they travel near each other’s countries, then they become afraid, and send their winds against each other.
Second version. The Cold-Wind people lived in the far north, and the Warm-Wind people in the south. When the former talked to the latter, a cold wind blew. When the latter talked to the former, a warm wind blew. The speech of the Cold-Wind people was cold because it came from a cold place, and the people were as cold as ice. The speech of the Warm-Wind people was warm, because they were hot. The winds were the same as the breaths of these people. Their breaths blow the clouds. Raven (or some one else) ordained that these people send out the winds.
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