An unnamed being from above creates the world, fashioning a porcupine, a white bear, a man, and a brown bear as the first beings. After completing creation, he ascends to heaven. The Raven remains on earth, altering the original design, introducing death, and establishing the path for departed souls. The narrative also touches upon afterlife beliefs and the origins of rituals honoring the deceased.
Source:
Ten’a Texts and Tales
(from Anvik, Alaska)
by John W. Chapman
The American Ethnological Society
Publications, Volume 6 (ed. Franz Boas)
E.J. Brill, Leyden, 1914
► Themes of the story
Creation: The story explains the origin of the world and its first creatures.
Underworld Journey: The tale describes the path souls take after death to their final destination.
Ritual and Initiation: The narrative explains the origin of rituals performed by the living to honor and support the deceased.
► From the same Region or People
Learn more about Koyukon people
There was some one above who made the world. They do not name him, but speak of him as being above. He was upon the world that he made, and did all the various works that men were to do. The natives say nothing of his resting upon the seventh day, as the Christians do.
The first of the creatures that he made was a porcupine, the next a white bear, the third was a man, and the fourth a brown bear.
After that, he made all other things, and then went up to heaven, and there he remains; and there is no heaven higher than the one where he is.
► Continue reading…
But there was on the earth another man, the Raven, who remained, and changed many things; so that what was originally intended to be good became perverted. He made wooden images, and flung them in different directions, and told them to come to life and do whatever they pleased. Originally men did not die in the same way as they do now, but passed into the spirit state and back again. The Raven changed that by making a trail for the dead people to take, and since then they do not return. When the spirit enters upon this path, it has to camp for four nights before it reaches its destination. At the end of each day, it finds a camp-fire burning. This fire burns perpetually. The path leads to some place near the sources of the Yukon River. There is a story of a young man who went up the river as far as he could go, but was warned by the people there that he should go back; for they told him that if he kept on, he would come to a portage that the souls of the dead took, and that if he were to enter on that portage and hear any sounds, he would never be able to return. So he was afraid to continue, and went back. There is also another story of a young woman who was snatched up, and found herself among the dead; but she made her escape and returned to her own people. While she was among the dead, she was sustained by the offerings of her friends, who supposed her to be dead; and it is from that time that the feast for the dead began. At this feast, clothing and food are formally given to some one who represents the dead person, and it is supposed that this turns to the benefit of the one who is gone. In general, the happiness of those who are gone is affected by the conduct of those related to them, who are still living. If these are generous and kindly, the dead will be kindly received by those who have gone before.
As to the actions of those who are still on the earth influencing their own future existence, the souls of all, both bad and good, start on the same path, but the paths separate. Those who were unkind, and wantons, whether men or women, go to a kind of kashime, where they are tortured perpetually in the fire. Those who have hanged themselves go to a place where they remain suspended in the wind. The good go to a place where they have no more trouble.
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Dreamtime Whispers 