Myths from all over the world are important. They allow people to see how cultures change and adapt and how ideas become corrected overtime. They are also fun and entertaining. Most records of European myths go back centuries, so everyone knows them. But what about myths fron the Native Americans?

Native American myths are very different from Europe, Asia or even each other in some cases. Unlike much other mythology and folklore from Europe and Asia, Native Americans had few common threads and not many centralized gods, unless one wants to include the Aztecs and South American peoples. The myths were often more for entertainment or to explain places and nature. Also, because the Native North Americans had no written language, the stories have been changed over time to incorporate recent events. Some include horses, which were brought over by the Europeans and some have the Indians speaking French!

Unfortunately the lack of written records and the cultural contamination makes it difficult to trace the origins. Some of the stories probably go back thousands of years, such as the one about a woman being attacked by a giant mammoth up in Canada. Since Mammoths have been extinct within recorded history and weren’t known in Europe, it is a safe bet that this was a very ancient legend.

Most of the Native American Mythology is more along the lines of folktales, using people that often illustrate certain traits or animals. The Native American Religion did have “the Great Spirit” that watched over everything, but he (or She) is rarely featured in any of the stories. Some of the Great Lake Tribes had a Spider Woman that watched over children and infants. There are also a few myths with lesser beings that watch over specific places or people.

Who were the main characters in Native American Mythology? There was Coyote and Crow, bats and opossums as well as clever raccoons and of course bears. Then one can’t forget Wishpoosh the monster beaver who fought Coyote and was later cut up and made into various tribes found in the northwest United States.

The themes were often for entertainment or teaching. The story of The Heron and the Hummingbird is similar to Aesop’s fable about the Tortoise and the Hare, slow and steady wins the race. The Rabbit and the Snake Tug of War warns of the danger of playing nasty jokes. The Crow was often revered by the tribes and is considered beneficial; he was used to bring light and warmth for summer amongst the Inuit’s.

What is a good source of Native American Folklore? Check out the Spooky Series written by S. E. Schlosser.

Learn about the “forgotten’ mythology of the Native American people and learn about life before the Europeans!