Ah, diving into the incredible world of Native American myths and legends! It's like opening a treasure chest filled with stories that pulse with life and connect deeply to the natural world all around us. These aren't just bedtime tales; they are soul incarnate, explaining the universe, shaping cultures, and guiding daily life. Let's take a fascinating look at some of the shining, mysterious, and guiding lights of these stories: the Sun, the Moon, and the Stars. Get ready for an easy-to-read journey through some truly interesting explanations and ideas! **The Radiant Power of the Sun** In many Native American traditions, the Sun is a figure of immense power and significance. It's often seen as a life-giver, the father of light, and the one who fertilizes the earth, making everything grow. Think of the brilliant orb rising each day – it brings warmth, chase away the darkness, and sustains all living things. It's hard not to feel that power, isn't it? Across the vastness of North America, this central figure takes on many names and roles. For the Pawnees, the Sun is Shakuru, bringing health and strength to warriors. Among the Keres, Paiyatemu regulates the seasons, telling people when to plant and harvest. The Tewa call him T’ahn, his face surrounded by rays of feathers. And for the Sioux, he is the shining, piercing embodiment of Wakan Tanka, the Great Spirit, who is in everything. You can see how important he is, often being depicted as alive and filled with human passions and yearnings. Myths offer various accounts of how the Sun came to be in the sky or how its light was acquired. In the Jicarilla Apache genesis story, after the day animals won the thimble-and-button game, the sun came up in the east, bringing daylight to the underworld before the people ascended to this earth. The Modoc people tell of the Chief of the Sky Spirits, tired of the icy cold, carving a hole in the sky and walking down Mount Shasta, where his footsteps melted snow into rivers and wherever he touched, trees grew, implying a connection between the Sky Spirit's actions and the emergence of sunlight and warmth on earth. The Cherokee have a myth where, after the world was created in darkness, people longed for light, and someone Powerful made the sun and instructed it where to go. The Hopi describe the Sun rising from an opening in the kiva of a goddess in the east, after dressing in different fox skins to create the white and yellow dawns. The Sioux creation story speaks of the Great Sun controlling orbits and planets in the beginning, and later, fixed in place until a certain point in creation time, when he began to move, releasing energy and light. For the Tsimshian, the Sun was one of the chief in the sky's sons, known as The-One-Who-Walks-All-Over-the-Sky, who put on a mask of pitch wood to create light and walk across the sky. In a Zuni tale, the trickster Coyote and Eagle go looking for light and find it kept in boxes by the Kachinas, eventually managing to steal the sun (and moon) to put in the sky. The Slavey tell of a long winter where the sun was hidden by clouds until animals discovered the bears were keeping warmth and light in a bag, which eventually was bitten open by Dormouse, freeing the sun. A Hopi boy's journey to find his father leads him to the house of the sun, who is indeed his father, and the boy learns how to use a fox skin and macaw feathers to bring forth the dawn. Some stories depict the sun as female, like among the Juchi, Cherokees, and Eskimos. In a Cherokee story, the Sun (Geesis) is a woman who has sons with a mortal woman and later seeks vengeance on people for squinting at her. The Sun's interactions aren't always gentle. He can be a testing force, like in the story of Rabbit Boy wrestling the sun to gain power. The Sioux tradition links the Wakinyan (thunderbirds) to testing courage during vision quests, and the great sun, Anpetu-wi, is involved in these sacred, sometimes frightening, encounters. Sometimes the Sun's power is so great it needs to be managed; in a Winnebago tale, the sun was too hot until Little Brother snared him, leading animals to chew through the cord. Even tricksters like Veeho try to steal the Sun's power, coveting his wonder-working leggings. Beyond myths of origin, the Sun plays a direct role in ceremonies and life. The Sun Dance, known by various names among prairie tribes, is a crucial ritual celebrating the renewal of all life, making the grass, buffalo, and people thrive. It involves prayers and songs taught by the Creator and his helper, and can be performed in times of distress. Ancient structures show the deep connection to the Sun's movements, like the kiva in Chaco Canyon aligned to the summer solstice light. The spiral image of the sun is chipped into rock walls. It's fascinating to see how this single celestial body holds so much meaning – father, nurturer, powerful force, and even a being you can steal from or challenge! This makes you wonder, doesn't it, about how different cultures perceive power and life-giving forces? What other stories might exist about challenging the Sun's heat or light? **The Gentle Light of the Moon** Often seen as the Sun's companion, the Moon provides light during the darkness and holds its own unique significance. While the Sun is typically male, the Moon is usually depicted as female, though this can vary by tribe. For the Juchi, Cherokees, and Eskimos, the Moon is male, while the Sun is female. This shift in gender roles between these two prominent bodies highlights the diversity within Native American mythologies. Like the Sun, the Moon's origin and place in the sky are explained in various ways. In the Jicarilla Apache story, after the day animals won, the moon came out and was fastened with spider threads alongside the sun. The Tsimshian myth attributes the Moon to the chief's elder son, Walking-About-Early, who rubbed his face with fat and charcoal and reflected the light from his brother, the Sun, becoming the rising moon. In the Sioux creation story, the Sun, wanting a caretaker for the red man's land and realizing there was no woman yet, took out one of his eyes in a flash of light and threw it onto the wind, creating the moon. On this "eye-planet," he created woman. The Zuni tale of Coyote stealing the sun also involves stealing the moon, which was kept in a smaller box. The Snoqualmie explain the Moon's origin by saying that Snoqualm, or Moon, was the chief of the heavens long ago. The Moon is not just a light in the sky; she is often depicted with human-like qualities and interactions. In the Osage creation story, the children of the sun went to the moon, who told them she gave birth to them and that the sun was their father, directing them to live on earth. A Hopi boy on a journey to find his father, the Sun, first encounters the Moon, an old woman who is the Sun's mother, working on precious materials in his house. Some myths depict mortals becoming the Moon, taking on lovers and spouses in their new celestial form. The Foolish Girls of the Ojibway looked up at the stars and wished to sleep with them, and one chose the white star, while the other chose the red one, finding themselves transported to star country where the stars were men. The white star was old and unable to perform well, while the red star was vigorous. The Moon is also linked to human life cycles and experiences. The Sioux myth describes the birth cord connecting woman to the moon, and the power she feels at her "moon time". The Moon can be a destination in spiritual journeys; very old Sioux people recount ancestors traveling to the moon or morning star during the Ghost Dance, sometimes returning with "moon rocks" or "moon flesh". In a Zuni story, the Yellow Corn Maidens vow vengeance on the Moon who married Nah-chu-rú-chu and trick her into looking into a pool, where she is captured. When the Moon goes missing, people seek help from animals like the coyote and badger, highlighting the interconnectedness of all beings in finding something as essential as the Moon. The Cheyennes called the sun dance the new-life lodge, while for the Ponca it was the mystery dance, and closely related was the Okapi ceremony of the Mandans. The Moon's gentle glow at night is a comforting presence, often contrasting with the Sun's overwhelming power. It's clear the Moon holds a complex place in these narratives, representing motherhood, cyclic time, and a connection between the earth and the sky. This makes you wonder how the moon's phases might be explained in other myths, or what other stories describe journeys to the moon! **The Twinkling Mystery of the Stars** Looking up at the night sky filled with stars, it's easy to feel a sense of wonder and mystery. In Native American mythology, the Stars are far from just distant points of light; they are often beings who once lived on Earth, transformed and placed in the firmament. This connects the celestial realm directly to the human and animal world. Many myths explain the origin of specific stars or constellations. The mountains of the Northwest were believed to have once been people who were transformed by the all-powerful One. Similarly, the firmament is filled with stars and planets who were once on earth, human lovers fated to chase each other across the evening sky into eternity. This idea of transformation is a powerful one, suggesting a deep connection between the earth and the sky. Another common theme is people or animals being caught up into the sky and becoming stars. In a Puget Sound myth, when the sky was lifted, three hunters chasing four elks were lifted with it and became stars. The three hunters form the handle of the Big Dipper, and the four elks make the bowl. Even a little fish on its way up was caught. Another story tells of seven brothers and a girl who were caught up too high to return to earth, so the youngest brother turned them all into stars, forming the Big Dipper, with the girl being the brightest star and the little boy twinkling at the end of the handle. The Ojibway tale of the Foolish Girls who wished to sleep with stars depicts them being transported to star country where the stars were men. Sometimes stars are created by celestial beings. In the Tsimshian myth, when Walks-All-Over-the-Sky (the Sun) was asleep, the sparks that flew out of his mouth became the stars. This shows a direct connection between the Sun's power and the creation of the stars. Stars also have practical significance in Native American cultures, particularly for those who live close to nature. They are keen observers of the sky, studying the stars and planets to determine the right time for planting and harvesting, or to locate game at different times of the year. The astronomical observatory at Cahokia and the alignment of the kiva at Chaco Canyon are testament to this ancient knowledge and connection to the cosmos. Coyote, the trickster, also plays a role in the star stories. In a Wasco myth, the Coyote, seeing wolves looking at the sky, decides to arrange the stars himself, creating pictures and the "Big Road" (Milky Way?) with the leftovers. This gives a sense of order to the night sky and claims it as Coyote's work. The Morning Star and Evening Star hold special significance in some traditions. They are sometimes depicted as people who were once on earth. The Skidi-Pawnee once practiced a unique human sacrifice, sacrificing a girl captive to the morning star, who represented the evening star, protectress of growing things. Travelers in the Ghost Dance might also journey to the morning or evening star. A Tewa myth tells of Deer Hunter and White Corn Maiden, turned into stars and fated to chase each other across the sky forever as a reminder to live according to tradition. The brighter star is Deer Hunter, the dimmer, flickering one is White Corn Maiden. The stories about the stars remind us that the sky is not empty, but filled with beings who have histories and connections to the earth. It makes you wonder about all the other constellations – what stories do they hold? Are there different explanations for the same stars in other tribes? **Interwoven Threads in the Cosmic Tapestry** These myths about the Sun, Moon, and Stars don't exist in isolation; they are often deeply interwoven, explaining their relationships and roles in the universe. The Sun and Moon are frequently depicted as companions, parents, or siblings. They are often placed in the sky together in creation stories. Their paths across the sky, their rising and setting, order the days and nights. The stars might be sparks from the Sun, or people fated to chase each other along celestial paths. These celestial bodies are fundamental elements in the creation of the world and the establishment of order. They provide light, mark the passage of time (day, night, seasons, months), and influence life on Earth, from the growth of plants to the well-being of people. They are also key figures in broader narratives, sometimes being stolen, fought, or sought out for wisdom and power. The interconnectedness is a recurring theme. The Sun, Moon, and Stars might appear on sacred clothing like Ghost Dance shirts. Even the concept of "Indian time" is linked to the natural pace of the universe, connected to mythology, where power dwells in nature, including celestial bodies. Thinking about these myths, several fascinating questions arise: - How do these stories influence the way Native Americans view the passage of time or the changing seasons? - Are there specific ceremonies associated with different moon phases or star alignments? - How do modern Native American interpretations of these myths compare to the older versions? - Do stories from tribes outside North America share similar themes about the Sun, Moon, and Stars? Exploring the roles of the Sun, Moon, and Stars in Native American myths offers a beautiful glimpse into the worldview where the cosmos is alive, interconnected, and deeply meaningful. It’s a world where celestial bodies are not just distant objects, but beings with histories, relationships, and profound influence on life here on Earth. It makes you want to look up at the night sky with a renewed sense of wonder, doesn't it?