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Traditions of the Arikara

Chapter 127: FOOTNOTES:
By George A. Dorsey
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Archaeology & AnthropologyMythology, Legends & Folklore

About This Book

A collection of Arikara myths and oral narratives gathers creation accounts, emergence variants, and a long series of transformer legends that explain origins of people, animals, dances, and sacred objects. Stories recount land brought into being by animal and culture figures, people fashioned by spiders, visits of a corn spirit, escapes from buffalo, marriages between humans and celestial or animal beings, and the deeds of trickster figures alongside a recurrent culture-hero poor boy. Many tales also serve as etiologies for ceremonies, dances, medicine societies, and ritual powers, often linking human life with animal and cosmic forces.

62. THE SCALPED-MAN.[63]

In olden times there were certain men who went upon the war-path. Scouts were sent ahead, and when the scouts came back they brought word that they had seen a mysterious being. The thing was dressed in coyote hide and had crawled around, but finally had stood up and walked away. The scouts said that they had watched the man and that he had disappeared in the side of a steep bank. The leading warrior said: “If that being is a Scalped-Man we will go and find him. If he has any power we want to receive it. If he can tell us where the enemy are we want him to tell it.” So the party went to the bank and hunted and hunted. They could find no place; but one man saw a dry root hanging on the side of the bank. This root he pulled and a mud door fell; and there was the entrance to the place where the strange being lived.

The men were afraid to enter the place. Among them was one young man who cared for nothing. He was dared to go into the den. The young man stepped forward and said: “Men, follow me. If he kills me you will get to see what the thing is.” So the boy led the way into the cave and there sat in the cave a man, who was crying. He was dressed in coyote skins. His head was tied with a piece of white sheeting. The cave smelt very good, for there was wild sage spread all over the cave. There was also sitting in the lodge a buffalo skull. The men now agreed to talk to the Scalped-Man and to ask him to help their war-party to be successful.

FOOTNOTES:

[63] Told by Antelope.