Myth of Day and Night

Why there is day and night was a question that I pondered for many suns and moons. It was until the medicine man of the village had explained it that the mystery was uncovered. Village people worked hard all year and looked forward to the rare times when they could sit down in the medicine man’s hut. As winter came, the whole village went up to his place, sit around his crackling fire to listen to the legend of day and night.

Many long years ago at the beginning of the time, the medicine man started, when there was no light or darkness. Everything was as mucky as mud. There also lived a raven and a coyote. The coyote had thick fur, piercing eyes and strong legs. He wore a white chain from the Great Spirit. Coyote was a proud and always walked with his head in the air. His friend, the raven had glossy black feathers and yellow eyes, like iguana. His eyes were always bright and he was a timid raven even though he was very proud too. One day, the Great Spirit called upon the Raven and Coyote. "Listen carefully," the Great Spirit snapped in a sharp tone. "The raven shall go to the God of light and ask for a bit of his light for my earth. Say that the Great Spirit has sent you. The Coyote shall go to the Goddess of Darkness and ask for a bit of her darkness for my earth. Also say that the Great Spirit sent you. Then, bring the darkness and light back here. I will be able to then shower the earth with light and darkness". "We hear and obey." The animals chanted.

The animals took the action quickly, one leaping up the path to the riverbed in which the Goddess of Darkness, Lumakat lived. The Goddess Lumakat’s lair was very dark and fearful. The closer coyote got to the throne, the darker it became. Soon, the only light the coyote could see was a pair of gleaming eyes, as dark and narrow as a bat’s. Lumakt had dark skin with black eyes. Her jet black hair swept up into a bun and tied with seaweed. Lumakt’s dark hands were out stretched to her pet eels. They were very slimy and the coyote was disgusted, always preferring to have sleek skin. The slithered up to the coyote and circled him. Then, they nodded to the Goddess. The Goddess was sitting on the throne of dark seaweed and looking very, very gloomy. She was surprised to see the coyote sprinting along the path up to the throne. At the sight of the Goddess, the coyote swept into a low bow, and after the Goddess bade him to rise, he began, "The Great Spirit has sent me to ask for a bit of your darkness for his earth." The Goddess Lumakat thought for a minute and then said, "I shall help your master the Great Spirit and give him a bit of my darkness." She filled a rock jar with her power of darkness. As she handed him the jar, she warned, "Be careful not to break it for if you do, my power shall battle the first other power that is also broken free." But as she spoke these words, the coyote had already disappeared from Lumakat’s lair, running back to the Great Spirit with the Darkness.

Meanwhile, the raven had flowed up into the sky to the castle home of Dukia, the God of light. It was splendid place, where light seemed to flow from everywhere. Situated on cloud, the castle was made of beams of light, building together. So the raven flew through the castle gates and went inside. Flashes of light came from the throne room. The golden floor seemed to quiver under the raven as the raven unsteadily held his step to the throne room of Dukia, the God of light. The God Dukia was a handsome man with a strong curved nose, light blue eyes, powerful arms, and a white beard. He wore white robes and sandals. On his cheeks a mark in blue that represented his Godhood. Impressively sitting on his throne, Dukia, the God of light was accompanied by two graceful ladies. The raven recognized them. They were the Dukia’s daughters, Dunusha and Dunilia. At the sight of them, the raven fluffed up his glossy, black feathers and bowed before the God of light and his daughters. Then he said, "The Great Spirit has sent me to ask for a bit of your light for his earth." He then confined his daughters in whispers and after nodding, the God once more said, "Good crow, I will help your master the Great Spirit and give him a bit of my light. Taking his magic scepter from his daughter, he struck a stone jar three times and filled it with light. As he handed the jar to raven, he warned, "be careful not to break it for if you do, the power will battle its opposite." But as he said these words, the raven had vanished, out of the mists of the beams of light, returning to earth.

As the coyote was running back on the trail from the Goddess lair, he met the raven, each eager to share their experiences in front of the God and Goddess. "The God Dukia was so good and kind to me." The raven bragged. "I wasn’t even afraid of the Goddess," the coyote jabbered. Then, the coyote opened his jar a tiny bit. But suddenly, a whirl of dust-like powder floated in the air. A moment later, the earth was in completely dark. The Raven immediately blamed the coyote but rushed away blindly to look for help with the Great Spirit. When he ran, raven dropped the jar and it crashed to the ground. A dazzling light filled the land. Soon, the two powers began to fight each other, just as the god and goddess had foretold. When the force of light won, it was the day. When the force of darkness won, it was the night. So today, when you see the sky darkening or lightening, you will know the story of why there is night or day.