The sun still rises in the same sky Write about what you think this phrase means

NATIVE AMERICAN LITERATURE Oral Literature: Myths and legends

Functions of the Myths The purpose was to show: Beliefs about the nature of physical world Beliefs about social order and appropriate behavior Beliefs about human nature and the problem of good and evil Preservation and communication spiritual beliefs

Characteristics of N.A. Myths Played by animals Ordinary people, animals and places were gods All were originally oral stories passed down for many generations

Features of Native Literature Teach lessons, often spiritual, and are part of their histories here Reflect view of the natural world Use archetypes–type of character that is used often in different stories over the ages Archetypes

Features (cont.) Many of the stories have a “trickster” character (often a raven or spider)

Common themes Movement from a sky world to a water world Fortunate fall –creation story Earth-diver myth usually involving an earth made from mud or a flood after the universe is created Theft of fire Emergence myth– movement of beings from under the surface to the surface of the earth

Native American Poems More properly called "songs" Created for tribal occasions such as initiation rites, healings ceremonies, and planting or hunting rituals used to pass on tribal history, standards of ethical conduct, and religious beliefs

N.A. Poems (cont.) The songs may be grouped as 1) songs of healing 2) songs of growth or germination 3) songs of vision and dream 4) songs of death.

In-Class Writing Assignment Write a creation style myth about how something in nature was created. You can select any topic you wish. Examples: why the sun turns colors as it sets how some places turned cold and snowy and others not