Old Man Coyote Makes the World- Crow Story -American Indian Myths and Legends - Essay Example

Response Paper The Native American legend of creation does not seem more fantastical than the other legends of creation which are shared across cultures. However, there are certain points which stand out when a comparison is made to the commonly given Judeo-Christian legend of creation where god created everything in a matter of days. The central difference which stands out is the collective agreements and the shared advice which Old Man Coyote works with. For instance, he does not simply make unilateral decisions but depends on input from other creatures before making decisions on creation.

This channel of communication and mutual understanding was evident from the very beginning of the story where Old Man Coyote wanted someone to talk to rather than someone to rule over. In his discourse with the ducks, He sought their advice rather than impose his own will upon them. Additionally, Old Man Coyote is not the all knowing creator which is commonly presented in western mythos since he does not know if there is anything in the world other than water, he does not even know that ducks can stay underwater for a long period of time.

The image of the creator matches the idea of a very powerful being, but the being is not all knowing.Moreover, Old Man Coyote is not very well acquainted with many different ideas of society and social existence which were taught to him by other creatures. For instance, he does not understand war or the need for was as a social conflict that allows certain problems to be settled once and for all or as a means to improve a person’s social standing. Cirape is the character which comes across as the individual which has the wisdom of a god but does not have the strength to put his thoughts into action.

Finally, the relationship which the creator animal has with other animals brings about an image of a united family since the characters address each other as younger and elder brothers. The image of family is essential to the progress of the storyline since even characters that are not cooperative and act in hostility are not killed off or banished. The case of the Bear is a predominant one since his rebellion does not take him to hell; rather he is supposed to hibernate for the winter months while the other animals can stay awake.

In conclusion, the creation story of the native American mythology is an interesting work since it does give significant insights into native American culture as well as the relationships that a society should have as a result of following that particular culture. Of course there are certain questions about creation which are left unanswered and the reader is only told that no one really knows how, but that is where the mystery of the culture as well as the mystery of the idea of creation comes from.

All in all it was a good story and was very enjoyable.