Welcome to the 2022 A to Z Blogging Challenge! My theme this year is Gemstone Folklore. Because I love stories about shiny things. Read the introduction to the project here.
OBSIDIAN
Obsidian is natural volcanic glass, known for its black or dark grey color. Sometimes it comes with small white cristobalite inclusions - then it's called "snowflake obsidian." Due to the way it fractures it can be turned into extremely sharp objects, which made it a favorite material for arrowheads, knives, and other instruments from prehistoric times.
The theft of obsidian
Wintu myth
In this story (animal) people go hunting, with various degrees of success. Adder is the only hunter who kills a deer right away at every attempt: that is because Adder has an obsidian arrowhead. But he keeps it a secret. Whenever he shoots a deer, he runs to it first and retrieves the arrowhead before anyone else can see it.
The other hunters grow suspicious of Adder's success. They agree that the fastest among them - Hummingbird and Fox - should keep an eye out and try to uncover the secret. Finally a man named Puimeminbes manages to get to a deer first, steals the arrowhead, and runs up a mountain. Adder grows furious at the theft, and starts setting the whole world on fire.
Puimeminbes hands the arrowhead over to Ground Squirrel, telling him to run as far as he can. Despite the fact that the obsidian is growing bigger, heavier, and hotter, Ground Squirrel runs and runs and runs, listening to the fading cries of his helper Sandhill Crane. When the cries finally stop, Ground Squirrel drops his burden at a place called Glass Mountain (California), where obsidian can still be found today. From the hot obsidian, Ground Squirrel still carries a black mark on his back.
Sources: Find the story in this book.
Other stories: Obsidian plays an important role in other indigenous traditions as well. Theft of obsidian happens in an Achomawi creation myth. In Pomo mythology, Obsidian Man is Coyote's child (born from an obsidian arrowhead). In a Tlingit myth, Raven fells a dangerous obsidian tree. In Aztec mythology, there were several gods and goddesses who were manifestations of obsidian.
In the Banks Islands of Vanuatu, a story tells about a creator who cuts the night with an obsidian knife to bring the dawn (more info here). There is a Polynesian legend about Maui seeking immortality, and being bitten by a goddess with obsidian teeth. On some versions, those teeth are not in her mouth... Obsidian also figures into Maori mythology (see here, here or here). Read more about obsidian mythology in general here.
Have you ever been to California?
Do you own anything made of obsidian?
Posts
I've been to California once but I like the sound of Glass Mountain better:)
ReplyDeleteObsidian is another favourite stone. I sometimes wonder whether there are any that I don't like :D
ReplyDeleteSo the squirrel's black mark on its back comes from the hot hot Obsidian it carried. Sweet.
I love your theme for AtoZ! What a cool way to combine interests! I did something similar a few years ago, combining children's literature with different herbs and spices and included a recipe - I love to cook!
ReplyDeleteWhat great obsidian tales. I always especially like when a reason is included as to why an animal is marked in some way. I have both black and snowflake obsidan pieces, but my favorite this is a windchime made from a large natural seedpod from which are hung a number of obsidian needles. Their sound is so lovely and delicate. I keep it hung indoors by an open window so it can catch breezes but not be caught up in a windstorm and shatter.
ReplyDeleteI really like the image of cutting the night with a knife to bring in dawn. So poetic.
ReplyDelete"Yes" to both questions. I was born and raised in California (San Francisco east bay area), and lived there until 2011 when I moved to Oregon. I do have obsidian. Natural pieces, and a few arrowheads. I found one in my backyard (the previous owners had so many rocks!), and I only knew it was obsidian because a piece was broken off. Shiny inside, worn on the outside. I love snowflake obsidian. In CA my neighbor grew up in rural Nevada, and there were actually native people that would pass through near town, and the kids would go out later and find broken arrowheads. He was quite old and that was over 10 years ago. So, 100 years ago. At the time, meeting someone that could do that made time seem so small.
ReplyDeleteFor me, too, the most striking idea was cutting the night with the obsidian knife.
ReplyDeleteI've been to areas where obsidian is scattered all over the ground. It's pretty cool.
V is for Vampirism
I liked that story!
ReplyDeleteRonel visiting for the A-Z Challenge My Languishing TBR: V