That
at one time he had so nearly extinguished the holy fire in their
temples, and the love of the sun in their hearts, that the Great Spirit
came and fought with them against him, until finally he was conquered
and chained in a deep cave, whence he still continued to send out
little devils to tempt and torment their people. It was these who
brought disease and death; these who tempted to lie, steal, and kill;
disobedience in their wives when they refused to perform their duties
or became bellicose, as wives sometimes will, of every people on earth.
It was a trite saying, shut up the cave in your heart and smother or
put out the bad spirit. It was a belief that these imps or little
devils found much more easy access to the caves in the hearts of women
than into those of men, and that they encouraged them to come and
nestle there. Is the belief alone the Indian's? There are some within
my knowledge whose experience at home might readily yield belief to
this faith of the savage.
Their traditions, too, told them of the great waters coming over all
the land, and destroying all the inhabitants except those who had
boats; and that the latter were carried away by the waters and left by
them on all the land that was permitted again to come above the waters;
and that by that means people were planted everywhere.
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