Meteor Myths

In the myths not dealing with the origin of things the same degree of resemblance is found between the Mission Indians and the Mohave. The elaborate Diegueño Chaup stories published by Miss Du Bois have a close parallel among the Mohave. This equivalent Mohave tradition has not been obtained in full, but an outline has been heard related which leaves no doubt of the correspondence

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of the versions of the two tribes. It is interesting that Miss Du Bois states that her Diegueño informants believe their Chaup story to have been borrowed from the Mohave. Similarly the Luiseño informant from whom the Dakwish or Meteor myth given below was secured stated to the author that what he knew was only part of the entire Dakwish myth, that part, namely, which relates to Luiseño territory: and that another portion of the story, which tells of the doings of Dakwish in the country of the Diegueño, with an accompaniment of songs, was known to these people. Certain episodes and elements of the Diegueño Chaup stories have also been found in other Mohave myths, notably the one of the two Cane brothers, which may be regarded as a somewhat differentiated version of the same story. In this Cane story occurs Kwayu, the meteor, who is mentioned also in other Mohave legends as a destructive cannibalistic being. Chaup himself is the meteor, and while the greater part of the Chaup story has no direct reference to the meteor, the identification is present in the minds of the Indians. That the meteor was important in the beliefs of the Indians of southern California is further shown by the Luiseño Dakwish myth given below, and by a somewhat similar story from the Saboba, a more northern division of the Luiseño, printed in this journal some years ago. It must therefore be concluded that the meteor is one of the most important special conceptions in the mythology of all southern California, not of innate or inherent importance, but through a selection which for some reason or other has taken place. To this personification have been attached whole mythological episodes that have no real connection with it. These enlarged meteor myths have in many cases been made into myth-ceremonies of the kind characteristic of the region. We have therefore to see in the meteor myths of southern California a special, and as it were accidental, but striking development characteristic of the culture area, very much as the story of the deer and bear children is of northern California, and the story of the visit to the dead in pursuit of a wife is of the San Joaquin Valley.

The dakwish, it is said by the Luiseño, is not infrequently seen. Often it causes death, though some men can see it and not die. It is described as being like a bird, having soft white feathers all over its body. Around its head are tied feather ropes, and these hold in place the elat, the board ceremonially swallowed by medicine-men and also worn as a headdress. As the dakwish moves, its feathers fall and it leaves them behind. It can be seen every night at San Jacinto Mountain, turning like a ball of light.

When a woman, who now is old, was young, she was camped on the top of Palomar Mountain with her family. They had gone there

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to gather acorns. At night they slept by a large fire. She awoke and heard a noise as of a dog chewing. Near them was a large pine-tree. On this she saw the dakwish sitting with its head bent, holding a person that it was eating. The young woman woke the others of her family. Then, after they all had seen it, the dakwish went away. Not long afterward one of the family, a young woman, died.