Bancroft's "Native Races," vol. iii, p. 98]
{p. 178}
personal conflict between Ta-vi, the sun-god, and Ta-wats, one of the
supreme gods of his mythology.
"In that, long ago, the time to which all mythology refers, the sun
roamed the earth at will. _When he came too near with his fierce heat
the people were scorched, and when he hid away in his cave for a long
time, too idle to come forth, the night was long and the earth cold_.
Once upon a time Ta-wats, the hare-god, was sitting with his family
by the camp-fire in the solemn woods, anxiously waiting for the
return of Ta-vi, the wayward sun-god. Wearied with long watching, the
hare-god fell asleep, and the sun-god came so near that he scorched
the naked shoulder of Ta-wats. Foreseeing the vengeance which would
be thus provoked, he fled back to his cave beneath the earth. Ta-wats
awoke in great anger, and speedily determined to go and fight the
sun-god. After a long journey of many adventures the hare-god came to
the brink of the earth, and there watched long and patiently, till at
last the sun-god coming out he shot an arrow at his face, but the
fierce heat consumed the arrow ere it had finished its intended
course; then another arrow was sped, but that also was consumed; and
another, and still another, till only one remained in his quiver, but
this was the magical arrow that had never failed its mark.
Pages:
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254