Chumash Myths and Dances
An excerpt about Chumash stories and ceremonial dances. It uses the introduction to myths, one sky story, and the section on dances. It leaves out the other stories and the section on games.
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Myths
Stories, myths, and legends are found in all human cultures. People passed them on by speaking, from one generation to the next, for thousands of years before written language. Tales were told around the fire in the evening for fun. They also taught children the social standards and history of the group. Some were adventure stories. Some were funny. Others explained natural events and features of the environment. Many of the most interesting and beautiful Indian legends are about the sky.
The Three Worlds (a Chumash Sky Story)
There is this world in which we live, but there is also one above us and one below us. Two serpents hold our world up from below. When they are tired they move, and that causes earthquakes. The world above is held up by the great eagle. He never moves. He is always in the same spot. When he gets tired of holding up the upper world, he stretches his wings a little. This causes the phases of the moon. When there is an eclipse of the moon, it is because his wings cover it completely. And the water in the springs and streams of this earth is the urine of the many frogs who live in it.
Dances
Ceremonial fiestas were attended by people from many Chumash towns. At these gatherings, people performed dances that honored the creatures in the Chumash world. The Bear, the Blackbird, the Fox, and the Coyote all had their own dances. So did creatures of the sea, such as the Swordfish, the Barracuda, and the Seaweed. Dancers wore special regalia and body paint for each of these dances. Particular songs went with each one. Many dances were performed just for fun, but some had important religious meaning.
The Swordfish Dance was one of the most important dances held at ceremonies. The dancer wore an actual swordfish skull decorated with shell inlay, or a headdress to stand for the “sword.” The Swordfish was given offerings of beads and other gifts. People believed he was the chief of all the sea animals. When whales were stranded on the shore, people said Swordfish had driven them ashore as food for the people. In fact, swordfish sometimes attack whales. So this Chumash “myth” was based on direct observation.