The Wyandotte, also known as the Huron, people possess a rich and vibrant oral tradition, filled with stories that explain their origins and the natural world around them. Among their most cherished narratives is the Wyandotte (Huron) Creation Legend and How the Sun was Made, a tale that details the creation of the world as they know it and the origin of the sun’s light. This legend, passed down through generations, offers a glimpse into the Wyandotte worldview, their beliefs about the spiritual realm, and their deep connection to the land.
According to the Wyandotte (Huron) Creation Legend and How the Sun was Made, in the beginning, all people were Wyandot and resided in a celestial realm, a world above the sky. This upper world was a place of perpetual light, guided and governed by Hoo-wah-yooh-wah-neh, the Great Spirit or mighty chief. This realm existed in a state of harmony, sustained by a unique and sacred Tree of Light.
This extraordinary tree, standing near the lodge of Hoo-wa-neh, was the source of all illumination in the skyland. It was adorned with countless large, yellow flowers that emanated a radiant glow, banishing darkness and making the need for a sun, moon, or stars obsolete. The Tree of Light was considered sacred, and only priests were permitted to approach or touch it. The flowers were said to hold powerful magic.
However, this idyllic existence was disrupted by an act of transgression. One day, while Hoo-wa-neh was away hunting, his wife, driven by curiosity or perhaps a moment of weakness, succumbed to temptation and ate some of the yellow flowers from the Tree of Light. Realizing the gravity of her actions and fearing her husband’s wrath, she fled to her own people, the priests or hookies. The flowers made her ill, compounding her distress.
Upon his return, Hoo-wa-neh immediately noticed a change in the upper world. A twilight had descended, dimming the once-constant light. Learning of his wife’s transgression, he was deeply saddened, recognizing the profound consequences of her actions. He attempted to heal the Tree of Light, lying prostrate before it for days, refusing food in a desperate plea for its restoration. However, his efforts proved futile; the tree remained weakened.
The priests then advised Hoo-wa-neh that the cure for his wife’s illness could be found among the roots of the Tree of Light. The sick woman was brought to the tree and placed on a mat beside its base. The priests began to dig, searching for the remedy that would restore her health.
As they dug, disaster struck. Suddenly, the Tree of Light and the surrounding earth began to sink. The tree had broken through the floor of the upper world, creating a gaping hole. The woman, caught in the branches of the falling tree, plummeted downwards with it. The rent in the skyland closed behind them, forever shutting them out of that celestial paradise. This marked the end of the Wyandot’s time in the upper world, and the beginning of their journey in a new, unfamiliar realm.
Below the skyland lay a vast expanse of water, the Lower World. Two swans were peacefully swimming on this great water when the woman and the Tree of Light fell from above. Heno, the thunder god of the Wyandots, accompanied the woman, announcing their arrival with a tremendous crash of thunder, a sound never before heard in the silent Lower World. This was accompanied by a flash of brilliant light, the radiant glow of the Tree of Light shining through the newly formed hole in the sky.
Startled and awestruck, the swans looked up and saw the woman suspended in the opening, appearing taller than the highest tree and radiating a light as bright as the midday sun. One swan turned to the other and asked, "What shall we do with this Woman?"
The other swan responded, "We must take her on our backs."
The swans, immense in size, positioned themselves side by side, and the woman gently fell upon them. Together, they carried her across the Great Water, embarking on a journey to find a place for her to reside.
As they swam, the swans grew weary. The first swan again questioned, "What shall we do with this Woman? We cannot carry her forever."
The other swan proposed, "We must call a Council of all the swimming Animals, all the water tribes."
Thus began the first Great Council, convened to address the unprecedented situation. The Big Turtle, revered as a wise and respected leader, presided over the gathering. However, even he was unsure of what to do. None of the animals knew of a place in the vast expanse of water where the woman could live.
The Tree of Light, having fallen into the sea, lay on the bottom, its broken earth shining like the sun. After much deliberation, the Big Turtle offered a solution: "If you can get a little of the shining earth which lies at the root of the Tree of Light, you may place it upon my back. There it will grow into a world, and the Woman may live in it."
One by one, the animals attempted to dive to the bottom of the Great Water to retrieve the earth. However, the depths were too great, and many perished in the attempt. Finally, the Toad volunteered to try.
The Toad disappeared for a long time. When she resurfaced, she was dead, floating lifelessly on the water. But her mouth was filled with the shining earth.
With great care, the Little Turtle spread the earth around the edges of the Big Turtle’s shell. Miraculously, the earth began to grow and expand, forming a Great Island, the world as we know it. The woman arose from the backs of the swans and made her home upon this new land.
According to the Wyandotte (Huron) Creation Legend and How the Sun was Made, the Big Turtle remains at the bottom of the Great Water, carrying the Great Island upon his back. This is the land where we live today, the Lower World. Because the Toad was the only animal able to retrieve the earth from the depths, she is revered by the Wyandots and affectionately called their Grandmother.
The woman, though grateful for her new home, was deeply unhappy. She was alone, without anyone to share her thoughts and feelings. Overcome with sorrow and regret for her actions in the skyland, she wept and longed to return to her former home and husband.
One day, Hoo-wa-neh heard her weeping. Filled with compassion for his lost wife, he could not bring her back to the skyland, but he offered her guidance. He told her what to do.
Following his instructions, the woman journeyed into the hills, eventually arriving at a place where tall trees grew, resembling a beautiful park. A clear, swift river flowed through the landscape, its banks shaded by leaning trees.
From the hilltop, the woman spotted an Indian lodge nestled among the trees along the riverbank. Smoke rose from its top, signaling life and warmth. She approached the lodge and sat upon a stone before its door. A woman emerged to greet her, revealing herself as the woman’s mother, sent by Hoo-wa-neh. Reunited with her mother, the woman found solace and happiness.
Before the woman’s arrival, the Lower World was shrouded in darkness. Her presence brought light to the land. However, when she entered the lodge, darkness would once again descend upon the earth.
The animals, having experienced the woman’s light, yearned for more. They convened another Great Council to devise a plan to bring permanent light to the world. The Little Turtle suggested, "Let me go into the sky. I will put a light there to shine so that we shall not be in darkness when the Woman goes into the lodge."
The animals agreed that this was a worthy plan. A dark and ominous cloud was summoned, and Heno rode within it, unleashing thunder and lightning. The Little Turtle entered the cloud and was carried into the sky. There, she used the lightning to ignite a great fire, which became the sun.
Initially, the sun remained stationary in the middle of the sky. Its light did not reach the far edges of the Great Island, and the heat was intense, particularly near the woman’s lodge. Something needed to be done to regulate the sun’s movement.
The animals decided to make the sun alive, capable of moving across the sky. The Mud Turtle was tasked with digging a great hole or passageway through the Great Island. The sun was then set on a specific path, traveling across the sky each day.
Each evening, the sun would pass through the hole, traveling beneath the earth, creating night when the woman was in the lodge, allowing the animals, beasts, and birds to rest. The Wyandotte (Huron) Creation Legend and How the Sun was Made tells how the sun would then rise again in the east, bringing a new day to the world.
This passageway, created by the Mud Turtle, was more than just a tunnel. It was almost as broad as the Great Island itself, complete with its own sky, stars, and clouds.
Heno sent one of his sons to live in this Under World and create the thunder. The Under World also contained rivers, lakes, and seas teeming with fish, as well as trees, grass, and crops like corn, beans, pumpkins, and squashes. The same animals found on the Great Island also inhabited this realm.
All the animals of the Great Council were considered gods. The Mud Turtle, revered as one of the greatest of these gods, created the Little People to live in the Under World. This realm became known as the Land of the Little People and, eventually, the country of the dead for the Wyandots, their happy hunting grounds. The Wyandotte (Huron) Creation Legend and How the Sun was Made explains the relationship between the world and the sky world.
The Wyandotte (Huron) Creation Legend and How the Sun was Made is not merely a story of creation; it is a reflection of the Wyandotte people’s values, beliefs, and understanding of the world. It speaks to the importance of balance, the consequences of transgression, the power of community, and the interconnectedness of all living things. It is a testament to their enduring spirit and their deep connection to the land.