Goddesses and Gods.wps - Welcome to Our Temple

Coyote Coyote (Southwestern Indians, but known in other areas as well)
A trickster, a clown. The creator and teacher of men. Like Loki, Coyote is always
lurking about, causing trouble and playing pranks. To the Zunis, Coyote is a hero who
set forth the laws by which men may live in peace. The Pomo Indians maintain that
Coyote created the human race and stole the sun to keep them warm. The Montana
Sioux say that Coyote created the horse. The Chinook tell how Coyote and Eagle
went to the land of the dead to bring back their dead wives. On reaching the land of
the dead, they found a meeting lodge lit only by the moon which lay on the floor.
Every night an old woman would swallow the moon and the dead would appear in
the meeting lodge. Recognizing their wives among the spirits of the dead, the two
gods devised a plan. The next day, after the old woman had vomited up the moon and
the dead had disappeared, Coyote built a huge wooden box and placed in it leaves of
every kind of plant. Coyote and Eagle then killed the old woman, and Coyote donned
her clothes. When the time came, Coyote swallowed the moon. The dead appeared,
but Eagle had place the box outside the exit. When Coyote vomited up the moon, the
dead filed out and were trapped in the box. Coyote pleaded to be allowed to carry the
box, and Eagle gave it to him. But Coyote couldn't wait to see his wife and opened the
box. The spirits of the dead rose up like a cloud and disappeared to the west. So it is
that people must die forever, not like the plants which die in winter and are green
again in a season.
Deohako Deohako (Iroquois/Seneca)
Spirits of maize, beans and gourds who live together in a single hill. Searching for
dew, the maize spirit Onatha was captured by the evil spirit Hahgwehdaetgah who
took her off to the underworld. Sun rescued her, and ever since she has remained in
the cornfields until the corn is ripe.
Estanatlehi Estanatlehi (Navajo)
First Woman's adopted daughter. To punish mankind for pride, First Man and First
Woman sent a plague of monsters to kill and devour them. The time came when First
Woman repented of the evils she and First Man had visited upon men, and she sought
a means for their deliverance. First Woman discovered the infant Estanatlehi lying on
the ground near First Woman's mountain, and took her in. The infant Estanatlehi
grew to adulthood in four days. Making love with the Sun, she gave birth to the Twin
Brothers who after many adventures slew the monsters.
Evening Evening Star Star (Pawnee)
An evil star who drives the sun down out of the sky and send his daughter to hinder
Morning Star from the sun back up again.
First First Man Man and First Woman (Navajo)