Eskimo Creation Myth

It was in the time when there were no people on the earth. For four days the first man lay coiled up in a pea-pod. On the fifth day he stretched out his feet and burst the pod, falling to the ground, where he stood up, a full-grown man.

The Pea-Pod Man

Raven The Creator

As the man walked to get a drink, Raven flew down infront of the man. He asked where the man came from, to which the man replied "The pea pod" Raven was astonished he created such a creature, He told the man to wait there, and soon Raven was gone.

Raven returned 4 days later with 4 berries for the man. He told the man to make the berries plentiful all over Earth. Raven then molded sheep and caribou out of clay, and with 4 flaps of his wings they came to life and ran away.

Sensing man was lonely, Raven deicded to make him a companion and mate. He grabbed more clay, and looking back at man from time to time, he created a woman very much like him. Raven waved his wings and a beautiful woman stood beside man.

Raven taught man to hunt and gather food

Soon, man and woman had created a child. Raven taught them how to care and raise the child. Within 4 days, the child had turned into a full grown man. During this time, 3 other men had fallen from the pea pods.

Raven thought that if he did not create something to make men afraid they would destroy everything he had made to inhabit the earth. Then he went to a creek nearby, where he formed a bear and gave it life. Man was then called and told that the bear would be very fierce and would tear him to pieces if he disturbed it.