(Reading) Notes from the Underground: The Burning of the World

The Darvaza gas crater at night. Found on Wikimedia Commons.
The world was burned. A mother and her son and daughter survived. Everyone else of earth died. The son had heard about the earth burning before it happened, but his father did not believe him. They had a falling out. The son made a bow and arrow, which he shot in each direction- north, south, east, and west. The ground did not burn in the fire that had been outlined by the arrows. He warned people of the fire and that this land wold be safe. They didn't believe him. The fire came and they could hear it encroaching. animals ran to the plot of land. The man refused to show up because of his fight with his son (hi pride and hubris). The fire burned everything and boiled the water away before ceasing. The world had to start agin from the ashes and the lone plot of land. The man named the animals as he told them what to do and where to go. The rabbit didn't want to listen to him, it wanted to live in the water. the squirrel wanted to be a bear. The son made the animals, named them, and gave them their purposes. Each designed for their role in the ecosystem. The son gave his family names. His mother was Robbin. His sister was Golden-winded Woodpecker. And he was Blackbird.
This story would be cool to juxtapose with the story of Noah- disaster and recreation myths. One world ended in water and one in fire. It would also be interesting to change the perspective to a doubtful but supportive mother. Hey, if the world is going to end in fire, might as well take a chance on her son's weird theory, right?

This story comes from Myths and Legends of British North America by Katharine Berry Judson (1917). It is a Cree tale called The Burning of the World.

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