Katlyn Williamson

LBST 2102
April 7, 2017

Stealing the suns leggings

Throughout my examination into Blackfoot culture, I came across

countless interesting deities and myths that I could use to write this paper.

Indigenous peoples' myths recount what is sacred to the group: the origins

of life, its relations with animals, its connections to landforms, and the

origination of the norms governing the members of the group (Esposito). I

saw one reoccurring deity in these myths that is said to be responsible for

shaping the world Blackfoot people live in; his name is Napi (also known as

Old man). Napi is a culture hero that teaches his people important lessons

while simultaneously creating trouble and making foolish decisions- it is safe

to say Napi is a trickster (Ricketts). Because of Napis conniving ways, he

often gets himself into a great deal of trouble and ends up screwing himself

over in the end.

For instance, the story of Napi trying to steal the suns leggings. Napi

met the sun in his lodge and was asked to stay awhile. After some talk, they

both agreed to go kill some deer and enjoy a meal together, then proceeded

to go hunting. The sun had a special pair of beautiful leggings embroidered

with porcupine quills and bright feathers (Asterope) that he used to burn

brush and make all the deer run out into the open so they could be easily

shot. Napi saw how beautiful the leggings were and how much easier they

made hunting and quickly decided he was going to steal the suns special
hunting leggings. While the sun slept Napi stole the leggings and ran off with

them trying to escape the sun. He eventually got tired and decided to use

the leggings as a pillow and rest his eyes. In the morning the sun found Napi

and took back his leggings. Napi then steals the leggings for a second time

and does not to stop to rest and keeps running until the morning. It never

occurred to Napi that he could not outrun the sun and he was caught again

for the second time. After the sun caught him the second time he gave Napi

the leggings. The first time Napi tried to use the leggings the fire from the

brush caught his legs on fire and burnt the leggings into pieces. Thats what

Napi gets for trying to steal from the sun ("Native American Legends.").

Napi acted on his appetite for food which is the main thing that fueled

his trickster behaviors and lead to his downfall. This parallels with the story

of the raven stealing the light that we read in class because his trickster

ways were also driven by his appetite for food. He seeks to steal the box of

light because an inky pitch blanketed the world making it very difficult for

anyone to hunt or fish or gather berries for food (Katsanos). Napis story

also parallels with another story I read by the Cherokee people about a rabbit

going duck hunting. His trickster ways were also driven by appetite. The

rabbit wants to prove to all the animals that he can eat duck and swim just

like the otter. But it doesnt end up working out for him and long story short

he ends up stuck in a tree stump chewing on his own fur because hes

starving ("Lore for October.").

Napi also parallels with Olorun Olodumare from the Yoruba divine
craftsperson theme in the context that they are both considered

craftspersons (Katsanos). Olorun Olodumare shaped the people of his tribe

and Napi shaped the way Blackfoot people live. They also parallel with their

creation stories. Napi makes his people out of clay and breathes life into

them Then he began to assemble the best of the clay bones into a figure of

a manHe picked the new man up and blew smoke into his eyes, nose, and

mouth, and the figure came to life ("Native Lore: How the Old Man Made

People.") and Olorun Olodumares son makes the people but he was the one

that ultimately breathes life into them From the clay dirt he then began to

fashion human beings with his own hands but it was his father, Olorun

Olodumare, who breathed actual life into them and assigned each of these

first humans and all subsequent humans their own destinies(Katsanos).

They are different in the way that Olorun Olodumare is a supreme god and

Napi is just a trickster deity.

These all tie into the Esposito reading because myths give indigenous

groups shared identity and territory (pp.55). As you can see from all my

comparisons the Blackfoot tribe as well as the yobora tribe and the Cherokee

tribe all have similar stories, giving them shared identity and cultural

territory. Esposito also says indigenous cultures myths recount what is

sacred to the group: the origins of life, its relations with animals, its

connections to landforms, and the origination of the norms governing the

members of the group(pp.50). As we have seen in Napis stories in

particular, he created life, talks to animals, talks to the sun and teaches his

people lessons through his foolish actions.

Napis story parallels with a lot of other stories from different tribes

echoing Espositos claim that indigenous groups share identities through

myths. Napis stories also prove the claim Esposito makes when he basically

says myths recount what is sacred to indigenous groups. In conclusion, Napi

the trickster learns many lessons while performing his trickster acts. I bet he

wont try to steal the suns leggings again.

Works cited

Asterope. "Napi." Napi. N.p., 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 07 Apr. 2017.

Esposito, John L., Darrell J. Fasching, and Todd Vernon Lewis. Religion &

globalization: world religions in historical perspective. Oxford: Oxford U

Press, 2008. Print.

"Lore for October." Native American Lore . N.p., 1997. Web. 07 Apr. 2017.

"Native American Legends." Native American Indians. First People of

America. First People of Canada. First People of Turtle Island. Native

American Art. Native American Legends. Free Native American Clipart.

N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Apr. 2017.

"Native Lore: How the Old Man Made People." Native Lore: How the Old Man

Made People. N.p., 1996. Web. 07 Apr. 2017.

Ricketts, Bruce. "Blackfoot Legends - Napi The Trickster." Canada History and

Mysteries. Mysteries of Canada, 04 Feb. 2017. Web. 07 Apr. 2017.