Identification

• According to the Wichita belief, there was a terrestrial goddess who gave birth to everything on Earth. They refer to this goddess as Mother Earth. In her desire to maintain life, Mother Earth created plants to provide nourishment and sustain life, and to be used as medicines in healing. Stories of Mother Earth and other tales were passed down orally from one generation to the next. The stories express a belief that life is a cycle which moves from creation, to transformation, present times, end of times and then a rebirth, where a new generation evolves.
  
  

History

• Much of what the modern world knows of the Wichita Mythology comes from the work of George A. Dorsey, who was the curator of anthropology at the Field Columbia Museum. At the end of the 19th Century Dorsey began recording the mythical tales of the Wichita, which he had been collecting. Some of the stories were very similar, which indicate that at one time two similar stories may have originated from a single tale. Over time, the stories evolved and changed in its retelling by different tribal members. Dorsey collected approximately sixty stories, which are included in his book, "The Mythology of the Wichita."
  
  

Time Frame

• Animals played a key role in the mythical tales, with the coyote being a central character. Only a few of the stories include horses, which were not introduced to the Plains Indians until the arrival of the Spaniards in the 1500's. It is believed that many of the stories, which have a clear absence of the horse, pre-date the Spanish arrival. Some of the tales are humorous while others are an explanation of life and values.
  
  

Features

• Various spirits are woven throughout the Wichita Mythology. The spirit they believe responsible for original creation is called Kinnekasus, which translates to "man-never-known-on-Earth." Another spirit is Mother-Earth, who gives life to nature. Newerah or the Wind is believed to be the breath of life. Otskahakakaitshoidiaa "Woman-having-Powers-in-the-water" is responsible for changes involving water. There are also evil spirits, which include the four Hoskakakadiki and Witschatska.
  
  

Types

• A prominent character in the mythical stories is the coyote, called Ketox or Kitaks in the Wichita language. The coyote is a sly character and may switch from animal to human form within a tale. He may be mischievous or naughty. In some tales he assumes a more serious posture, when explaining the workings of the world. Many of the tales are similar in contents to myths from other people. One example is the Wichita story that involves a hunter and three deer. This tale is compared to one from Saami mythology in both imagery and the story.