World on the Turtle’s Back

World on the Turtle’s Back

The answers for these questions will come from the Iroquois’ Myth, “The World on the Turtle’s back.” The Iroquois people are a Native American tribe who lived in North America. They are also known as the Haudenosaunee and are composed of six nations, namely; Mohawk, Oneida, Cayuga, Onondaga, Seneca, and Tuscarora. The Iroquoian people speak a variety of languages, including English and French. They referred to the world as an “Old Island,” which they perceived as land that was resting on the back of a sea turtle. The Iroquoian people created the myth as a symbol of the historical culture. The learned men told the tale to their families in the evening while cooking or during public gatherings.

The “World on the Turtle’s Back” is the Iroquoian people’s story of creation. According to them, it explains how they came into existence and how they found their way to their homeland. Anthropologists collected this myth in the late 19^th century before the Europeans colonized North America. There are several different versions of the creation myths. However, the version of “The World on the Turtle’s Back” was recorded by John Norton in 1816. It speaks of the time of Sapling when there was no land or creatures of any kind. The world was a big ocean, and above it was a void of air. In the Sky world, there lived a man and his wife. The woman became pregnant and came down to live on earth. With the help of other creatures of the sea and birds, she was able to create the universe.

The myth is the creation story, according to the Iroquoian people. A myth has three functions; first, it explains how the universe and life came to be. Second, it attempts to explain how the world works, and lastly, it validates a community’s beliefs and customs. It is a narrative that symbolizes the beginning of the world, as understood by the Iroquoians. It enabled them express their valuations and served as a source of orientation for them. It helps the Iroquoian people find their place in this world by showing them where they stand regarding specific issues hence creating some kind of order in the community.

The myth, “The World on the Turtle’s Back,” was a story told by the Iroquoians in the 19^th century before the Europeans moved to North America. This is one of many myths that were recorded by anthropologists. As mentioned earlier, a myth is a narrative about early history that is used to explain certain phenomena. A myth, however, is not a fact. Therefore, “The World on the Turtle’s back” is not a real story. It is among the many myths that humans told to explain creation.

Nevertheless, the Iroquoian people are real, and they lived in the northeastern woodlands area, which is the present-day NewYork. The historical context of the story is before the creation of the world. This was a time when all that existed was the ocean, ocean creatures, birds, the sky, and the sky people. The myth explains how the earth and all of its contents were created.

From the myth, we can learn several things about the past, such as showing love to enemies. Even though the left-hand twin killed the woman’s daughter, she still loved him dearly. In addition to that, it is evident that people in the past liked to help each other during times of need regardless of whether they knew each other. This is clearly shown when the birds saw the woman falling from the sky and decided to carry her on their backs and helped her land safely on the turtle’s shell. The story needs additional information for us to understand it better. For instance, the writer did not explain how the creatures of the sea came to be. Additionally, the writer does not explain what happened to the man in the Sky world and what happened to the turtle after the woman planted trees on it.

Part II

The story “The World on the Turtle’s back” is an Iroquoian myth that tries to explain creation. The Iroquoians passed down the narrative from one generation to the other through word of mouth. David Cusick, an author, was the first person to record the story in writing in the 1800s. The story is filled with many different gripping characters and many themes, such as conflict. Through this story, we not only learn how to pinpoint the elements of a creation myth but also identify the importance of balance in the world. It also shows us how people relate and exist in the world.

The first theme in this story is overcoming the fear of change. This is depicted in the story several times. First, it is shown when the woman asks her husband to get the roots from the Great Tree even though the sky people were not supposed to mutilate the tree. Secondly, when the woman went to look into the hole that had been left after the husband had uprooted the roots for her. She was not afraid of what she would have seen while looking through that hole. Lastly, when the birds of the sea saw the woman falling from the sky, they decided to help her so that she could not fall into the ocean even though they had never seen a being like her before.

Another theme illustrated in the myth is that of courage. The little muskrat was able to bring earth from the bottom of the ocean even though it was very deep, and other animals had attempted to get the soil, but they had failed. The muskrat showed courage by doing what other animals had attempted to do and failed. Another argument that the author tries to bring out is that of conflict. The left hand and the right-hand twin despised each other. The right-hand twin hated the right-hand twin because he had killed their mother. Human beings are incapable of living without conflict. However, what matters is how we resolve the conflict.

“The World on the Turtle’s Back” is a well-known myth. It has many different characters who play vital roles. Some of the main characters in this story include the woman, the muskrat, the left-handed twin, the right-handed twin, and the turtle. Each of the characters is used to symbolize the different situations that we face daily. Therefore it is very easy to relate to this narrative. For instance, the woman’s curiosity to peek through the hole symbolizes curiosity and the need for change. This teaches us that we should be ready for change and be willing to accept and adapt to it when it comes.

Additionally, the way the muskrat was able to find the soil from the bottom of the ocean teaches us that we should not be afraid to try out things no matter how challenging they may seem. The story teaches us valuable life lessons that can be applied in day to day life. However, the weakness of this story is that it has unrealistic details such as birds coming together to carry the woman as she falls from the sky. In addition to that, the part where the woman circled the trees that she had planted on the turtle made no sense. The author, however, develops a character arc for the woman. The story shows how her curiosity made her fall from the sky to the ocean. While on the ocean, she found ways to survive and create life while on earth. It shows how she gradually adapted to change as the story goes.

The title of the story “The World on the Turtle’s back” is self-explanatory. It is a creation myth of the Iroquoian people. The story is easily relatable to our day to day life situations.

Part III

One of the most asked questions in history about the Iroquois people is, “How was the Iroquois League formed? “The Iroquoian community was comprised of six different native tribes; The Mohawk, Oneida, Cayuga, Onondaga, Seneca, and Tuscarora. In the early 1500s, these tribes were continuously at war with each other hence making them susceptible to being attacked by the neighboring tribe, the Algonquin. Distressed by the bloodshed, which was as a result of the bloodshed between the two communities, Deganawidah, a Huron, made peace and joined forces with Hiawatha, the Onondaga chief to put an end to the fighting. In the late 1500s, the tribes formed an Iroquois League. This was an alliance formed to promote peace and harmony between the different tribes and come to a truce with other nations. For the consecutive 200 years, the Iroquoians remained as the dominant native group and free of the French and British rule.

Through the Iroquois League, the different groups shared the same culture. They spoke similar languages, had the same beliefs and cultural practices. A household comprised of approximately 50 people, and there were 300 to 600 people who lived in one village. They chiefs governed the village and were advised by a council of male adults. The women’s duties were to gather fruits and vegetables, cook, and cultivate. Over time, the Iroquois nations disagreed whether or not to join the rebelling forces against the colonists or support Great Britain.

The Iroquois League was formed as a result of six different conflicting Native American tribes coming together. The tribes lived in harmony and shared the same cultural practices, beliefs, and customs until Great Britain colonized America.

Part IV

For this assignment, I was supposed to choose one of the primary sources provided and answer the questions given. To answer the questions, I chose the primary source “The World on the Turtle’s back,” which is the creation story for the Iroquoian people. After reading through the article, I tried to answer the questions to the best of my ability in all four sections. By reading the article, I learned that, like many other communities around the world, the Iroquois people have their own creation myth. The point that stood out is that most creation myths have some sort of similarity. The myths teach us some valuable lessons in life. Additionally, I gained more knowledge about American history, specifically about the Native American groups and how they formed the Iroquoian league.

Doing this assignment helped me get a better understanding of American History. The title of the primary source, “The World on the Turtle’s Back,” has a hidden meaning. Turtles are animals that are valued for their perseverance and long life. Furthermore, turtles are also associated with wisdom. The plants and trees that were planted on the back of the turtle were supposed to last a lifetime. In America, the native tribes were driven out of their homeland. However, to date, the Iroquois people still fight for recognition by the United States government.