The Dawn of the World: Myths and Tales of the Miwok Indians of California [Paperback]

C. Hart Merriam (Author), Lowell J. Bean (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1993

The stories collected in The Dawn of the World were related by the Miwok elders "after the first rains of the winter season, usually in the ceremonial roundhouse and always at night by the dim light of a flickering fire. They constitute the religious history of the tribe, and from time immemorial have been handed down by word of mouth," writes C. Hart Merriam. Included are creation myths and accounts of the First People, beings who antedated humans, as well as tales about animals, death and ghosts, witches and giants, and natural phenomena.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Turn-of-the-century scientist Merriam collected these legends from central California's Miwok indians.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

The Dawn of the World, one of the great classics in American Indian oral literature, was collected from Miwok Indian peoples at the turn of the century by a natural scientist. C. Hart Merriam, famous in biology as well as anthropology, heard these myths and legends of the Miwok Indians of central California at a time when original cultural memories could still be recounted. This book provides the reader with a special view of their world—of the cultural and philosophical ways of the ancestors of today''s Miwok Indian peoples. Until now rare and hard to find, it is to he enjoyed and used by peoples of many cultures."—Lowell J. Bean

(Lowell J. Bean ) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 273 pages
• Publisher: University of Nebraska Press (March 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803281935
• ISBN-13: 978-0803281936
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,361,997 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An good book concerning myth from Native California, May 18, 2003

By 

Erick J. Regalado (Fresno, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Dawn of the World: Myths and Tales of the Miwok Indians of California (Paperback)

Presented within a collection of stories given by American Indians all throughout California detailing the time of the First People (half human/animal gods) when the world was dark and cold, or after the time of a great flood to when the First People created People and reverted to animal form.

There are many common themes in most of the world's mythology and you'll find them here as well: a Great Flood, Giants who ate people (like the Nephilim of the Bible [Genesis 6]), the theft of fire (like a certain Greek myth...), and various accounts of the creation of humanity.

A very simple book, a simple collection, but very effective story telling, Dawn of the World is good for those wanting to look at what our ancestors knew about the world.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars These are really Yokut Indian Legends and NOT Miwok., December 25, 2005

By 

Walter - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Dawn of the World: Myths and Tales of the Miwok Indians of California (Paperback)

Concerning this book about "Miwok" Tales. This quote below was taken from Handbook of the Yokut Indians by Frank Latta concerning the "Miwok" tales:

"One very definte evidence that the Yokuts occupied the entire Delta Area is the series of folklore stores recorded by Dr. C. Hart Merriam, published in book form in 1910 and titled "THE DAWN OF THE WORLD". A number of these stories were obtained from self-styled Mewalk informants. But, with the exception of Mewalk names for the mythological characters, the accounts ARE AS IDENTICAL with the Yokuts accounts as variant Yokuts statements are among themselves. I recorded an identical myth (see Dawn of the World, page 45) from George Rivercomb, half blooded Chuckhansi Yokuts, who credited it to Chowchilla Yokuts of the Lower Chowchilla and Fresno Rivers.

In the 1930s, when I interviewed Dr. Merriam at his summer home near Lagunitas, this state, we discussed this at length. He had studied the area more and had CHANGED HIS OPINION AS TO THE RANGE OF THE YOKUTS and was more of the opinion of Drs. A. L. Kroeber and J. P. Harrington, who attributed THE ENTIRE Delta area to the Yokuts.

Also, Merriam, 1910, 67 in his "BIRTH OF WEK-WEK AND THE CREATION OF MAN", gives more definate evidence. This last was credited to a "Hool-poom-ne Mewuk" tribe. DEFINITELY, THIS WAS A YOKUTS TRIBE.

Merriam placed the creation center of the Hool-poom-ne (Hulpumne) and the home of the Creator, Mol-luk (Condor), ON MOUNT DIABLO (Oo-yum Be-le). Exept for the fact that Merriam's "MEWUK" informants used Mewalk names for the principal characters, THIS IS A STOCK YOKUTS STORY.

Other Merriam accounts of folklore along the Sierra foothills WERE INVOLVED IN THE SAME TRIBAL MIXUP...."


This was page on 89 and 90 of Mr. Latta's book, which means that "Miwok" stories and myths are really Yokut stories and NOT Miwok.

It seems that C. Hart Merriam who wrote those "Miwok" tales conceded to Frank Latta that he had been mistaken and that the "Miwok" he wrote about were really Yokut tales.

Merriam is the same guy who wrote the Miwok place names of Yosemite. It seems he was getting the wrong information and conceded this to Frank Latta the author of the Handbook of the Yokuts.

These Yokut tales actually came from over 200 miles aways from western San Joaquin Valley when Yokuts were rounded up and forced to the eastern foothills.

So interestingly the "Miwok" Legends are NOT Miwok, but they are really YOKUT TALES.