Sacred Texts Native American California Index Previous Next
In addition to the Ancient Myths or FIRST PEOPLE stories, which relate to the early history of the world, the Mewan tribes have numerous beliefs concerning the present and the very recent past. Some of these--mainly fragments or outlines, but covering a wide range of subjects--have been collected from nearly all the extant tribes and are here brought together. They are arranged under the following headings: Beliefs concerning Animals; Beliefs concerning Ghosts and the Sign of Death; Beliefs concerning Natural Phenomena; Beliefs concerning Witches, Pigmies, Giants, and other Fabulous Beings.