Between the spider and the willow tree

The Osage tell tales that connect their culture and find meaning in the world. One myth says an elk threw himself into the water and created the earth.

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November 23, 2020 - 10:01 AM

In Osage mythology, an elk is responsible for making the earth. Photo by PIXABAY PHOTO

One day, an Osage chief was hunting in the forest, both for sustenance and for an image to inspire and guide his people.

After noticing the tracks of a giant buck, he whispered: “Grandfather Deer, I ask that you reveal yourself and affirm you are the symbol of my people.”

As the chief had become quite excited, he hurried less-than-carefully through the dense woods, his eyes fixed upon the ground. … until he ran smack into a gigantic spider web.

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