World Mythology
5/7/11
A Creation Story
By Victoria Jay
“Why do they do that mother?” “Do what? The sunflowers?”
Salhi nodded, as she ran her small hands through the soft yellow petals. Her gray eyes sparkled in the dying light as she looked up at me. “Why do they face the trees in the morning, and then bow to the mountains at night?” She twirled around, her light blue sun dress swaying in the breeze, “it’s just…They look so sad, like they’re lost, and cant’ get home.”
A soft smile played at my lips, I bent down so my head came up to her shoulders. My little girl turned and looked at me, rubbing her nose and leaving a streak of pollen on its tip.
“Would you like to hear a story?” I whispered, placing myself back on our blanket.
She nodded, her eyes lighting up at the prospect of another myth. She sat down next to me, curling up and resting her head on my lap. I sighed, turning my eyes upward to the speckled red sky, the last light of day just beginning to hide behind the cloak of night. I closed my eyes, remembering the myth my grandmother had told me years ago; the soft chirping of a Pine siskin floats through the cool air as I begin the story, the Senowee tale of why the sunflower follows the sun.

Why the Sunflower Follows the Sun
“Once, long ago in a place much different than our home, there lived a burning flame. Her name was Asishkawatz, and she was the mother sun. Now, Asishkawatz had seven children, six of who had extraordinary gifts. Sal, the eldest, had the voice of an angel. When she sang, the entire world was still; not even the buzzing of a grasshopper would dare disturb her song. Tocho was the second eldest and he was born with iron bones. It was said that he fought like ten men and that once he wrestled with the storm god Pillan and beat him with a single blow. There were also twins born to Asishkawatz, Satinka and Alwin. Satinka had more grace than a swan and danced like the music itself. Alwin had a sun tree flute, and the music he created was worthy of the gods. Yet all of these gifts seemed minor in contrast to the fifth child, a great beauty named Olathe. Her hair was said to be the color of love itself, her eyes were the epitome of longing. And any man or mortal human who looked upon her grace would fall madly in love. Yet the sixth child, Chu’a was a mighty hunter; he could run faster than a young buck and take down prey blindfolded and with a single arrow.
However, there was one child, the youngest of them all, who had no such gift. She was overshadowed by her siblings and ignored by all the sun people. Why should they bother noticing a person with no talent when her brothers and sisters had such mighty gifts? Maja was all alone. She had no friends, and no special ability that others could see. Now, Maja was a lovely and humble child. Despite all the abuse she suffered from being without talent, she controlled her emotions well.
She never had a bad word to say against anyone, not her sister Olathe who flaunted her beauty any chance she had. Or even Alwin, who would taunt her with his ballads, skipping around with his flute and throwing harps and drums at her. “Why don’t you play with me Maja?” He would cackle, perfectly imitating a mischievous crow. “Are you afraid you will make our ears bleed from your lack of musical talent? Pick up a harp and make music with me.” Maja would only smile and reply in her quiet, whisper of a voice, “One day brother, one day I will be the one with the last laugh.” At this he would only howl in jubilation and skip away, with his flute in hand and karma at his heels.”
I paused for a moment, rubbing my sore neck and glancing at the sky; it had become angry and blue, indigo swirls of powerful storm clouds were quickly gathering on the horizon. “Why don’t we finish our story at home sweetie?” I said, straightening up and folding our blanket. Salhi nodded, picking up the sunflowers we had picked from the darkening earth. Taking my hand she and I began our walk up the windy gravel path to our home. “Mamma?” she asked quietly, swinging our arms back and forth. “Yes?” “Why do you think that all the sun children were so mean to Maja? She never did anything to hurt them, did she?” She added quickly, her eyes suddenly filling with worry. “Well, I believe they were scared of her; I think they knew, that somewhere deep down, there was something more to her. A quality that made her special, just not in the obvious way they were.” Salhi nodded, “Can you tell me the rest of the story? I want to know what Maja does.” She skipped ahead, hopping up our old wooden stairs and holding the door ajar for me. Walking in, I lit our table candle and held it close to my face, “Are you sure you want to hear the rest of the myth? It only gets darker from here.” I breathed in a husky voice, walking towards her. Salhi giggled and ran over to the fireplace; the last of the coals still dwindling away in the hearth. We sat back onto our tattered cotton quilt, the edges unraveling from long nights of storytelling and laughter. I cleared my throat and began again, the first clap of thunder ringing through the air.
“One day, Maja was out wandering through the golden fields of her home, thinking about her brothers and sisters and their gifts. “ I wish I had a mighty talent.” She admitted to herself as she sat down by a bubbling stream that wove through the hills and valleys. With a small pop and a blinding light the god Agsha appeared, as tall as an oak tree he towered over Maja and smiled a wolfish grin. “Whatever is the matter dear? Are you not happy with something? Is your life not as fulfilling as you wish?” “Yes that is how I feel.” Maja sighed standing to address the god. “I have nothing. All of my brothers and sisters have great talents, gifts that people notice and enjoy every single day. I want that feeling so badly it hurts; I deserve to be special as well.” “Than what are you waiting for? You will not get what you want by simply waiting around for a chance that you might get something. If you want something you have to take it! Take the talent that is rightfully yours Maja!” “But how do I do that? How to I take their talents?” Agsha smiled and leaned in close, “You must take their light. Each one possesses a flame that is the source of all their gifts. If you steal that away, you will be great.” The god’s eyes twinkled mischievously. “You will be more beautiful than Olathe, dance like the wind and leave Satinka in the dust; you will be able to create music such as this world has never heard. Music fit for the land of the gods. “But how will I take it? They are always surrounded by admirers; I could never get close enough without being caught.”
Agsha reached into his silken coat pocket and pulled out a small, silver vial. He held it out to Maja, “This is a sacred elixir made from a doe’s tears, sap from a sun tree, and the left ear of a dying mortal. One drop of this in their evening mead and they will fall into an enchanted sleep.”
Maja closed her hand around the elixir, felt heat emanating from its contents and took a deep breath, preparing herself for what she was about to do. Maja dipped her head, bowing low to the god in respect. “I thank you great one, now I will be the most talented and admired sun child in these lands.” She then turned on her heels and began her journey home.
“Wait!” Agsha cried. “I must tell you, the elixir will cease to work at the first thought of remorse. If, even for a moment, you regret your decision, your brothers and sisters will wake and all the people of this land will know of your treachery.” And with a twirl of cloth the god was gone as suddenly as he had appeared.
That night Maja snuck into the kitchens before supper and emptied the contents of the vial into the jug of mead. Pocketing the now empty glass she crept back through the kitchen and took her place at the table. Her siblings entered with their mother, all laughing at some witty comment from Alwin. They took their places and ate dinner, not once suspecting that something was wrong.
“I think I shall retire now mother.” Satinka said, standing up and kissing Asishkawatz on the cheek.
“I think I will join you sister.” Sal replied also standing.
Within a few moments all her siblings were up, yawning and saying good night to each other. Maja sat at the table for a few moments longer listening until she could no longer hear their footsteps in the hall. Then she stood, bade her mother good night and went to her chamber.
The moon shone high in the sky, its rays dappling the opal halls as Maja snuck into her sibling’s bed chamber. As quietly as possible, Maja went to Sal’s bed and pulled out some twine, a needle and a small dagger. Without even a slight hesitation, she raised the knife and punctured her sister’s soft flesh; splattering her in crimson blood, Sal’s life source painting the pale bed sheets with betrayal. She made a slit in her sister’s throat and pulled out her vocal cord, the very source of her light, her song. Maja placed the light in a leather pouch at her side and using the needle and twine, stitched up her sisters wound. Next she went to Tocho; she tied him in his blanket and dragged him across the floor, tossing his sleeping body into the smoldering hearth. After a few moments she scraped apart his smoldering flesh and took his bones, placing them with Sal’s light.
She then took Satinka and Alwin’s light; she stole Satinkas dancing slippers and Alwin’s magic flute. She cut away Olathe’s silken hair and took out her eyes; lastly, Maja went to her brother Chu’a and with envy still burning strong within her, cut off his legs without a second thought and added them to her bag. Now that she had all her siblings light, she left the bedchamber with a smile playing at her lips. Now I will be the greatest and most admired child of the sun, everyone will bow before me and cower at my mighty gifts.”
I paused for effect, monitoring the reaction of my audience. Salhi’s eyes were as big as saucers, her little hands tightly clutching our cat Tia who had been unfortunate enough to wander over.
“Then what happened.” She whispered inching forward on the blanket and hugging Tia closer. Tia’s eyes were thin slits as she squirmed and struggled to get free. I took Tia, afraid that Salhi might suffocate her on accident.
“She ran into something that she did not expect, a feeling she was not prepared for.” I said as I stroked Tia’s ruffled fur until she began to calm down.
“Maja had almost reached the door and would have been able to use her brother and sisters gifts; she might even have turned out to be the admired and powerful person she so longed for. But she never made it outside. She was stopped short in her tracks by her mother, who had been sitting in a chair by the fire, quietly reading an old scroll.
Asiskawatz lifted her head and gazed at her youngest child. She said nothing, her golden eyes filled with tears and her silence speaking more powerfully than any words. And that is when Maja felt it, a tight aching pain in the pit of her stomach, slowing building until her entire being was shaking from the feeling. She felt Remorse.
She regretted what she had done, oh how she wished she could turn back the hands of time and say no to the god’s offer of help. If only life could have gone on as before, the taunting of her siblings was something she would gladly return to. Maja dropped the bag and fell to her knees, tears spilling from her eyes and flowing to her mother’s feet.
“Because of the treachery you have committed, you are no longer welcome here in the Golden World. You tried to take what was not yours; wounding those you love for your own vain thoughts.’
“But I had nothing!” Maja wailed, turning her burning eyes to her mother, “I was nobody, I had no special gift or great talent, I was abused by my family and overlooked by even you mother!”
Asishkawatz turned her back on her child and said in a soft voice, “You were special Maja; you had strength, a good heart. I loved you more than the world because you did not try to be someone you were not. You accepted who you were and took all the insults and taunting from your siblings with dignity. Yet now, I cannot bear the sight of you, you have shamed me Maja, you have let me down and what is worse, you have let yourself down as well.” I looked up at my daughter, my sweet and beautiful child and finished the last of the myth. “With those last words Asishkawatz cast Maja down to our earth and that is where she was doomed to stay for eternity as sunflower. From that day on, Maja was forced to watch the sun’s passage through the heavens every day; wishing that she could return to the Golden World and be reunited with her family. Wishing that she had not let her own vanity and the words of others blind her from what is really important; her family’s trust and a true and open heart.”