Myth Summaries
How Man Got Fire by Susan Bennett
Obassi Osaw made all things on Earth, but he did not give fire to man. The people on earth huddled together for warmth and complained that Obassi Osaw was cruel to put them on the earth and not give them a means of keeping themselves warm.
The village chief went to the god and pleaded with him for fire, but was denied. The chief then sent his youngest son, but Obassi Osaw refused him too. The boy, determined to get fire for the people and to please his father made a third journey to the compound of Obassi Osaw, this time he would steal it, if necessary.
That night when Obassi Osaw called to his wife to bring him the lamp, she was busy with something else and asked the boy to light the lamp and take it in to her husband. The boy used a long, slender stick to light the lamp which he wrapped in leaves so that it wouldn’t burn Out, and hid it in the folds of his clothes. He was able to hide the stick outside of the compound until it was time for him to leave.
When all was quiet, the boy crept outside, took the stick from the brush where he had hidden it and ran until he reached earth. He pulled the leaves from the burning stick and showed the people how to use fire.
Obassi awoke to find smoke coming from the earth. Immediately, he sent his eldest son, Akpan to earth to find if the boy had stolen fire. The boy confessed.
Because he had walked to heaven, took the fire and walked back to earth, the boy would always walk as one who was burned, not straight and proud but lame. And so it has been, lame boy cannot walk.
The Origin of Fire by Ella E Clark
Fire belonged to the Great Power and was kept in great black bags in the sky. The Nimipu Indian could see fire in the sky, but they had none with which they could cook their foods or warm themselves. The people longed for fire. The medicine men beat their drums, but fire did not come down from the sky.
A young boy noticed that each time the two great black bags came together, there was a crashing and tearing sound and fire sparkled in the sky. He decided that he would get fire for his people. The medicine men laughed, but the boy did get fire. With his best bow and arrow, he hit the great black bag and brought fire down from the clouds.
When the burning arrow fell to the earth, it struck his favorite shell, which he had placed on the ground and there started a small flame. The people quickly lit fires in the center of their tipis and there it remained as a blessing to every home.
When the excitement died down, the people noticed that the boy was nowhere to be found, but on the ground lay his shell, burned so that it showed the colors of fire. The boy was never seen again.
Prometheus Brings Fire to Man by Barbara Drake
The men of the silver age had been destroyed in the great flood that was sent by the god, Zeus. The new race of men that had been created by Prometheus suffered greatly from the cold. They complained that someone would create them and leave them to lead such miserable lives.
Zeus declared that these men were more disagreeable than the race of men that had been destroyed in the flood. Prometheus knew that Zeus would destroy these men too, if something were not done to make their lives better. He thought of giving them the gift of fire. This would allow them to warm themselves, cook their, food and forge metal for tools and weapons. They could make light at night, so that their world would not seem so dreary and dark. Prometheus made his plans secretly, since he knew that Zeus would never agree to give man fire. It had been decreed that only the gods should have fire.
Prometheus gave one last look at his home, Mount Olympus, for he knew that he would never be allowed to return, once Zeus learned of what he had done. He broke from the sun, a fragment of glowing coal , and hiding it in the hollow of a giant fennel’s talk, Prometheus carried it down to earth and showed man how to use it
Zeus was very angry. He ordered Prometheus seized and chained to a cliff where a vulture was sent to pick at his liver all day long. Each night Prometheus’ liver grew back, and there was no end to his suffering.
Opossum Steals Fire by Pablo Guerrero
An old, but fearless Mexican Woman managed to get fire when it scarcely had become separated from the stars. She went to where it had fallen, got it and kept it for a long time. The people of the village thought that fire should be for everyone and begged the woman to share with them. She would not share.
Much time had passed. Since they had suffered so badly from the cold and from eating raw meats, Opossum made a promise to the people to get fire for them, if they in turn promised never to eat him. Everyone made fun of him, but that evening, Opossum brought fire to the village just as he had promised.
Opossum was able to convince Lady Fire that he was very cold. Fire thought that he would die unless he could warm himself by her fire. He got close enough to the fire so that his tail caught fire and he ran into the village sharing fire with the people along the way.
That is why Opossums today have bald tails.