I once heard that the Native Americans believed that at one time humans could talk to animals. I love this because it makes a lot of sense to me. Is this a real belief and if so what tribe believed it?
2007-09-20 09:41:19 · 13 answers · asked by booger1922 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Mythology & Folklore
Many tribes have myths in which humans and animals could communicate with each other. For example, among the Menominee of Wisconsin, their creation myth explains that Creator turned a bear into a human. The human then called to Eagle flying overhead and asked him to come down and be his brother. The eagle came down and was also turned into a human. The two humans (once bear and eagle) continued to walk. . . and as they met different animals (wolf, crane, beaver, etc), they were asked to join them and become human. These animals are the origins of the clan system among the Menominee.
The Ojibwa have a story explaining that originally all humans could communicate with animals and vice versa. One human betrayed an animal, and ever since humans have been unable to understand the animals (although the animals still understand the humans).
Both the Menominee and Ojibwa have stories about people who have been gifted with the ability to understand, not only what animals are saying, but what trees and even thunder is saying. This belief has been well documented by anthropologists. For example, Irving Hallowell, in his work among the Ojibwa observed an older couple taking "instructions" from the thunder. At one point the older man became distracted and asked his wife "did you catch that?"
2007-09-20 12:56:41 · answer #1 · answered by lightningelemental 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I too have heard this. I think it comes from many tribes, but I can't give any specifics. And, medicine men still go into trance and talk to animal spirits. I've actually had an experience where a rabbit came by while I was meditating. Suddenly the world blurred and it became Rabbit (the embodying spirit of all rabbits). It had wisdom for me. Then everything went back to normal and it was just a rabbit again. It was one of the most beautiful experiences I have ever had.
I think the Native Americans had a lot more things right religiously than anyone gave them credit for.
2007-09-20 10:35:06 · answer #2 · answered by Cat 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I had recently read a story called "The World on the Turtle's Back" in my Literature class. Before the earth was the sky kingdom where supernatural beings lived, and in the center of this place was a tree with many fruits and leaves. A pregnant woman went to dig under this sacred tree, fell through the sky, and down to the endless ocean. There she could talk to sea birds, who gently glided her down, and, of course, the turtle on which she made the earth. Eventually she had grandchildren who made new animals, like mountain lions, deer and eventually human. The supernatural woman could talk to the animals, but I'm not positive if the humans could. This story comes from the Iroquois.
2007-09-20 11:57:33 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Many tribes beleive some variation of this. Mnay beleived that the gods and creators of the earth were animals. Check out this book for more stories. It gives you the origin of each story.
American Indian Myths and Legends (Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library) by Richard Erdoes and Alfonso Ortiz (Paperback - Aug 12, 1985)
2007-09-20 09:45:48 · answer #4 · answered by jenhunter 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Your question asks about something that we don't talk openly about. Our spirituality is quite personal and every one of us is different. It is true that we (meaning Native Americans in general) believe that certain animals were messengers from the Creator. So of course we could and can talk to them. But that's about all I can say without getting into things that you wouldn't understand or believe for that matter....
2007-09-20 14:18:09 · answer #5 · answered by Coolrogue 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yes it is true. I know the Cherokee believed that the animals spoke with man. Mony of the old members of the tribe still hold to many of these beliefs, but the influx of Christianity has all but eliminated these stories.
2007-09-20 09:53:55 · answer #6 · answered by tempest_twilight2003 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
i'm a close-by American of Lakota Sioux descent. real, our faith is very resembling the Christian faith; Catholic, fairly. We have faith in an more advantageous means it is one and the comparable with the Christian God yet merely called by employing a diferent call. we don't have faith that each and each single solitary ingredient has a spirit: we've faith that earth as an entire, mountains as an entire, water as an entire, etc etc, has a spirit. we've faith that each and each animal has a character and a spirit, and in my tribe while infants attain the age of 12 (the age of expertise) they're assigned oone of those animals as a totem ( form of like what they may well be in the event that they have been an animal) and a spirit handbook (the path of the animal that they theselves would desire to stay with). wish this facilitates. for greater concepts, e mail me. Oh, and FYI, my totem is the Wolf and my spirit handbook is the raven.
2016-10-09 13:21:22 · answer #7 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Native American Culture was very in tune with nature and animals because their survival depended on it.
2007-09-20 13:42:42 · answer #8 · answered by Fae 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
many tribes believe in that.
it is a real belief. and some can still do it today.
2007-09-20 11:22:07 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have heard that too, but I don't know which tribe the legend came from.
2007-09-20 09:45:44 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋