Sacred Texts Native American Southeast Index Previous Next
(Tuggle collection)
The people were on the warpath. They wished to select a place at which to fight. They saw a large rock and decided to fight standing on that.
An old warrior said: "It is no rock. An evil spirit has blinded your eyes. That is the Big Terrapin," but the warriors called him a coward and told him to go back and sit with the women.
They ascended the rock, but soon it began to move. They became alarmed and tried to descend, but found that their feet were fastened.
The Big Terrapin crawled into the sea and drowned the warriors.
The old warrior returned and told of the fate of his comrades, but no one believed him. He said, "Come and see the trail of the Big Terrapin leading into the sea."
They followed him and traced the trail to the sea. Then they sent for the medicine man, who made medicine and began to blow and sing.
Soon the frogs came out of the sea. He made the medicine stronger, and, while he was blowing, the little terrapins came out of
the sea. He made the medicine still stronger, and as he blew and sang a great noise was heard in the sea and out came the Big Terrapin. They built a pen of logs, caught him, and burned him up.