Cave paintings

[Rosa Giovanno]

*pictures and audio files, heading

The Legend of Sky Woman
The Beginning
Underwater
Apple Tree
Looking Below
Help Them
Falling
Wonderment
Finding Earth
The Great Turtle
Swans
Twins
Laughter and Tears
Lighting the Sky
Growing
Mischief
Shadows
Harmful Things
The First Humans
Humanity
Stubbornness
The Challenge
Victory and Banishment
Evil Remnants
The End and Beyond

[Rosa Giovanno]

The Legend of the Sky Woman

[Rosa Giovanno]

The Beginning

In the first days of the world, the earth was covered with water. There was no light in the sky, neither sun at day nor moon at night.

[Rosa Giovanno]

Underwater

Under the surface lived the water animals. Loon, Kingfisher, Otter, Muskrat... they all lived in darkness.

[Rosa Giovanno]

Apple Tree

In the sky, the Great Spirit sat beneath the branches of a glowing apple tree with roots that sank into the clouds.

[Rosa Giovanno]

Looking Below

One day, the Great Spirit called to his daughter, the Sky Woman. He pulled up the tree so she could look down to the earth.

[Rosa Giovanno]

Help Them

"How can they live in such darkness and chaos?" asked the Sky Woman. The Great Spirit replied, "If you desire, you can bring them light and order."

[Rosa Giovanno]

Falling

The Great Spirit gathered up the Sky Woman in his hands and gently lowered her down. When he let go, she began to fall slowly towards the earth.

[Rosa Giovanno]

Wonderment

[Rosa Giovanno]

Finding Earth

All the animals dove as deep as they could to find land. None could hold their breath long enough until finally, Muskrat brought up a little bit of earth in his paws.

[Rosa Giovanno]

The Great Turtle

A great turtle arrived, and Muskrat put the earth on his back. The turtle grew and the earth multiplied until they became a great island, which men now call North America.

[Rosa Giovanno]

Swans

From beneath the water, the swans flew up to met The Sky Woman. They caught her and carefully set her down upon the new land.

[Rosa Giovanno]

Twins

The Sky Woman thanked the animals. "Now I can give this land spirit," she said. She then gave birth to twin sons.

[Rosa Giovanno]

Laughter and Tears

[Rosa Giovanno]

Lighting the Sky