A Coyote ReaderUniversity of California Press, 1993 M03 10 - 202 pages Wily, raunchy, and heroic. A trickster, lecher, and supreme survivor. Such is the magical Coyote, that mythic Native American figure whose various roles are recounted here in a wonderful selection of poetry and stories. Anthropological linguist William Bright brings together diverse portraits of Coyote from American Indian texts and modern American writing. Because Native American myths have been recited and transmitted orally, Bright addresses the special problem of converting them into written stories. His familiarity with the native languages gives his retranslations a liveliness that conveys their original vitality. The collection also includes poetic translations and original works by important contemporary writers Leslie Silko, Gary Snyder, Wendy Rose, Peter Blue Cloud, and Simon Ortiz, along with the voice of an earlier American author—Mark Twain. We see how the figure of Coyote serves both to entertain and to instruct and, by his similarities to the actual biological coyote, provides a link between culture and nature. At the same time, since he embodies distinctive characteristics of Homo sapiens, Coyote also reflects many aspects of human nature. Bright places each tale in relation to the larger Native American context and shows Coyote's affinities with classic mythological figures and popular cultural images such as Bugs Bunny. Filled with humor and at times disturbing, Coyote's tales mirror the human condition across time and cultures. |
Contents
COYOTE IN ENGLISH LITERATURE 6 | 2 |
THE MYTHIC BACKGROUND | 19 |
COYOTE THE BRICOLEUR | 35 |
COYOTE THE GLUTTON | 56 |
COYOTE THE LECHER | 65 |
COYOTE THE THIEF | 84 |
COYOTE THE OUTLAW | 92 |
COYOTE THE SPOILER | 105 |
COYOTE THE LOSER | 121 |
COYOTE THE CLOWN | 131 |
COYOTE THE PRAGMATIST | 139 |
COYOTE THE HORNY OLD MAN | 146 |
COYOTE THE SURVIVOR | 152 |
THE ONCE AND FUTURE COYOTE | 177 |
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Common terms and phrases
acorn Adapted American Indian Anglo animals asshole Ba'ts'oosee Badger Bekoff Berkeley Berry Feast biological BRICOLEUR California Canis latrans coming Cottontail Coyote stories Coyote Woman Coyote's Journal culture Cupeño dancing daughter death Dell Hymes Dennis Tedlock ethnopoetic Excerpt feathers fingers fire floated frybread Gary Snyder Golizhi human hunting deer Hymes Jarold Ramsey killed Klamath Klamath Falls Klamath River linguists literature living Lizard looked lore Ma'i measured verse myth narratives Native American Navajo night North America Old Beaver Old Coyote Old Man Coyote oral Paiute Peter Blue Cloud Peter Coyote poetry poets prairie dogs Press pretty Ricketts river Ryden salmon Saucy Duckfeather Simon Ortiz singing stick survivor sweathouse taboos tail Tedlock tell texts things thought Toelken Told in Karuk took traditions Translated with WILLIAM trickster trickster figure upriver Wendy Rose West Western WILLIAM BRIGHT women Yellowman young Coyote