Myth & Culture
What is one main purpose of the Iroquois creation myth?
To explain how the natural world came to be.
What animal carries the woman and eventually supports the new world?
The turtle.
Complete the idea: The twins represent a balance between ______ and ______.
Good and evil.
In the story, quiver is used to describe trembling. What does quiver mean?
To shake with a small, quick motion.
What happens first: the woman falls through the hole in the sky OR the twins are born?
The woman falls through the hole in the sky.
The animals helping the woman after she falls from the Sky-World shows that nature is ________ to Iroquois culture.
Important / valuable.
Which small animal successfully brings dirt up from the bottom of the ocean?
The muskrat.
How do the twins' different actions develop the theme of balance?
Their opposite actions show that opposing forces exist together in the world.
If someone is doctoring another person's injury, what are they doing?
Healing or treating the injury.
What happens first: the muskrat retrieves dirt OR the twins are born?
The muskrat retrieves dirt.
Why are the right-handed and left-handed twins both important to the myth?
They represent different or opposing sides of human nature.
What character trait does the muskrat demonstrate by attempting a task that the other animals could not complete?
Perseverance / determination / stamina.
Why does the left-handed twin continue to exist even after the right-handed twin defeats him?
Because evil/darkness cannot be completely eliminated from the world.
The word quiver has several meanings. What should you use to determine the correct meaning in the story?
Context clues / how the word is used in the sentence or paragraph.
: Put these events in order: twins are born - woman falls from the sky - muskrat retrieves dirt.
Woman falls from the sky -> muskrat retrieves dirt -> twins are born.
The Iroquois honor the right-handed twin during the day and the left-handed twin at night. What idea does this support?
The world contains opposing forces that exist together / a balance between good and evil.
Which twin is generally associated with creation, light, and order?
The right-handed twin.
What does the story suggest by showing that BOTH twins continue to be honored?
Both opposing forces are part of the world and must exist together.
If a dictionary lists four definitions for a word, should you automatically choose Definition 1?
No. Choose the definition that fits the context.
Put these events in order: right-handed twin kills grandmother - twins are born - twins decide to duel.
Twins are born -> right-handed twin kills grandmother -> twins decide to duel.
What do the twins' opposing actions help explain about the Iroquois view of the world?
The world is made of opposing forces, such as good and evil, light and darkness, or creation and destruction.
Which twin is generally associated with darkness, destruction, and disorder?
The left-handed twin.
The right-handed twin is usually connected with goodness, but he kills his grandmother. What larger idea does this support?
People/characters are not completely good or completely evil; human nature is complex.
What does it mean to use context to determine a word's meaning?
Use the surrounding words, sentences, and events to figure out which definition makes sense.
Put all five events in order: twins duel, woman falls from sky, muskrat retrieves dirt, twins are born, right-handed twin kills grandmother.
1. Woman falls from the sky; 2. Muskrat retrieves dirt; 3. Twins are born; 4. Right-handed twin kills grandmother; 5. Twins decide to duel.