Coyote (
Southwestern
Native Americans, but known in other areas as well) A
trickster, a
clown. The
creator and teacher of men. Like
Loki, Coyote is always lurking
about, causing trouble and playing pranks. To the
Zunis, Coyote is a hero who set forth the laws by which men may live in peace. The
Pomo Indians maintain that
Coyote created the human race and stole the sun to keep them warm. The
Montana Sioux say that Coyote created the horse.
The Chinook tell how Coyote and Eagle went to the land of the dead to bring back their dead wives. On reaching the land of the dead, they found a meeting lodge lit
only by the moon which lay on the floor. Every night an old woman would swallow the moon and the dead would appear in the meeting lodge. Recognizing their
wives among the spirits of the dead, the two gods devised a plan. The next day, after the old woman had vomited up the moon and the dead had disappeared,
Coyote built a huge wooden box and placed in it leaves of every kind of plant. Coyote and Eagle then killed the old woman, and Coyote donned her clothes. When
the time came, Coyote swallowed the moon. The dead appeared, but Eagle had placed the box outside the exit. When Coyote vomited up the moon, the dead filed
out and were trapped in the box. Coyote pleaded to be allowed to carry the box, and Eagle gave it to him. But Coyote couldn't wait to see his wife and opened the
box. The spirits of the dead rose up like a cloud and disappeared to the west. So it is that people must die forever, not like the plants which die in winter and are
green again in a season.
Ursula K. Le Guin has a great
short story about Coyote called "
Buffalo Gals Won't You Come Out Tonight?"
In
Mexico and the US if you are
trying to get into the US illegally a coyote is a person you can hire to
smuggle you across the US border. Not recommended, as they are
crooks as often as not.