The idea of a metaphysical fall from divine grace is not solely a Judeo-Christian concept. The Ancient Tragedians conceive of the universe as inherently hostile to human life, a place of spiritual warfare forever sundering the human heart by conflicting impulses of good and evil. St. Paul's remark that "all have fallen short of the Glory of God"(Romans 3:23), mourns a lost glory that might have been. The Ojibway myth, like the Christian story, is a tale about sin, redemption, and hope.
Alienation From the Divine
In "The Indian that Became a Thunderbird", the human attempt to reunite with the divine power inevitably fails. St. Paul's essential point is that humanity is evil. Adam and Eve's transgression, in Genesis, alters human nature. Similarly, in the Ojibway story, a sinful humanity falls out of favour with their gods. The myth opens in a state of balance. There "lived seven North American Indian brothers...born without...parents...[who have] never seen a woman before"(New 26). The joyful arrival of the goddess Nimkey Banasik becomes the catalyst for humanity's tragic fall.
The eldest brother, Stone, shatters whatever happiness the goddess brings his family by attempting to murder her. His actions, representing humanity's worst qualities, imply that sinfulness alienates humanity from the divine. He "hates" Nimkey Banasik (Thunderbird Woman) and secretly despises her marriage to his brother, White Beaver. A violent and jealous man, Stone shoots "his sharpest arrow"(New 26) into "the hip of [the] woman [he hates]"(26). The thunderbird gods, in return for such malice, refuse to help humanity "[create] a great civilization"(New 27).
The Search for Paradise
White Beaver's attempt to find Nimkey Banasik echoes the allegorical longing for paradise. The reader is reminded of his benevolence. Favoured of the gods, he is"thankful" for "the blessings he [is] given"(New 26). By not taking revenge, White Beaver demonstrates a moral superiority over his foolish brother and the determination to avoid humanity's past sins. In recognizing his wife's divinity and the salvation she brings, White Beaver opts to "follow her"(New 27). The Ojibway myth addresses humanity's fallen nature by implying a code of conduct.
Divine Providence and the Rejection of Worldly Life
Many myths and legends require an individual to undergo a test of faith that represents the ultimate rejection of worldly life in favour of providence. To believe in the deity constitutes a willing submission to divine law. When reunited in paradise, Nimkey Banasik challenges her lover by asking, "why did you follow me?"(New 27). She tests the mettle of his belief and devotion. If he only says that he loves her, then he equates her with mortals. Replying as a suppliant should, he declares that "[she is] his life".
To reject the worldly existence is to believe in an eventual return to paradise. Nimkey Banasik is impressed with White Beaver. Her invitation to cross the threshold between heaven and earth is an acknowledgement. At his moment of godhood, White Beaver is called upon by the Thunderbird chief to "never return to earth"(New 28) but "become a thunderbird, to live up in the heavens forever"(28). It becomes his supreme act of faith in the gods' ability to redeem him.
The cycle of sin and absolution is one of the fundamental patterns of human life. All faiths share the hope of reconciliation with the divine power. To assume these concepts are solely Judeo-Christian in origin, is to deny the richness of the world oral tradition.
Works Cited
New, W.H. Ed. Canadian Short Fiction. 2nd ed. Scarborough: Prentice-Hall Inc, 1997.
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