The Woman Who Fell From The Sky is a creation story that is passed down through the Iroquois ( Mohawk) tribe. Iroquois tribes lived in central & upstate New York, as well as, parts of Canada. There society was matrillineal, meaning women were the heads of the families. Women owned property which remained in her control once she was married. The husband moved with his wife's family after marriage. Also, social status was inherited through the mother's family. The story takes place in the realm of the gods. The woman is symbolic to mother nature or the start of creation on earth. She's directed by her deceased father, in a dream, to marry a man without consulting her mother. The man puts her through several tests of endurance before marrying her. After some time, she is impregnated by a tree of light. He becomes ill and is advised to uproot the tree of light and convince her to jump down the hole and replant the tree. He does so. She jumps down into the hole and into a whole new world.
I enjoyed this piece because it gives a glimpse into the Iroquois' society while giving an explanation to creation of life on earth. The series of events happened because she listened to her father and not her mother. This story could have been used as a way to scare other Iroquois girls into heeding their mother's instructions more than fathers. Also this hole she jumps in symbolizes the sky. At the time of her jumping she was pregnant. This explains how the human race gets to earth. It is interesting how people so long ago rationalized our existence.
Taelor Young
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