WIND AND THUNDER
For ages the reverence and enthusiasm of primitive men have been given to elemental heroes, and they are given them yet by every tribe which preserves its ancient beliefs and ideas.
Fortunately we know all of the characters in this story of the elements.
Tcûskai, who represents spring, thought that he could cut off North Wind’s head. When Wind put his head out Tcûskai died.
Tskel killed South Wind, made a cap of his skin, put it on and went to North Wind’s house and killed him.
Since the death of North Wind and South Wind the wind that comes from the south is South Wind’s spirit, and the wind that comes from the north is North Wind’s spirit.
The Warm Spring Indians of Oregon have a beautiful myth about the Southwest Wind brothers and the Northeast Wind brothers and their sister, Tekstye. When Southwest Wind had killed Tekstye’s brothers she ran away. Southwest Wind overtook her just as she reached a river; he struck her and she fell into the water. Then he said: “You’ll no longer be a person and freeze people. You can blow once in a while, then I will come and overpower you. Rain will be your enemy, too. You will blow and freeze up everything, then he and I will come, we will thaw out the ground, warm it up, and make it green and beautiful.”