[1. "North Americans of Antiquity," p. 499.]
{p. 266}
Sanchoniathon, from the other side of the world, tells us, in the Phœnician legends (see page 209, ante), that first came chaos, and out of chaos was generated môt or mud.
In the Miztec (American) legends (see page 214, ante), we are told that in the Age of Darkness there was "nothing but mud and slime on all the face of the earth."
In the Quiche legends we are told that the first men were destroyed by fire and pitch from heaven.
In the Quiche legends we also have many allusions to the wet and muddy condition of the earth before the returning sun dried it up.
In the legends of the North American Indians we read that the earth was covered with great heaps of ashes; doubtless the fine, dry powder of the clay looked like ashes before the water fell upon it.
There is another curious fact to be considered in connection with these legends--that the calamity seems to have brought with it some compensating wealth.
Thus we find Beowulf, when destroyed by the midnight monster, rejoicing to think that his people would receive a treasure, a fortune by the monster's death.
Hence we have a whole mass of legends wherein a dragon or great serpent is associated with a precious horde of gold or jewels.