The Woman Who Fell From the Sky
Every civilization has a unique creation story. Certain ones, like that of the Iroquois, (also known as the Haudenosaunee*) weave a tale that speaks not only to the good but the shadow side in all of us.
If you’re wondering why a creation story would highlight the dark side of existence, read on. For it all begins with Sky Woman and a curious craving…
Back then, there was no Earth. The only world that existed was in the sky. It was there that Sky Woman spent her days perched in the clouds, preparing for the arrival of her unborn daughter. One day, tired from the demands of pregnancy, Sky Woman asked her husband to fetch her a snack. And not just any snack would do. Sky Woman craved a small root that only grew beneath the Great Tree, a sacred tree in the center of Sky World. At first, her husband resisted, but because he cared for his family’s well-being, he eventually gave into his wife’s pleas.
Anxious to taste the savory morsel, Sky Woman followed her husband to the Great Tree. He dug into the soil until he exposed a tangled web of roots along with something unexpected—a small hole.
But instead of darkness, light radiated from the opening. Curious as to what her husband had uncovered, Sky Woman bent down to get a better look. Mesmerized but what appeared to be a doorway to a new world, Sky Woman failed to notice that the hole was still growing. She was just about to ask her husband what they should do when she tripped over one of the Great Tree’s gnarled roots. Sky Woman flailed her arms, trying desperately to find a branch to steady herself. Just as she grabbed ahold of the very root that she craved, it broke off in her hand. She fell directly into the glowing cavity and plummeted into the unknown.
If it weren’t for two birds that spotted Sky Woman falling from the heavens, she most certainly would have perished upon hitting the wild oceans below. These birds (which some retellings claim were ducks) attached themselves to either side of Sky Woman, lending her their wings to slow her descent while she searched for a safe place to land.
But where was Sky Woman to go in a world made for sea creatures?
Unbeknownst to her, it was not only the birds that saw Sky Woman fall from the clouds. A sea turtle also witnessed the commotion and offered Sky Woman his back so that she could rest. Sky Woman was so grateful for the sea turtle’s generosity that she offered to plant the tiny root from the Great Tree as thanks. The sea turtle agreed but decided that they needed the muskrat to bring up some mud from the ocean floor. While the muskrat piled mud atop the sea turtle’s back, Sky Woman pulled a collection of leaves, twigs, and seeds from her clothes and hair. Over the next couple of days, she sowed and prayed, eventually creating a fertile land known as Turtle Island.
Shortly after Sky Woman arrived on Turtle Island, she gave birth to her daughter. Sky Woman introduced her child to the muskrat and showed her how to spread mud and care for plants. Over time, Turtle Island grew larger. More and more birds stopped by offering stories and treasures in return for a safe place to rest.
One day, when the winds were howling, and the sky looked particularly fierce, Sky Woman’s daughter was impregnated by the West Wind. The two women were ecstatic over the prospect of new life, especially when they discovered that it was not one, but two boys that she was carrying. But that joy was short-lived. It wasn’t long before the twins started quarreling in their mother’s stomach. The Right-Handed twin, who was considered the ‘good’ twin, wanted to be born the traditional way, whereas the Left-Handed or ‘bad’ twin had other plans.
As their due date approached, the Right-Handed twin ignored his brother’s threats and was born the way that nature intended. However, the Left-Handed twin refused to follow in his brother’s footsteps. He kicked and screamed until he emerged from his mother’s side—killing her in the process.
Despite this tragedy, Sky Woman loved her grandsons unconditionally. She buried her daughter among the plants and flowers just as she had done many years ago with the root of the Great Tree. Upon her death, Sky Woman’s daughter took on a new persona—the great Corn Mother. Corn, squash, and beans sprouted from her body, and tobacco from her heart, providing Sky Woman and her grandsons with an eternal source of nourishment.
As the boys grew into young men, their quarreling intensified. Tasked with creating all flora and fauna on Turtle Island, the twins strived to outdo one another. While the Right-Handed twin created waterfalls, flowers, and docile herbivores, the Left-Handed Twin created predators, poisonous plants, and deadly vortexes in the ocean. When the Right-Handed twin created humans, the Left-Handed twin intervened by introducing magick and alternative healing methods.
The twins were competitive, but their grandmother never interfered in their disputes. After all, Sky Woman understood that their aggressive nature was the source from which their power originated. One twin’s desire to outdo the other only pushed him deeper into his role as creator.
But one day, that ambition turned violent. During one of their seemingly regular fights, the Right-Handed twin grabbed a pair of antlers and thrust them at his brother. The Left-Handed twin was so stunned that he hardly felt the sharp points pierce his flesh. Before the injured brother had a chance to fight back, the once-saintly Right-Handed twin summoned all his might and flung him over the edge of the earth.
Sky Mother was enraged.
For the first time, she scolded the Right-Handed twin for his wickedness. Unable to process his wrongdoing, and possibly still intoxicated from his victory, the Right-Handed twin beheaded his grandmother. In a fit of rage, he tossed her head skyward, where it became trapped in the clouds and transformed into the moon. He dumped her body into the ocean, where it shattered into millions of pieces that would become all the fish in the sea.
Our story ends here, dear reader, but the spirits of the brothers live on. Legend says that when the Left-Handed twin flew off the edge of the earth, he landed in one of the lower realms. He rules the underworld along with the night skies while his brother, the ‘virtuous’ one, continues to care for the earth and the creatures that call it home.
And if you’re left wondering why the woman who fell from the sky allowed so much grief to permeate the world, don’t forget—light cannot illuminate without the dark, right decisions cannot exist without the wrong, and our blessings are amplified through suffering. The Iroquois believe that there are elements of love and evil in all humans. It’s up to each of us to find a balance, never allowing one side to rule the other.
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Scottish Witchcraft
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**This story has roots in various indigenous nations and varies slightly within each: The Iroquois, who are also known as the Haudenosaunee, the Oneida, Cayuga, Mohawk, Seneca, Onandaga, and Tuscarora.
