The Quill-Work Girl and Her Seven Brothers

 

They say to reach for the stars, but what about becoming one?

 

Salutations, readers! Today's legend comes to us from the Cheyenne people. The Quill-Work Girl and Her Seven Brothers is a story about how things came to be. It's a good story, and it's a nice change of pace because it's not about love. Click the link above to read the story and continue with me below to analyze it.

It's interesting to me that no one seems to look too closely at how the girl knew about these seven boys and that she wanted to be their sister. Not only did she know about them, but the youngest knew about her too. I suppose the girl would have become a wise woman in time, if she'd stayed on earth. But what is this mysterious force that drew them together? She knew exactly what size they were to make them clothes. And she knew where they lived well enough to travel there by herself. The story could have been simpler if she had been their sister from birth, but the storytellers who passed this legend down felt it was important that she came from outside. It's interesting.

We also need to talk about this girl's mother. She didn't know why her daughter was making all of these clothes, but she kept her peace until her daughter spoke to her about it first. Her mother also didn't try to talk her out of any of it: making the clothes, traveling to an unknown place, and taking the boys there for her brothers. The mom had to know it was possible she'd never see her daughter again. But she didn't try to stop her daughter, she just went part of the way with her. Perhaps her mother was a wise woman and understood what her daughter was going through, even if she didn't know the details.

Many Native American legends have seven of things, like European stories tend to have three. So it's not surprising to me that there were seven brothers. Nor that the youngest was the one who had the special gift of "no touch". What did surprise me was that none of the brothers tried to marry this girl who wanted to be their sister. All of them immediately opened their home to her and agreed that she could be their sister. It's actually very sweet.

I was also impressed with how they refused to give her up to the buffalo nation, although not surprised. What did confuse me a little was why the buffalo nation wanted her so badly. Was it because of her skill at quill-work? Was it another reason? Perhaps it was fated that the buffalo nation would try to kidnap her and that's why some force decided that she needed to find these brothers and join them as their sister. You would think that since they were such great hunters that they would protect her that way, but really it was only the magic of the youngest brother that kept them all safe.

There's something to that. Violence is woven throughout this story. The brothers are all accomplished hunters. The buffalo nation threatens to kill the brothers, so they can drag the girl away. But the girl and the youngest brother, who are truly the main characters, don't engage in violence. The youngest brother doesn't go hunting. The girl makes beautiful clothes, cooks, and keeps house. And it is the youngest brother who saves the girl, not by violence, but by peacefully removing them from the buffalo's reach.

I hope it wasn't a harsh punishment for them, turning into stars and never returning to the ground again. I suppose the girl could look in on her parents from afar and see how they were doing. Maybe the brothers didn't have many other friends. They certainly didn't seem to live in a village. Or, maybe they got to hang out with the other constellations. That's what I'm going to think.

The moral of this story is: if you have a strange urge to adopt more family, go for it. Alternatively, if a group of buffalo is demanding that you go with them, it's best to have someone with magic on your side.

Have a different moral? Wondering why the buffalo never asked if the girl would visit instead of trying to kidnap her? Have a different story you'd like me to talk about? Comment below!