Coyote (mythology)

Many people tell stories about Coyote.

He is a character in old tales. He is often a trickster. Some stories say he is very smart. Other stories say he is foolish.

In some tales, he helps people. He might steal fire for them. He might even help make the world. These stories are found in many lands. They help people learn about life.

Many Indigenous cultures tell stories about Coyote.

He is a character based on the real animal. In these tales, Coyote is often a trickster. A trickster is someone who uses wit to play jokes. Some stories show him as a helpful hero. He might steal fire or the sun for people. In other tales, he can be a bad character. He might be foolish or act in ways that are wrong. These stories help people learn about right and wrong.

In some myths, Coyote helps make the world. A Maidu story says he sang with the Earth Maker. Together, they created the world. In a Miwok story, Coyote makes all the animals. He even helps decide how humans should be made. One story from the Chemehuevi says Coyote found the first horse. He found it after a sad event involving his grandson. In the Plateau area, many tribes also share Coyote stories. These tales can explain how things in nature began. For example, one story says his hair became a type of moss. These stories are very important to many different groups.

Many Indigenous cultures across North America share stories about a character named Coyote.

This character is based on the real coyote animal. He is often shown as a person with animal features. He might have fur, pointed ears, or yellow eyes. Some stories describe him as a sacred being with power to create. Other tales show him as a trickster who plays jokes. A trickster is someone who uses cleverness to get what they want. These stories help people understand the world around them. They also teach lessons about how to behave.

In many myths, Coyote plays a major role in how the world works.

A Maidu story says he sang with the Earth Maker to create the world. In another tale from the Miwok people, Coyote creates all the animals. He even holds a council to discuss how to make humans. Coyote wants humans to have their own wit and cunning. He destroys other models of humans so his own model comes to life. Some stories say he is a benefactor who helps people. He might steal fire or the sun from supernatural beings to give to humans.

Coyote's history is found in many different regions and tribal groups.

In California, many peoples like the Pomo and the Chumash tell his stories. In the Great Basin, the Paiute and Shoshone share his legends. The Plateau area includes tribes like the Nez Perce and the Yakama. In the Southwest, the Jicarilla Apache have traditions about him. The Tohono O'odham people of Arizona also include him in their stories. These different groups have many unique tales about his many different roles.

Some stories include very specific details about how things began.

A Chemehuevi myth explains how Coyote discovered the first horse. This story involves his grandson and two Sky-Down-feather-Brothers. In another tale, Coyote's hair becomes a type of lichen called wila. This happens in Secwepemc mythology after he tries to spin a web. A Chinookan story describes how Coyote learns to fish for salmon. These stories use Coyote to explain the origins of plants, animals, and even people.

Coyote's character helps explain the balance of the world.

He can be a hero, but he can also be foolish. Some stories show him making big mistakes that people can learn from. He can even be a character who brings evil or lies to the world. For example, a Maidu myth says he told the world's first lie. These stories are not just for fun. They help communities reinforce their moral codes and values. They show that even powerful beings can be tricky or wrong.

Coyote is a central mythological figure in many Indigenous cultures of North America.

Based on the coyote animal (*Canis latrans*), this character is often depicted as anthropomorphic. This means he has human-like qualities but retains animal features like fur, pointed ears, yellow eyes, and claws. Depending on the specific culture, Coyote can play many different roles. He might act as a divine creator with sacred powers. Alternatively, he often serves as a trickster who is both malevolent and comical. He can even embody both of these traits at once.

In various California traditions, Coyote's actions shape the very foundation of life.

For the Maidu people, Coyote worked alongside a primal being called Earth Maker. They sang together to create the world. However, after the world was finished, Coyote vowed to introduce evil and spoil it. Even when Earth Maker ordered people to destroy him, Coyote used supernatural trickery to survive. This interaction forced Earth Maker to recognize that Coyote's power was equal to his own. In other myths, Coyote acts as a benefactor. He is often credited with helping humans by stealing fire or the sun from supernatural beings who kept them for themselves.

Coyote also plays a vital role in explaining the origins of different species. In a Miwok myth, Coyote creates all animals and then organizes a council. The animals argued about which traits humans should possess. Coyote mocked them and destroyed all the other human models created by the animals. This ensured that only his model, which possessed wit and cunning, came to life. In some Secwepemc and Colville-Okanagan stories, Coyote's physical actions explain the existence of plants. For instance, after an attempt to spin a web like a spider, his hair became a lichen known as *wila*. In another tale, his hair became the hair moss lichen.

Detailed legends also trace the history of animals through Coyote's family. A Chemehuevi myth tells of how Coyote discovered the first horse. The story involves his grandson, who was transformed into a mountain sheep after staying in a cave. After the grandson was killed by the Sky-Down-feather-Brothers, Coyote and the Wolf devised a plan for revenge. They used a Black Spider to weave a web and a bird called Parotsokitapitsi to help. After the brothers were trapped and killed, the grandson was revived. Coyote eventually deduced that the youth had become a horse because of the grass eaten in the area.

The geographic reach of Coyote myths is vast and covers many distinct tribal groups. In California, he is featured by the Chumash, Pomo, Maidu, and many others. In the Great Basin, the Chemehuevi, Paiute, Shoshone, and Ute peoples tell his stories. The Plateau region includes the Nez Perce, Yakama, and Chinookan peoples. In the Southwest, the Jicarilla Apache and the Tohono O'odham have their own unique traditions. These diverse groups use the character to explain how the world transitioned from a place of only plants and animals to a world inhabited by humans.

Coyote's character often serves a social or moral purpose within these communities. Some stories portray him as an embodiment of bad behavior, such as a serial rapist. These tales used outrageous humor to highlight intolerable actions. By showing Coyote's mistakes, these stories helped reinforce the community's moral code. They provided examples of what not to do. Even in his more serious roles, such as the Navajo curing ceremony known as "Coyoteway," he is central. This ceremony aims to restore a patient's harmony with the world and bring back good health.

Ultimately, Coyote represents the complexity of the natural and spiritual worlds. He is a character of contradictions who can be both a creator and a destroyer. He can be a wise teacher or a foolish trickster who makes emblematic mistakes. Whether he is helping humans catch salmon or teaching the world's first lie, his presence is felt across many different landscapes. His stories connect the physical world of animals to the complex social world of humans. Through Coyote, Indigenous cultures explore the balance between order and chaos.