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.”