The Five Brothers of Látkakáwas
"The Five Brothers of Látkakáwas" is a Native American myth collected by Jeremiah Curtin that follows an interconnected set of supernatural events set in motion when Látkakáwas departs for Kumush's sweat-house, leaving her five brothers to travel eastward toward a mourning village. In that village live three orphaned Naulintc siblings: an elder sister, a younger sister named Lĭsgaga, and a small boy named Gáukos. When Gáukos cries from fear at the arrival of the five brothers, his contemptuous elder sister throws him out of the house and mockingly tells him to seek power from the earth and the mountain ponds called gauwams. Rather than being destroyed, Gáukos accepts the challenge. With each step he takes along the trail into the ravine and up the other side, he grows larger and stronger, singing a song about having been cast out and given to the earth. By the time Lĭsgaga watches him crest the far ridge, he has become a full-grown man shining with supernatural brightness. Gáukos returns bearing gifts: a magnificent beaded buckskin dress for the faithful Lĭsgaga and a lesser dress for the elder sister who scorned him. He distributes the gifts pointedly, making clear that Lĭsgaga's loyalty is honored while the elder sister's cruelty is acknowledged but not rewarded. The elder sister, recognizing Gáukos's newfound power and beauty, attempts to seduce him, going so far as to secretly tie strands of her hair to his while he sleeps. Understanding that she is beginning to transform into a man-eating monster, Gáukos slips away at night, warning Lĭsgaga to remain safe by staying behind while he flees eastward. A series of supernatural refuges and rescues follows as Gáukos races ahead of his cannibalistic sister. Two wise old women transform him into a baby to conceal him, then release him once his sister falls into a magically induced sleep. He next takes shelter in the house of Lóluk, the living fire, and his wife Dûnwa, a stone mortar. Dûnwa hides Gáukos beneath her, and when the monstrous sister arrives and begins poking Lóluk's fire — unknowingly scratching his face — Lóluk's daughters defend their father. A violent struggle ensues, and the elder sister is thrown into Lóluk's open mouth and swallowed. She is then condemned to become a bird that lays eggs in cedar-tree holes, prey to human hunters. Gáukos settles among Lóluk's family and marries both daughters. He proves himself an exceptional hunter, killing eleven deer on his first day and providing abundantly for the household. After ten days he returns home to Lĭsgaga, where he has expanded the house and established a prosperous life. He makes repeated journeys between his old home and Lóluk's dwelling, fulfilling obligations to both families. Eventually he arranges for his two wives to carry baskets of roots and preserved meat back to their parents, sending the laden baskets on a journey of their own. The story concludes with a transformative act of cosmic significance. The crow Gäk witnesses the baskets walking on their own and is horrified by this unnatural sight. He decrees that baskets shall never again walk by themselves, and from that moment they turn to stone. He also transforms Lóluk's daughters into rocks on the trail, reduces Dûnwa from a great being to merely an object upon which people pound roots, and strips Lóluk of his personal identity, declaring that henceforth fire will be kin to no one and will burn all people equally. These pronouncements establish the present order of the world: fire is impersonal, baskets must be carried, and certain rocks along the trail are the petrified remnants of once-living supernatural beings. When his wives are turned to stone, Gáukos's bowstring snaps, and through this sign he immediately understands what has been lost.
By Jeremiah Curtin · First published 1912 · Genre: Mythology, Folklore, Native American Literature · 4,328 words
First lines
CHARACTERS / Blaiwas Eagle / Dûnwa Stone Mortar / Gäk Crow / Gáukos Moon / Kaiutois Wolf / Lĭsgaga / Lóluk Fire / Naulintc / Wekwek Magpie / Wûlkûtska Marten
When Látkakáwas went to Kumush's sweat-house with the disk, her five brothers started for the east, traveling a little toward the north. After a long time they came to a village where there were many people. All those people had their heads shaven and covered with cedar pitch, for they were mourning.
What this Textopian page supports
The Five Brothers of Látkakáwas is listed on Textopian as a short story by Jeremiah Curtin, dated 1912 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Jeremiah Curtin
- Date: 1912 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Mythology, Folklore, Native American Literature, Fantasy, Adventure
- Length: 4,328 words
- Structure: 1 section, 105 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Five Brothers of Látkakáwas by Jeremiah Curtin
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Genres
- Mythology — The narrative features supernatural beings, magical transformations, and divine or semi-divine characters with powers that shape reality, consistent with mythological storytelling traditions.
- Folklore — The story is collected by Jeremiah Curtin, a noted folklorist, and exhibits characteristics of traditional oral narratives with archetypal characters and moral lessons typical of folklore.
- Native American Literature — The work features Native American characters, cultural practices, and settings that reflect Indigenous traditions and storytelling conventions of Pacific Northwest tribes.
- Fantasy — The narrative contains magical elements including shape-shifting, supernatural transformations, and fantastical abilities that defy natural laws.
Tags
Native American folklore · Wintu mythology · California Indigenous traditions · oral storytelling · traditional tale · mythic narrative · folktale · heroic adventure · brotherhood · family bonds · supernatural beings · magic