The Legend of Loowit

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Long long ago, in the age before television, there was a great chief named Tyhee. The people of Chief Tyhee's tribe lived in a land far to the north where it was cold and snowed all the time. Now at this time the people had no fire to keep themselves warm or to cook their food. Because of this the people were freezing so they prayed to the Great Spirit to deliver them. The Great Spirit had compassion on the tribe and led them on a journey south to lands that were warmer. They followed what is now called the Columbia River until they reached a place near what is now called The Dalles. Now Chief Tyhee was very old, so when they reached The Dalles he died of old age. Tyhee had two sons, one named Pahto and the other named Wy'east. The brothers couldn't agree on where they should live. Pahto wanted to live on the north side of the river while Wy'east thought they should live on the south side. The Great Spirit told them they should each shoot an arrow in opposite directions and where their arrows fell is where the brothers would live. The rest of the tribe would then choose for themselves which brother they would live with. Pahto shot his arrow far to the north and half the people traveled with him and they became known as the Klickitat. Wy'east shot his arrow a little ways to the south and his group became known as the Multnomah. Now the people were separated by the mighty Columbia river and it was dangerous to cross it, making it hard for the two tribes to visit and trade with each other. The Great Spirit didn't want to see the people become too distant from each other so he constructed a great bridge, known as The Bridge of the Gods over the Columbia so that people could safely walk across. The people were happy and life was good until winter came. With winter the snow came and the people started to freeze again because they didn't have fire. Now there was an old woman who lived nearby named Loowit, the lady of the fire, and she was the only one who had fire.

The Great Spirit came to her and said “If you will share your fire. I will grant any wish you desire.”

Loowit said “I wish to be young and beautiful again.”

The Great Spirit granted her wish and all the people traveled to light their fires from Loowit's campfire. The people were again warm through the winter and the people were happy and very grateful for Loowit and the Great Spirit.

Loowit, now the most beautiful woman in the world, attracted the attention of Pahto and Wy'east. They both tried to win her affection but she could not choose between them. They were both handsome, strong chiefs of their villages and were equal in every way. The brothers became jealous of each other and began fighting with each other. They started by just wrestling with each other, but then they began hitting and kicking each other. They then called down lightning out of sky at each other but they were so evenly matched they could counter or dodge each attack. The ground shook as the battle became even more fierce and they began throwing molten rock at each. Chasms were opened, rivers flooded, entire forests were destroyed and even The Bridge of the Gods itself collapsed yet the two brothers would not relent. The people were terrified by the destruction, many were killed, and it began to look like the brothers would tear the world itself apart by their fighting. The Great Spirit, seeing the destruction that was happening, intervened on the peoples behalf. First he separated the brothers, sending them each to their own land. Then, knowing there was no other way of keeping them from simply attacking each other again, transformed them into mountains. Wy'east in the south, and Pahto in the north. Loowit, unable to live without Pahto or Wy'east, was transformed into a mountain herself between the two. The years have passed, while the three currently sleep as mountains, at times they awake and will throw molten rocks at each other until the Great Spirit forces them back to sleep. Even Loowit who has grown tired and angry at their bickering. As white men came they gave new names to Pahto, Wy'east, and Loowit. Now Pahto is known as Mt. Adams, Wy'east is known as Mt. Hood, and Loowit, is Mt. Saint Helens.