Sacrifice In Caddo's The Wooden People

Although many of the Caddo people punished the coyote for this, the coyote was loving towards them in a way. By making death eternal it provided enough food and resources for everyone on earth, if the coyote wouldn’t have shut the door the earth would have been overpopulated and scarce for resources. “Coyote jumped up and said he thought people ought to die forever. He pointed out the little world was not big enough to hold all the people” (Caddo 23).
Many of the Greek gods and the Mayan god were not as loving and forgiving as Maheo and God. In “The Wooden People” the Heart of the Sky harshly punished his people for their ungratefulness and selfishness. The Heart of the Sky was very upset with his people, although he was the one who created them with no feelings or willingness to do anything. “There was nothing in their hearts and nothing in their minds, no memory of their mason and builder” (Mayan 18). He did not understand that he was the one who created his people to act like this, later resulting in suffering and a flood. The Greek gods were very similar to The Heart of the Sky. Prometheus loved

humans very much, but many of the other gods including Zeus did not feel the same way. “Prometheus loved man more than the Olympians…” (Greek Humanity). Zeus created the first woman, Pandora, who made humans fall into temptation. Pandora let out all the evil spirits into the world, keeping hope locked in her jar punishing all humans.
Suffering and how suffering was handled in these stories was very different among each of the gods. In “The Creation of the World” Maheo handled suffering by creating and forming land for the swans and birds. The swans and birds got very tired from swimming and flying all the time, so Maheo created land for them to rest and recover. “When we are tired of swimming and tired of flying, we should like a dry solid place where we could walk and rest” (Cheyanne 12). Suffering is more evident in the other creation stories.
The wooden people were punished and wiped out with a flood from the Heart of the Sky. The Heart of the Sky sent a flood to earth in order to wipe out the people for the sins they had committed. “...and so they were killed, done in by a flood” (Mayan 18). This is the similar way that God punished his people in “The Flood”, after they had forgotten why they were on earth and what they were supposed to accomplish God sent a flood to wipe out mankind. “So the Lord said, “I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth…” (Genesis 6:7) The Heart of the Sky and God realized mankind had stopped worshiping them and thanking them, so they both sent floods to regain control on earth.
Sending a flood is not the only thing God sent for humans to suffer.

After the first sin was committed God commanded that women have child pain births, men had to work hard, and death would now be eternal. “I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing” (Genesis 3:16) God may have made somethings painful for humans, but he also is very loving. He loved humans so much he forgives their sins so they can reach the afterlife. Death was also made enteral for the Caddo people after the coyote committed the sin of closing the door. As you may recall, the coyote wanted death to last forever, so he shut the door on the spirits. “Coyote saw it, and as the whirlwind was about to enter the house, he closed the door” (Caddo 24). Grieving is explained and is present in this world due to the coyote. Death takes away happiness in the world and replaces it with crying and

grieving.
The constant fighting of the Greek gods and among humans brought suffering into their world. After humans were made, many of the gods got involved with humans back on earth. This created suffering and tension among one another, resulting in many gods and humans dying as a result. Humans were not the only reason the gods fought, they were all worried about losing their rankings on the throne. “...Zeus was angry and Prometheus for refusing to tell Zeus which one of his children would