The origin of the festival

Long ago there were not so many people. They all lived in families on their own land and they never had any contact with other families, except for stealing each others daughters. One day a young hunter was walking in the wilderness, when he met an old woman. She had a large nose and he looked at her with great fear. 
‘I am the Old Eagle Mother,’ she said. ‘Why do you look so scared?’ 
‘Because all strangers are enemies of my people,’ he answered. ‘Whenever we meet other people, we fight them.’ 
Then the Old Eagle Mother said: ‘People are lonely and scared of each other, because they don’t have the gift of the festival. They cannot make songs, they have no music and they cannot dance together. That’s why they mistrust each other and fight.’ 
She put her ear to the Earth and told him to do the same. ‘Listen,’ she whispered. 
From deep inside the Earth he could hear a heavy beat, like a giant heartbeat. 
‘That is the great drum,’ said the Old Eagle Mother. Then they listened to the sound of the wind in the trees. ‘That is the great flute,’ she said. She taught him to make a drum and a flute, she taught him the words of songs and she taught him to dance and to play the instruments.
‘Now you must go home and collect the best foods and drinks. And you must think of a present for all the people in the land. Then you must invite everybody you can reach to your house and offer them your food and drinks. When they have dined to their satisfaction, make music for them and sing the songs and dance. They will also learn how to dance and they will want to make songs and music too. So the next day, as they go home, you give them their presents. Soon the families will start inviting each other for festivals. The young daughters will dance with the young men, the people will get to know each other and the fighting will stop. Peace and joy and friendship will be in the land, as long as you keep the festivals.’ 
The young hunter went home. His family was delighted by his new gifts, and he taught them to dance, sing and make music as well. Then they went to all the other families, dancing and singing. The other families were so surprised to see them dance and to hear the music, that they forgot to attack them and decided to come to the festival. Even the children and the old people wanted to come. Everything went as the Old Eagle Mother had predicted, and from that day on the people greeted each other on the roads.

Noordamerikaanse overlevering, overgebracht door Hans Plomp