Page "Folklore of the United States" Paragraph 2

Native American culture is rich in myths and legends that were used to explain natural phenomena.

The most common myths are the creation myths, that tell a story to explain how the earth was formed.

Others include explanations about the sun, moon, constellations, animals, seasons, and weather.

This is one of the ways that many tribes kept their cultures alive ; it was not just a collection of stories, but of their beliefs, their ways, and their lives.

There are many different kinds of stories.

There are some that are called " hero stories "; these are stories of people who lived at one time, and who were immortalized by these stories of them.

There are " trickster stories ", about the different trickster figures of the tribes ( Saynday for the Kiowa ; Coyote for the Navajo ; and so on, who were both helpful and dangerous figures in the belief.

There are tales that are simply warnings ; they warn against doing something that may harm in some way.

Many of these tales have morals or some form of belief that is being taught.

This is how the things were remembered.