Great Turtle

beast · United States · North America

The Great Turtle is the immense cosmic turtle upon whose back the earth was formed according to Iroquois and many other Northeastern Woodlands traditions. After the Sky Woman fell from the Sky World, the aquatic animals placed her on the Great Turtle's back. The muskrat brought up mud from the ocean floor, and as the Sky Woman danced in a circle, the mud grew and spread across the Turtle's shell, forming Turtle Island (North America). When the Great Turtle moves, the earth shakes, causing earthquakes

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