A Feminist Myth And A Taste Of Earth, And White Buffalo Woman

A Feminist Myth is one that regards women in a way where they are empowered and have equal, if not more, power compared to men. There is a sense of equality between men and women in feminist myths, and men are no more powerful than the women. One of the key ideas of feminism is that women do not have restrictions on what they can or cannot do. A Taste of Earth, One Hundred Eggs, and The White Buffalo Woman are all feminist myths, and the main characters, Au Co and White Buffalo Woman, are both culture bringers. In the beginning of both female’s journeys as culture bringers, the degree of feminism in their cultures becomes immediately evident. Both are feminist culture bringers, but White Buffalo Woman places more gender based barriers on her …show more content…
Not long after Au Co is stranded on earth as a consequence of tasting the earth, she is found by the Dragon Prince. Immediately they begin to coexist, and parts of earth are created, like vegetation and waterways. Creation is dependant on both Au Co and Dragon Prince. Her tears created the rivers and the lush plants that grew along the banks, but they dry up and wilt without Dragon Prince bringing rain. This non gender based relationship that Au Co has with Dragon Prince is key in setting up the way Au Co is a culture bringer in One Hundred Eggs. The relationship that Dragon Prince has with Au Co when they are creating rivers, rain, and plants is complimentary in a way. Au Co is the initial creator of the rivers and the plants that grow on the banks, but Dragon Prince is the one that helps her maintain those first creations with the rain that he makes. After the rain, “many new rivers and streams had appeared. Not only did grass grow fresh and green along the riverbanks but it now covered the hills, mountains, and fields” (A Taste of Earth). This emplifies their coexisting nature. White Buffalo Woman’s nature as a culture bringer is first represented in the temptation she presents, and it is ultimately a situation that is considerably limited by gender. There is an immediate focus on men through the inclusion …show more content…
When she speaks to the tribe, she first refers to them as just people: there is no separation of gender. This remains true as she teaches religion and rituals. “The White Buffalo Woman showed the people the right way to pray, the right words and the right gestures” (White Buffalo Woman). She teaches how to hold the sacred pipe, how to smoke from it, and the way the universe is connected and functions. All the people are taught these things, showing there is no barriers when it comes to these parts of the culture. But throughout all of this, she is only regarded as a sacred woman, never a leader. This suggests either a separation of leadership by gender, or just a separation between tribal leaders and sacred beings in general. During the time White Buffalo Woman is with the tribe, she makes a point to speak specifically with the woman. There is already a clear line between roles, the men are the hunters, the women are the homemakers. White Buffalo Woman says the the women of the tribe that “what (they) are doing is as great as what the warriors do” (White Buffalo Woman). Her wording is very specific and does limit the power that her words have to the women. By saying “as great as” she is implying that the women will always be just as great as the men, but never better. She is placing a limitation on the women by planting the idea that they will never be greater than, rather they