The
American Indians relate the tale or legend of Scarface who sought the dwelling of the Sun. The girl that Scarface desires
had many suitors before him, but she chose not to marry them because the Sun had asked her not to get married. However,
Scarface proposes to the girl, and is accepted upon one condition: that he obtain permission from the Sun to marry his adopted daughter.
The animals (wolf, bear, badger, wolverine) that Scarface encounters on the way to the Sun’s dwelling were sacred to the Red Indians. Each animal possessed certain powers. It was only the wolverine or otter that could help Scarface in his hour of need; for he knew that the sun lived on the other side of the vast ocean. Scarface despaired of ever crossing the ocean - but the swans helped him to do so. On the other side of the ocean, he finally finds the dwelling of the Sun.
As the hero of this rather unusual tale, Scarface exhibits certain heroic traits: strength of character, fearlessness, honesty and loyalty. In fact, the very purpose of these old tales or legends is to highlight the noble characteristics of the hero! With no certainty of success, and with only his courage to stand by him, Scarface sets off upon an impossible path (to find the far-away dwelling of the Sun). This is a path that few have traveled, a journey that none has undertaken before, but this does not deter our hero. There is another incident that comes to mind – when he proposes to the girl he wishes to marry, he does not dissemble (regarding his poverty) or take recourse to false premise but tells her the entire truth about his situation.
Scarface gains the favor of the Sun to marry the young woman by doing service to the Sun’s celestial child (the Morning Star) – and by appealing to his pity. In his endeavor, he is helped by the fact that the Sun’s celestial wife (the Moon) also accepts him as a member of their family. The Sun finds his entire conduct to be blameless; and so he grants Scarface permission to marry his adopted daughter.
When Scarface returns to the earth from the dwelling of the Sun, his entire appearance has changed. He is clad in strange (and wonderful) attire, the scar on his face has gone, and as a result the members of his tribe have some difficulty in recognizing him. However, the girl upon whom he has set his heart has no difficulty in recognizing him; and accepts the raven’s feathers he proffers her as a token of the Sun’s approval.