Obsidian Man

Pomo legend tells of Obsidian Man springing to life from an obsidian arrow point, his arms and legs edged sharp and serrated like flaked glass (Barrett 1933). Returning home to Mount Konocti above Clear Lake he became tangled in brush, and as he struggled to free himself his body broke into a great many pieces, which is why blocks and chips of obsidian strew the southern slopes of the mountain to this day. Other myths set Obsidian Man and Coyote in tests of power amid the volcanic landscape. In the traditions surrounding Frog Woman Rock on the Russian River, Obsidian Man is remembered as the son of Frog Woman, the clever wife of Coyote.

Parentage

• Frog Woman

Domains

• obsidian

Powers

• to cut with the sharp, serrated edges of his obsidian limbs
• to prevail in tests of power

Sources

• Barrett, S. A. (1933). Pomo Myths. Bulletin of the Public Museum of the City of Milwaukee 15. Milwaukee: Public Museum of the City of Milwaukee.
• The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, Calif.). 'Settlers Changed Stories behind Frog Woman Rock' (feature on Pomo traditions of Frog Woman Rock, in which Frog Woman is the wife of Coyote and mother of Obsidian Man).