Killer-of-Enemies is a mythical figure and culture hero who plays a prominent role in the origin stories of the Apache people. According to legend, Killer-of-Enemies is responsible for learning all of the skills necessary for survival and prosperity, and then teaching those skills to the Apache people. Among other things, Killer-of-Enemies taught the Apache how to make arrows, ride horses, and conduct warfare. He is credited with introducing the tactic of raiding and taking scalps as a way of counting coup. Killer-of-Enemies is presented as the paragon of the Apache warrior, the archetype that all other warriors should try to emulate. His legend records a time when monsters roamed the world, and Killer-of-Enemies slew these monsters and made the land safe for the Apache people. All of the wisdom, skills, and laws the Apache have accumulated over their history can be traced back to the teachings of Killer-of-Enemies.
The story of Killer-of-Enemies does not provide much detail about where he came from or what exactly he was. All that can be said for certain is that the Apache did not consider him to be human, and that he was not born among them but rather came to them from an unknown origin. He is an individual gifted with supernatural powers, including the gift of prophecy. His story suggests that he came to the Apache with the express purpose of teaching them and setting down rules and laws for them to live by. When this was accomplished and the Apache had learned everything Killer-of-Enemies had to teach them, he returned to the place he came from. The legend itself again makes it clear that the Apache do not know where this place is, and whether it is an actual physical location or an otherworldly, spiritual realm is a matter of speculation.
As the Apache did not have a written language, their myths and legends have all been passed down orally over many generations. Because of this fact, it is extremely difficult to determine exactly when the legend of Killer-of-Enemies originated. Researchers believe that the legend was first told by the Lipáns, a nomadic Apache tribe whose traditional lands included Oklahoma and Texas. Westward expansion by the United States in the nineteenth century forced the Lipáns from these lands into southern Texas, Arizona, and Mexico. Those who came to Mexico were severely persecuted by the government until they were relocated to a Mescalero reservation in New Mexico. The surviving Lipáns were largely assimilated into this and other tribes, but their strong oral tradition aided in preserving their distinct identity. Today the Lipáns can mostly be found on reservations in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.
Christopher T. Watson
See also Culture Heroes of the Native Americans; Gitchi Odjig, a Chippewa Hero; Glooskap, an Abenaki Hero; Napi; White Buffalo Woman
Further Reading
“Apache Legends and Myths.” 2015. Native Languages of the Americas website. http://www.native-languages.org/apache-legends.htm. Accessed November 4, 2015.
Goddard, Pliny Earle. 1911. Jicarilla Apache Texts. New York: American Museum of Natural History.
Opler, Morris E. 1994. Myths and Tales of the Chiricahua Apache Indians. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press.
Weiser, Kathy. 2015. “Myths and Legends of the Apache.” Legends of America website. http://www.legendsofamerica.com/na-apachelegends.html. Accessed November 4, 2015.
Yraceburu, Maria. 2002. Legends and Prophecies of the Quero Apache: Tales for Healing and Renewal. Rochester, VT: Bear.