Muut facts for kids

Muut was a special figure in the stories of the Cahuilla people. The Cahuilla are a group of Native American people who have lived for a long time in southern California and northern Mexico. Muut was like a messenger of death, but not in a scary way.

The Cahuilla people believed that death was a natural and important part of life. So, Muut was seen as a guide for spirits, rather than a frightening character like a "grim reaper." He was often shown as an owl or heard as the unseen hooting of owls.

Who Was Muut?

Muut was one of the most important nukatem (pronounced NOO-kah-tem). The nukatem were special beings created by Mukat, who was the Creator in Cahuilla beliefs. Mukat made these beings at the very beginning of the world.

Muut's Important Role

Mukat gave Muut the job of being the messenger of death. This was because Mukat believed that if no one ever died, the world would become too crowded. He thought that too many people would cause big problems for everyone.

So, Muut's role was to help keep the world balanced. He guided spirits from life to the next part of their journey. This made him a helpful and necessary figure in Cahuilla culture, not one to be feared.