Amala is a mythological giant

Giant (mythology)

The mythology and legends of many different cultures include monsters of human appearance but prodigious size and strength. "Giant" is the English word commonly used for such beings, derived from one of the most famed examples: the gigantes of Greek mythology.In various Indo-European mythologies,...

 who supports the world in the mythology of the Tsimshian

Tsimshian

The Tsimshian are an indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Tsimshian translates to Inside the Skeena River. Their communities are in British Columbia and Alaska, around Terrace and Prince Rupert and the southernmost corner of Alaska on Annette Island. There are approximately 10,000...

, Nass

Nisga'a

The Nisga’a , often formerly spelled Nishga and spelled in the Nisga’a language as Nisga’a, are an Indigenous nation or First Nation in Canada. They live in the Nass River valley of northwestern British Columbia. Their name comes from a combination of two Nisga’a words: Nisk’-"top lip" and...

, Skidegate

Skidegate

Skidegate is a Haida community in Haida Gwaii in British Columbia, Canada. It is located on the southeast coast of Graham Island, the largest island in the archipelago, and is approximately west of mainland British Columbia across Hecate Strait...

, Kaigani, Massett, and Tlingit Native Americans. He supports the Earth

Earth

Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...

 which he balances on a spinning pole. He receives an annual application of wild duck-oil to his muscles from a servant which brings relief to his muscles. The belief is that when all the ducks are hunted out, there will no longer be any duck-oil available in the world. At this point, Amala dies and the world topples off the pole and comes to an end.

The myth

The name Amala refers to his being very dirty and literally means “smoke hole.” Amala is said to be the youngest child in a family who is physically weak and lazy. He is made to sleep in the ashes and suffers mistreatment from everybody. In many variants of the myth, Amala sleeps in his urine. Late in his life he attains supernatural strength in secret and becomes a handsome, and powerful young man who performs many daring feats and turns savior and protector for his relatives against their enemies. The concluding feat of his life is to succeed a dying chief on an island in the Southwest sea in the task of holding the Earth up. The dying chief hears of Amala's various exploits and, impressed by his prowess, calls the hero. When Amala arrives, the chief hands over the long pole upon which the flat world revolves. Some versions of the myth state that the chief places the pole on Amala's chest, while some versions hold that the pole is held behind Amala's back. A servant relieves Amala's muscles with yearly application of spoonfuls of duck grease and wild-duck oil which help Amala to keep the world spinning.

Possible influences

There is a possibility that the myths about Amala and similar heroes of Native American mythology were influenced by the tales of Cinderella

Cinderella

"Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper" is a folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune...

 and Atlas

Atlas (mythology)

In Greek mythology, Atlas was the primordial Titan who supported the heavens. Although associated with various places, he became commonly identified with the Atlas Mountains in north-west Africa...

 - the titan who carries the world on his shoulder in Greek mythology, introduced into Native American culture from Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

. There is a similarity between Cinderella and Amala in that both sleep in ashes and both are abused by their tribe or family. The storyline of Amala - the despised member of the tribe who overcomes adversity and rises to be a hero among his people, may be a combination of elements of the downtrodden and derided hero or heroine, such as Cinderella, and the hero of the Atlas-type who dwells in the underworld.