Myths of the Iroquois. (1883 N 02 / 1880-1881 (pages 47-116))

. As these monuments are fast crumbling away, through their contact with European civilization, the ethnologist must hasten his s

repeat traditions as they have been handed down through their fathers

proves very clearly that in the place of one prevailing great spirit (the Indian's earliest conception of the white man's God) the Iroquois gods were numerous. All the mysterious in nature, all that which inspired them with reverence, awe, terror, or g

their most remote ancestors-certain animals who later were transformed into human shape, the names of t

e state, being impressed by the awful and incomprehensible power of Thunder, have classed it forem

d has become that ancient custom, that the aged superstitious Iroquois of to-day can often be seen making this little offering on the near approach of every thunder-storm. It is not difficult to follow the crude reasoning by which was ascribed to Hi-nu? the goodness and glory of having destroyed the giant monsters which either poisoned the waters or infested the land. That such had existed was evident from the bones often discovered, and what power other than the crashing b

the vivifying rain, and who finally assisted the Iroquois in the extermination of the

s, thus depriving the people of their needed sustenance, and from the mere touch of his icy fingers the

ther tribes, in which, by repeating among the hills their cries of Go-weh, he ins

of the Heavens) there is little more known than that he brought o

harmed "mythologic age." As, however, the Iroquois tribes have not entirely passed the boundaries of that age, it is pro

reported to be the Indian's idea of a future state, are both of them but their ready conception of the white man's God and

NG THANKS TO TH

y in simply adding them to their former beliefs, as no fundamental change was required. They accepted the Great Spirit, but retained in many instances their former gods as his attributes, considering the thunder

and unity. The vines of the vegetables grow upon the same soil and cling lovingly around each other. The spirit of corn is supposed to be draped with its long leaves and silken tassels. The sister who guards the bean has a wreath of its velvety pods with garments of the delicate tendrils

This pure product of the Indian imagination figures largely in the unwritten literature of the Iroquois. There were also in those days stone giants, always the mortal enemy of man, but whose final extermina

ONE GIANT O

ndary line separating fact from fiction. They may, therefore, be properly classed as demigods. The name of the former, which signifies "the entangled," together with his skill, cunning, and cruelty in war, soon resulted in his becoming invested with the tit

TOTARHO-W

lation through many generations, have at last become applied to one person, who is thus most marvelously endowed, as far surpassing all in goodness as did Atotarho in the opposite attributes. To him is ascribed the honor of having established the Great Confederacy of the Iroquois which so long rendered them invincible in war. His name, which

OYING THE GI

m who seemed to be their chief. He was told to look below and tell whether he could see a huge water-serpent. Replying that he could not, the old man anointed his eyes, after which he could see the monster in the depths below him. They then ordered one of their num

stants, and by it he learned that they were friendly toward the hum

END OF HI-NU

out to be compelled by her famil

ped into her canoe and pushed it from shore on the roaring waters of Niagara. She heeded not t

g waters. From his home he saw the desperate launching of the maiden's canoe; saw her going to almost certain destructi

sickness was always busy among them. He told her how a snake lay coiled up under the ground beneath the village, and how he crept out and poisoned th

ly old suitor was dead. Then he bade her return and t

easily outwitted. He dragged himself slowly but surely after the people, and but for Hi-nu?'s influence would have undermined the new settlement as he had the former one. Hi-nu? watched him until he neared the creek, then he launched

a it was as if a mountain appeared above them. His corpse was too large to pass the rocks, so it became wedged in between them and the waters rose over it mountains high. As the w

HUNDE

ved it from an Indian chief, shows that sustained imaginative po

land, one of them had the misfortune to break his leg. By the Indian law it became the duty of the others to convey t

ance from the place where they were sitting. Returning to the litter, they took up their helpless load, carried him near the brink of the pit, and suddenly hurled him in. Then they set off rapidly for their own country. When they arrived they reported that he had died of wounds received in fight. Gr

encountered an enormous bear, which he was lucky enough to kill. As he stooped to feel its fatness and judge of its weight, he heard a murmur of voices behind him. He had not imagined that any human beings would find their way to that lonely region at that time of the year. Astonished, he turned and saw three men, or figures in the shape of men, clad in strange cloud-like garments, standing near him. "Who are you?" he asked. In reply they informed him that they were the Thunderers (Hi-nu?). They told him that their mission was to keep the earth and everything upon it in good order for the benefit of the human race. If there was a drought, it was their duty to bring rain; if there were serpents or other noxious creatures, they were commissioned to destroy them, and, in short, to do away with everything injurious to mankind. They told him that their present object was to destroy the old man to whom he had bound himself, and who, as they would show him, was a very different sort of being from what he pretended to be. For this they required his aid. If he would assist them he would do a good act, and they would convey him back to his home, where he would see his mother and be able to take care of her. This proposal

e have done our work here, we will take you to your hom

he opening. The widow started up and gazed at him in the moonlight with terror, thinking that she saw her son's ghost. He guessed her thoughts. "Do not be alarmed, mother," he said; "it is no ghost. It is your son come back to take care of you." As may be supposed, the poor woman was overjoyed, and

s they looked at him, and saw that the water with which his lips were moist had caused them to shine as if smeared with oil. "Where have you been drinking?" they asked him eagerly. "In yonder pool," he answered, pointing to where it lay still in sight. They said, "There is something in that pool which we must destroy. We have sought it for years, and now you have happily found it for us." Then they cast a mighty thunderbolt into the pool, which presently became dry. At the bottom of it, blasted by the thunder, was an immense grub, of the kind which destroys the corn an

O G

he Echo God would take it up and carry it on through the air, the enemy not being able to hear it, as this was the special god of the Six Nations. Therefore when they had gained a great victory a dance was held to give praise to this god. When enemies were killed

Then were sent out runners, who also proclaimed. If no response was made by the Echo God it was an omen that they should no

ourn for the dead and decide on the fate of the captives. As the Echo God was never called upon except in emergencies duri

ON OF THE S

EILLE BEILLE, gran

dden to accept the challenge to fight the stone giants and appoint a time and place. This they did. At the appointed time the giants appeared at the place, which was near a great gulf. Then there came a mighty win

ORTH

d was appealed to, and he came to the rescue with his assistants and chased the figure far into the north, where they doomed the icy demon to remain. To this day his howling and blustering are he

AT

ng simply of a head made terrific with large eyes and covered with long hair. His home was u

growled: "K???′′-ku?, Ku??′′-kui?, w?′′-h-tci′-ha′′-i-h"; that is,

the father died, and was soon followed by the mother of the boys, who were now left alone with their uncle.

hey also looked in vain for the second brother's return. Then the oldest of those at home said, "I will go to look them up"; and he went off, but did not return that night

eemed to come from the earth. The groan being repeated, they concluded to dig into the earth, where they discovered a man covered with mould, and taking him and setting him up they saw some signs of li

ad been there, that all he knew was that the last time he went out was to hunt. They persuaded him to stay with them, whereupon he related the story of th

look out for the "Great Eyes," which would be sure to see him, he called for a mole, to which he said, "I am going in this direction and I want you to creep down under the grass where you will not be seen." Having gone into the mole, he at last saw the Great Head through the blades of grass. Ever watchful, the head cried out "Ku??-ku?," "I see thee." The man in the mole saw that the "Head" was watching an owl, then drawing his bow, he shot an arrow into the Great Head, crying, "I came after you." The arrow as it flew to its mark became very large, but as it was returning became as small as when it left the bow. Thereupon, taking the arrow, he ran swiftly toward home; but he had not gone far when he heard a great noise like the coming of a storm. It was the Great Head riding on a tempest. Unshaken by this, he continued to run until he saw that the Great Head was coming down to the spot where he was, when he drew his bow again, and as the arrow left

ere they heard this song: "Dy-gi?-ny?-de, he′′-o?-we, he′-o?-we-ni′′-?-h gi-di-o?-ni-?h," which the witch was singing. At length she spoke and said, "Schis-t-ki-a?"; this was the magical word at which, when heard, all turned to dry bones. Upon hearing this the Great Head said, "I will ask the question, 'How long

t Head said, "You had no mercy; see the dry bones; you must die": and so t

ers, and placed them together. When this was done, the Great Head said, "I am going to my old home in the great mountain, and when I fly over here on a tempest then you say to these bones, 'All arise,' and they all will rise and you may go home with

THE DISPERSION O

rns one of the monstrous heads made its appearance at the door. Thinking that the woman was eating coals of fire, by

LYING HEAD P

NE GIAN

th them on their expeditions. It was a wife's duty to fe

h game that finally he built a wigwam and settled down. One day he had gone hunting in one di

cruel husband, who wanted to kill her, and that she wished to stay a while with the hunter's family. She had come from very far, from the land of the Stone Giants, and was very tired, and added that they must be careful what food they gave her. She could not eat raw food, but it must be well cooked, so thoroughly cooked, indeed, t

a load which four ordinary men could not have car

meet her husband and tell him of her visit; so she started, an

have a secret for you: My husband is after me. In three days he will be here. We shall

ll go right through to his heart." The hunter and his wife were both frightened at this, but she reassured them, and they all three awaited the coming of the giant. So she placed herself in the entrance, and as he came in sight

g useful until they were ready to leave and return to the settlement. Then she said,

d of the story of

GIANT'S

a race. The challenge was accepted, and the

eary distance until he was very tired and his moccasins were nearly worn off his feet. At last he began to climb rocks. Now, the Stone Giant had no power to raise his head and could not tell where the hunte

im, whereupon the giant commenced crying and said: "You have won. You have taken my charm,

D THE IROQU

cross it, the whole sky became filled with wild ducks, all of which finally alighted upon the surface of the water. After quenching their thirst

e wampum which afterward so firmly cemented the union of the