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diff --git a/58228-0.txt b/58228-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..92cb0ef --- /dev/null +++ b/58228-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,3822 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 58228 *** + + + + + + + + + + + + +Transcriber Notes + + +Text emphasis displayed as _Italics_. + + + + +_This is one of an edition of 500 copies printed October, 1902, of which +this is number_ + + +_The Legends of the Iroquois_ + +[Illustration] + + + + + +--------------------------------------------------------------+ + | +----------------------------------------------------------+ | + | | | | + | | _The Legends of the_ | | + | | _Iroquois_ | | + | | | | + | | TOLD BY "THE CORNPLANTER" | | + | | | | + | | | | + | | ----------- | | + | | | | + | | | | + | | _From Authoritative_ | | + | | _Notes and Studies_ | | + | | | | + | | _By WILLIAM W. CANFIELD_ | | + | | | | + | | | | + | | | | + | | [Illustration] | | + | | | | + | | | | + | | | | + | | _York_ | | + | | | | + | | _A. Wessels Company_ | | + | | | | + | | _MCMII_ | | + | | | | + | +----------------------------------------------------------+ | + +--------------------------------------------------------------+ + + +COPYRIGHT, 1902 + +BY + +A. WESSELS COMPANY + +NEW YORK + +(Published October, 1902) + + + + +_Contents_ + + + About Indian Legends 9 + The Authority 15 + The Confederation of the Iroquois 23 + Birth of the Arbutus 41 + A Legend of the River 47 + Legends of the Corn 51 + The First Winter 55 + The Great Mosquito 59 + The Story of Oniata 63 + The Mirror in the Water 73 + The Buzzard's Covering 77 + Origin of the Violet 81 + The Turtle Clan 85 + The Healing Waters 89 + The Sacrifice of Aliquipiso 99 + Why the Animals do not Talk 103 + The Message Bearers 119 + The Wise Sachem's Gift 123 + The Flying Head 125 + The Ash Tree 127 + The Hunter 129 + Hiawatha 137 + The Peacemaker 149 + An Unwelcome Visitor 155 + Bits of Folk-Lore 161 + The Happy Hunting-Grounds 169 + The Sacred Stone of the Oneidas 187 + Notes to the Legends 197 + + + + +_About Indian Legends_ + + + + +ABOUT INDIAN LEGENDS + +THE Indians neither built monuments nor wrote books. The only records +they made were those picture writings known in after years as wampum, +which were mere symbols, recording feats of arms. Consequently, all +that is known of them prior to the coming to America of Europeans is +traditional or conjectural. Not a page of their history has ever been +written by any save their foes, and the history thus written is so +distorted and marred by prejudice that much of it is misleading. + +In the veins of the red man ran the wild poetry and imagination of the +hunt, the chase, the battle, the capture, the dance, the forests, the +valleys, the mountains, the streams, lakes and rivers, for a thousand +generations; and yet they were without accomplishment in letters or +arts. Is it, therefore, strange that they held in great reverence the +traditions and legends common in their tribes--revered them as the early +Christians revered the first copies of the sacred writings? These legends +were told over again and again for unknown years. They were transmitted +from one to another, as the unwritten work of Freemasonry has been +transmitted by frequent and careful repetition. They were not bandied +about like ordinary stories, but, repeated with something of a religious +or sacramental spirit, as though the tales imparted an especial virtue to +those who learned them from reliable sources; were held as sacred as we +hold the transactions of an honored secret society. + +The legends common to one clan were known all over the continent wherever +Indians of that clan lived, and there is little doubt that many of the +legends of the Iroquois can be found in some form among those of the +Western Indian tribes of the present time. Yet the traditions of the +Iroquois herein contained are known positively to be two hundred years +old, and are confidently believed to be the stories told by the red men +thousands of years ago. + +The Indians never explained anything by the science of natural +philosophy. Every effect had to them a mysterious, supernatural cause. +They could not comprehend how sound thrown against an obstructing surface +would be repeated and form an echo. Instead they found supernatural +reasons for the phenomenon, and certainly very pretty ones. Only the +absurdity of their ideas may appear to some, for in the light of present +intelligence they are absurd, but, none the less, they are beautiful. +If our forefathers had taken more interest in the peoples they found +on the Western Continent, spending less of their energies in devising +plans for cheating the Indians out of their furs and lands--a policy +their descendants have closely followed and admirably succeeded in--our +libraries might contain volumes of fairy tales that would delight the +youth of many generations. + +It is not too much to ask the reader to remember that these stories were +told in the homes of the red men many centuries ago, long before they +learned from the whites the cruel, heartless, treacherous and vindictive +characteristics that unfair history has fastened upon them as natural +and inherent traits. If this is borne in mind, the perusal and study of +these stories will, it is believed, give as much pleasure to the reader +as the study of the Indian character, made necessary in order to properly +clothe their almost forgotten legends with something like their original +embellishment, has given the author. + + + + +_The Authority_ + + + + +THE AUTHORITY + + +IT is not the purpose of this volume to deal to any considerable extent +with the history of the Indians, but simply to present some of the +legends of the Iroquois. To the reader or student, however, is due a +brief statement as to the authority from which the folk-lore contained +herein has been drawn, that there may remain no question as to its +reliability. + +A few years after the close of the war of the Revolution one of the +pioneers of Western New York, who was in the service of the Holland +Land Company, made the acquaintance and won the friendship of the +Seneca chief, the Cornplanter, (Gy-ant-wah-chi, or, as written by some +authorities, Gar-yan-wah-ga). The friendship continued as long as the +two men lived and was marked by its cordiality. In their intercourse +they were thrown together many winters, and the Cornplanter was led to +talk freely of his people, their past, their present condition, and +their future, and it was during these confidences that the Indian told +his white friend many of the Iroquois legends. To the recollections of +the Cornplanter was added the knowledge possessed upon the subject by +the Nephew (Governor Blacksnake), who resided upon the same reservation +and in the immediate vicinity, and that of "other old men and leaders +of these Indians." The legends were preserved in outline notes upon the +blank pages of some diaries and civil engineer field-books which the +white man was accustomed to keep; and these outlines, with full oral +explanations came finally into the possession of the present writer. +About twenty-five years ago the work of their further verification by +means of inquiries made of some of the most intelligent Indians in New +York State was commenced. Many of those consulted had only imperfect +knowledge of the legends, others knew one or more of the stories, and, +by aid of the outlines referred to above, were able to assist in the +work of their restoration. Among those who gave most valuable assistance +was Simon Blackchief and his mother. The latter spoke only in the Indian +tongue, and her version of such of the stories as she had heard in her +girlhood was translated by her son. Chief John Mountpleasant, Harrison +Halftown, Elias Johnson and John Kinjocity also gave valuable assistance. +The late B. Giles Casler, who was the United States Indian Agent for New +York State for a term of years, accompanied the author upon a number +of visits to several of the reservations. Through these helps, and by +a study pursued under the favoring circumstance of former residence in +close proximity to the Allegany Reservation, the present writer believes +that he has succeeded in bringing these legends to a point approximating +their original beauty. In their elaboration care has been taken not to +depart from the simplicity and directness of statement characteristic +of the Indian, and only such additions that seemed to be warranted have +been made. Whenever the primary authority for a legend is other than the +Cornplanter, the fact is mentioned in the appended notes. + +Although the Cornplanter was a half-breed, he was more thoroughly +acquainted with the traditions of his people than any contemporary chief +in the nations comprising the Iroquois. He was born in Conewangus, on the +Genesee river, probably in the year 1732, and died on Cornplanter Island +in the Allegany river, in the State of Pennsylvania, near the New York +line, March 7, 1836, at the age of one hundred and four years. He was the +son of John Abeel (also written O'Bail), a trader among the Indians. His +mother was an Indian Princess of the Turtle Clan. + +From his earliest recollection the Cornplanter had a pronounced hatred +of the whites, caused, no doubt, by the remembrance of the cruel +treatment to which his mother was subjected by his father, who seems to +have taken an Indian wife in order that he might gain the friendship +of the Indians, and thus secure good bargains in trade. The errors of +history have led us to believe that love or respect for a mother were +sentiments almost foreign to the Indian race. These feelings always +existed among them, however, to a much greater degree than we are willing +to concede, though their respect and love for women and children were +greater before their simple natures were blunted and distorted by the +vicious practices of the invading Europeans. + +The Cornplanter spent his early years at the council-fires, and became +one of the most celebrated orators in the Confederation of the Six +Nations. He traveled from village to village and sought wisdom from the +sages of the Iroquois. It was during this portion of his life that he +listened to the traditions that had descended from chief to chief over a +period of three centuries. When he had acquired a reputation for bravery +and woodcraft second to none of his race, he was unanimously chosen +Chief of the Senecas, and came at once into prominence as the leader +of the war-parties of that nation in alliance with the French against +the English. He was present at the defeat of Braddock, and, for a long +time, by the most daring and cruel raids on the frontier settlements, +spread destruction in the Mohawk Valley and in Western New York. He was +at that time an implacable foe to all white people, and the names of +Cornplanter, Brant, and Red Jacket were synonymous with capture, torture +and massacre. They were the chief councilors and leaders of their people +and fought against every overture made by the whites. In 1779, near the +mouth of Redbank Creek, in Pennsylvania, the Cornplanter, with a large +force of Indians, engaged in battle against a party of whites, led by +Captain Samuel Brady. The engagement terminated in favor of the whites, +and many of the Indians were killed or wounded. The survivors fled to the +river, then swollen with the spring rains, and dashed into its current. +Few succeeded in crossing; one by one they were swept down the stream +or sank, pierced by the bullets of Brady's men. The Cornplanter reached +the opposite shore almost alone. From that moment the high spirit of the +daring chieftain began to falter and he sought peace, making, in 1791, a +treaty with "The Great Chief of the Thirteen Fires." The medal and other +mementos given him by Washington are still preserved by the descendants +of the chief. He was put in possession of the island that bears his name, +and ever afterwards devoted himself to farming and pursuits of peace. For +many years he labored faithfully to eradicate the habits of intemperance +into which his people had fallen, and, strange as it may seem, was +the first temperance lecturer in the United States. He entertained +the highest respect for Washington, and visited him several times in +Philadelphia. + +It was during the last twenty years of the Cornplanter's life that the +legends herein contained were recalled and told. He did not speak of them +generally, for he held them sacred, but reserved them for the ears of +those in full sympathy with the people of which he was one of the last +true representatives. He told them with an intensity of feeling that was +pitiful, for it was plain he realized that the greatness of his people +had disappeared, leaving neither monuments nor achievements to mark their +place in the history of the world. + +The Cornplanter died a strong believer in the religion of the red +men, and looked forward with an eye of faith towards the Happy +Hunting-Grounds, for which countless generations of his people had been +taught to hope. + + + + +_The Legends_ + + + + +THE CONFEDERATION OF THE IROQUOIS + + +THERE was peace in the land of the Senecas. The red men were away upon +the chase, or busied themselves in fashioning the arrow-points and in +shaping the mighty bows from which the shafts of death were sent forth +when food was needed in the wigwam. The Indian women stooped among the +blades of growing corn and tilled the soil between the thrifty stalks +with sharp-pointed branches from the strong young hickory. The children +ran and leaped in the sunshine and their laughter filled the air and +mingled with the low, crooning songs of the old men and women who watched +them, while dreams of their youth rose like phantoms from the past. +Under the fresh verdure of a new-born summer, groups of the young men +and maidens were plaiting the soft and flexible willows into baskets, +mats and coverings. Abroad on the hills the medicine men roamed, marking +the places where the prized and cherished herbs that drove away the bad +spirits of suffering and sickness had put forth their vigorous shoots. + +There was peace in the land of the Senecas, and for many moons they had +waged no war against their brothers. Their villages were growing in +strength; their numbers were increasing in greatness. The young men were +taught to follow the chase, but their ears had drunk the stones of wars, +and their hearts burned to be upon the trail, seeking conquest over the +powerful tribes of the Mohawks, Onondagas or Oneidas. When the soft winds +came, some of them said to their elders, "We will go into the country of +the Mohawks and learn from our brothers there if the Manito gave them +corn for the winter, and if the venison was sweet to their tongues." + +Five suns they threaded the forests and sported along the pleasant +streams. At last they came upon some young men and maidens of the Mohawk +nation engaged in preparing the ground for the maize. Forgetting the +counsels of their elders, or heedless of what they had said to them, and +eager to show their cunning, they surprised and bound the young Mohawks +and carried them away as captives toward the land of the Senecas. + +When they had passed the homes of the Onondagas, which they did without +discovery, they released one of the young men and told him to go back +to the Mohawks and say to them that they would find their maidens in the +wigwams of the Senecas, their young men slaves in the villages. + +The wise men and sachems of the council shook, their heads gravely when +the young warriors boasted of their conquest, for they knew that the +peace of the Senecas was broken. + +A few days had passed, when, one evening as the fires began to cast +their red lights against the rough sides of the great trees, five Mohawk +warriors appeared at the council village of the Senecas. + +"Let the swift runners say to the chiefs of the Senecas that the warriors +of the Mohawks have been long upon the trail and must not sleep. By the +light of the council-fire they would tell the message that is sweet to +the tongues of the Mohawks but which will burn the ears of the Senecas +who listen." Thus spoke Orontadeka, the strong chief of the Mohawks, +as he strode to the council-place of the Senecas, followed by the four +solemn and determined sachems who accompanied him on the mission. They at +once took seats upon the ground and in silence awaited the coming of the +Senecas. + +Soon the fire-keepers of the tribe came to the council-place, and with +due ceremony started three fires. When the last was lighted, the Seneca +chiefs, sachems and warriors took their stations in silence around the +blazing resinous wood. Dark forms hurried from the well-beaten paths +which led through the forest to the different villages of the Senecas, +and, without a word or sign of recognition, the warriors who had been +notified by the swift runners and had come from their distant homes, took +their places by the council-fire. At length, when all had assembled, the +Seneca chief, Kanyego, arose and said: + +"Will the great chiefs of the Mohawks eat?" + +"The Mohawks have heavy trouble on their hearts and the food of the +Senecas would choke their voices," replied Orontadeka. + +"Shall the bowl of the pipe be filled, that the Mohawks may be happy in +its visions?" again asked Kanyego. + +"The Mohawks would see clearly, and the clouds from the peacemaker might +blind their eyes," was the reply. + +"The Senecas have food for their brothers, the Mohawks, and the +fire-keepers have in readiness the pipe that the Great Spirit gave to +our fathers," said Kanyego. "The Senecas also have ears to hear what the +Mohawks would say. Let Orontadeka speak." + +Rising suddenly from his crouching position on the ground, Orontadeka +walked rapidly around the council-fires several times and then addressed +the assemblage: + +"My Brothers: When the warm suns came and the death-sheets of snow that +covered the ground were turned to leaping streams of laughing water, the +Mohawks were happy in their homes, where Kanyego has many times smoked +the pipe of peace and eaten the food given him by his brothers. The +plague had not come from its home in the north during the winter, and the +wigwams were fat with their store of corn and beans. The swift runners +went away to the shining waters beyond the big mountains, and after many +suns they returned to say that the enemies of the Mohawks had gone beyond +the great pine trees and would plant and till new fields and follow the +chase in strange forests. + +"My Brothers: The Mohawks were happy, for their wigwams had need to be +made greater, and there is much work for the men to do. The women and +children sang because the warriors went not upon the trail, and the +old men turned their thoughts to the passing of peaceful days in the +villages. Suddenly an alarm came to our ears, and the hopes in our hearts +fled in terror. As the red fox steals upon the nest of the partridge +and carries her chickens away to his home in the rocks, so came those +who should be our friends and took as prisoners three of our young men +and their five sisters. When the great light drew within the door of his +wigwam, the people in the village looked in vain for the coming of their +children. The grief of the lonely parents whose children were lost went +out to all our villages. After seven suns a party of our warriors came +upon one of the young men wandering alone and without food in the forest. +Then to our wondering ears came the story that his brothers were slaves +in the land of the Senecas, and that his sisters had become the wives of +the Seneca robbers. + +"My Brothers: The council-fire was lighted at night, for the Mohawks must +talk of war. Gwagonsha stood before his people and told them how he had +heard the birds and the wind talking together in the tree-tops, and how +they agreed between them that the Senecas had wandered away toward the +warm lands, and the wolves now lived in their deserted lodges. Owennogon +said that even the fishes knew that the Senecas were afraid to seek their +slaves in the Cat Nation beyond the thundering waters, and for that +reason they had sent out scouts to steal children. Kanentagoura stood +before the council-fire and said that the women of the Senecas were no +longer young, but came into the world with many moons upon their heads, +while their backs were bent with age, and wrinkles were upon their faces. +If the Seneca warriors would have wives they must steal them from the +Mohawks, the Onondagas or the Oneidas, for they had no wampum or canoes +with which to buy them. Kantaga told his people that their arrows must +be made ready and the thongs of their bows must be strengthened. If the +Senecas had gone away to the warm lands, and wolves had taken possession +of their villages, the wolves must be killed, for they were dangerous +animals. If the Senecas had become cowards and were afraid to seek their +slaves in the Cat Nation, they should be killed, for the earth had no +room upon it for cowards. Or, if the women of the Senecas were such +monsters that they could not be taken as wives, and the Senecas had no +wampum or canoes with which to buy maidens for their wigwams, then they +must surely be killed, for the Great Spirit was displeased with them. + +"My Brothers: The warriors of the Mohawks set out at once through the +forest-paths for the land of the Senecas, and when they reached the +village of the Onondagas they told them the cause of their journey, and +the warriors of the Onondagas left their lodges to the care of the old +men and women and followed the Mohawks on the trail. They remain beside +the long waters while Orontadeka and his friends visit the council-fire +of the Senecas. We look around us and we find that some of the stories +told of the Senecas are not true. The Senecas still inhabit their own +lodges, and have not been driven away by wolves. Upon your streams and +lakes are plenty of canoes, and in the wigwams hang many strings of +wampum. The women of the Senecas are not old and ugly, for we see maidens +here whose eyes are like the fires lighted by the Great Spirit when the +sun has gone in his wigwam, and whose forms are straight as the ash trees. + +"But we know that the young men of the Mohawks were made slaves in the +villages of the Senecas, and that the Mohawk maidens are now the wives +of your young chiefs. We are full of sorrow. We have not sought war, and +we know that much suffering must be the result, for the warriors of the +Mohawks and the Onondagas are many and their arrows are long. They will +burn your villages and send many of your warriors to their long journey. +Your wives and little ones will be driven helpless into the forest, +and your old men will speak wisdom only to the fishes. The Senecas are +child-stealers and cowards, and the Mohawks and Onondagas will drive them +to the warm lands, where they can wear the tobacco pouches of the women +and become slaves." + +A murmur of sharp anger ran through the crowd of listening Senecas when +these bold words were spoken by Orontadeka. A sudden gesture of Kanyego, +chief of the Senecas, suppressed it, however, and he rose to make his +reply. For a long time he stood silent, with folded arms and bent head, +and then he said: + +"My Brothers: When Orontadeka, the Mohawk, has walked forth in the forest +and has watched the young of the bear at play, he has seen that they are +never still, but are full of life and daring deeds, even though their +parents reprove them with harsh voices. So has my brother seen the fawns +run like the wind across the plains, darting back and forth as though +they could never tire, until their elders draw in a circle about them and +will not let them out. My brother knows that the young men are as full of +life as the young animals, and, like the storms, cannot be restrained in +their course by those who look upon their destructive ways with fear. + +"When the young men of the Senecas journeyed on the trail they were +counseled by their elders to be wise, but their ears were stopped and +their eyes were closed to the dangers that lay in their path. They forgot +what had been told them, and from the homes of the Mohawks they brought +maidens for their wigwams. They had fears that the young Mohawk braves +would be lost in the forest without the maidens to guide them, and so +they led them to the land of the Senecas, where they might be taught to +fashion the bow and be of use to the women in keeping the birds from +the corn. The chiefs and sachems of the Senecas were not pleased that +their young warriors should have done this, but young men should never +be punished for deeds of bravery, even when they have forgotten the wise +counsel of the old men, lest they become cowards. + +"My Brothers: If the Mohawks had come to the council-fire of the Senecas +and asked that canoes and wampum and the warm furs of the bear and the +beaver be given them for their maidens the council would have heeded +their request, for have we not plenty? Even the young Mohawks would have +been returned to the care of their fathers, so that they might be kept +safe and not become wanderers where the wolves and panthers might harm +them. But the Mohawks have not thought best to do this, and have come to +the council-fire at night, when only war can be talked. They have refused +to eat the food offered them by the Senecas, and when the fire-keepers +would light the peace-pipe, they turned their heads. They come to tell +us that the warriors of the Mohawks have aroused the warriors of the +Onondagas, who are now upon the trail, ready and waiting to destroy the +homes of the Senecas, and anxious to drive us from the land the Great +Spirit gave us. + +"When the red men of the valley have come to the council-fire of the +Senecas without threats of war in their mouths they have always been +welcome, and when they had talked they departed in peace. But now they +come as spies and say that we are cowards, and bring the Mohawk and +Onondaga warriors behind them to destroy our villages. For this reason +let the Mohawk chiefs remain at our council-fire and the young Mohawk men +and women will be brought to keep them company. If the warriors of the +Mohawks and Onondagas come too close to the village of the Senecas they +will see Orontadeka and his friends start forth on the long journey, and +they will know that many will be sent to follow the same trail." + +The Mohawks were wholly unprepared for this turn of affairs, which must +have been agreed upon by the Senecas before the council opened. They were +quickly bound as prisoners. When the dawn broke the five Mohawk chiefs, +with the maidens and young men who had been stolen from their homes, were +held under a strong guard on a slight eminence near the village, and the +order had been given that if the invading warriors approached the village +Orontadeka and his fellow-prisoners should at once be put to death. +Scores of Seneca scouts were scouring the woods in every direction, and a +young Seneca, fearless of the dangers to which he was exposed, had long +ago started on his way to the camp of the superior force to inform them +that the Mohawk chiefs were held as hostages. He fulfilled his mission +and was at once made a prisoner. + +In the Seneca village all was activity. The women and children were +making ready to hurry away under guard, while the warriors were planning +ambuscades, in order that they might hold back the attacking force as +long as possible and cover the escape of their women and children toward +the south. + +The sun rose higher in the heavens and the scouts of the Senecas returned +one by one from the forest, telling of the advance of a great war-party +of Mohawks and Onondagas. Nearer and nearer they approached, evidently +believing that their great numbers rendered caution unnecessary, and that +the Senecas would either flee in panic or sue for peace at whatever terms +the invaders might dictate. A short distance from the village a party of +five Senecas came forward to meet them, and in loud voices warned their +foes to approach no nearer if they would save the lives of their chiefs +and of the Indian boys and girls held as prisoners with them. A halt was +called and the attacking party was upon the point of parleying with the +Senecas when the voice of Orontadeka was heard: + +"The Senecas should be driven away by the warriors of the Mohawks and +the Onondagas," he cried, "for not only are they child-stealers and +cowards, but traitors, who have forgotten that the Great Spirit made the +council-fire and commanded that it should not be violated. Orontadeka is +ready to go on his long journey. Let the warriors advance and see the +cowards run through the forest. Orontadeka and his friends will teach +them how to die." + +The guards over the captive Mohawks seized their victims and raised their +heavy stone-hatchets to strike the death-blows. The Mohawks and Onondagas +knew that advance on their part meant certain death to their chiefs and +the other prisoners, but they prepared to go forward with a rush. + +Then the voice of one of the young Mohawk girls rose in a cry that +fastened the attention of the warriors of both parties. Her gaze was +directed toward the sun, and from her lips came words that carried fear +and consternation to all their hearts. + +"See, see, my Brothers! The Great Spirit hides his smiling face and will +not look upon the battle of the red men. He will go away and leave them +in darkness if they burn the villages and with their poisoned arrows send +the hunters and the women and the children on their long journey before +they have been called. Look thou, my brothers, he has seen the Mohawk +maidens happy in the lodges of the Senecas, and he will not look upon +them in misery and death. He hides his face, my brothers! He hides his +face!" + +A moan of terrible fear went up from the warriors men who could meet +death on the chase or in the battle with a smile were unnerved by that +awful spectacle. They saw a black disc moving forward over the face of an +unclouded sun. + +The guards released their prisoners and fell at their feet. Mohawks, +Senecas and Onondagas mingled, imploring each other for pardon and +protesting the most profound friendship. The Seneca women and children +hurried from the woods, where they had been in hiding, and lent their +voices to the general clamor of fear. The wild, savage faces, streaked +with the various colored earths and pigments, were turned in fearful +apprehension toward the fast-darkening heavens, becoming wilder and more +savage by the terrible fear that filled them. The sachems and wise men +hid their faces in their fur robes, and the warriors groveled in terror +upon the ground. The eagle, the hawk and flocks of smaller birds darted +blindly among the branches of the trees, while strange cries of alarm and +distress came from every side. The panther and the bear ran whimpering +and whining with the rabbit; the fox and other denizens of the forest +sought the frightened red men for protection, or lay trembling and +panting under the cover of some prostrate giant of the forest. + +On, on crept that fearful black shadow, eating its way into the disc of +the beautiful sun, like a mighty demon that had come to blot out of +existence the source of light and warmth and life, while over the fresh +and budding earth spread the ghostly gloom that never fails to inspire +the most careless observer with awe. The flowers that filled the woods +with such profusion closed as though night had suddenly fallen upon them; +the warmth and fragrance of the day that had opened with such glory gave +way to the damps of evening, while the stars and planets appeared again +in the heavens. Over the whole face of nature was thrown an unearthly, +cadaverous hue, and in the sudden chill everything was cold and sodden +with the falling dew. + +At last, through that awful gloom, the frightened and trembling red +men saw the once tall and erect, but now bent and tottering, form of +Sagoyountha, the aged sachem of the Senecas, creeping forth from his +wigwam. Reaching the center of the terror-stricken assemblage, the aged +man appeared to be suddenly endowed with the vigor of youth, and stood +before them like a mighty warrior, while his scarred and wrinkled face, +upon which had beaten the storms of more than a hundred winters, was +turned toward the dread spectacle in the heavens, the like of which even +Sagoyountha had never looked upon. His voice rang once more with the +clear tones that had awakened the echoes of the forests long before any +of his listeners were born, and it sounded strangely sharp and loud in +the awesome silence that prevailed. + +"My children, Sagoyountha speaks to you in the voice of the past, but +his eyes are looking into the future. The Great Spirit is angry with his +children, for he would have them live in peace. He has drawn the door +of his wigwam before his smiling face, and his children will see him no +more, unless they smoke the pipe that he gave their fathers when he sent +them forth from the Happy Hunting-Grounds. Sagoyountha has spoken. Will +his children hear his voice?" + +Kanyego sprang from the ground as though stung by an adder, and, +crouching low, ran rapidly to the village. He was absent but a few +moments, and came running once more to the circle of chiefs, bearing in +his hands the sacred pipe, in which was glowing the fragrant tobacco. +From one to another it was hastily passed, while the anxious faces were +upturned in mute appeal towards the darkened sun. + +Look! ah, look! The aged Sagoyountha reaches out his arms in +supplication, and the bright and dazzling edge of the beautiful orb of +day once more appears! + +Shouts of joy arise from the red men, while the women and children cry +aloud with gladness, as hope once more comes to their hearts. The aged +Sagoyountha sinks to the ground, and, with feeble voice and trembling +lips, commences the chanting of his death-song. Fainter and fainter +are the words borne upon the air as the light of the sun increases, +and, finally, the breathless throng lose the tones wafted back from +the journeying spirit as it reaches the very portals of the Happy +Hunting-Grounds. + +In the light of the twice-dawned day, and in the presence of the sacred +dead, who had pointed out to the red men the path by which to escape the +displeasure of their Father, the Confederacy of the Iroquois was formed. + + + + +BIRTH OF THE ARBUTUS + + +MANY, many moons ago there lived an old man alone in his lodge beside a +frozen stream in the great forest beyond the wide waters of the northern +lakes. His locks were long and white with age and frost. The fur of +the bear and cunning beaver covered his body, but none too warmly, for +snow and ice were everywhere. Over all the earth there was winter. The +winds came down the bleak mountain sides and wildly hurried through the +branches of the trees and bushes, looking for song-birds that they might +chill to the heart. Even the evil spirits shivered in the desolation and +sought to dig for themselves sheltering caves in the deep snow and ice. +Lonely and halting the old man went abroad in the forest, looking for the +broken branches that had fallen from the trees that he might keep alive +the fire in his lodge. Few fagots could he find, and in despair he again +sought his lodge, where, hovering over the fading embers on his hearth, +he cried in anguish to the Great Spirit that he might not perish. + +Then the wind moaned in the tree-tops and circling through the forests +came back and blew aside the skin of the great bear hanging over his +lodge door, and, lo! a beautiful maiden entered. Her cheeks were red like +the leaves of wild roses; her eyes were large and glowed like the eyes +of the fawn at night; her hair was black as the wing of the crow, and so +long that it brushed the ground as she walked. Her hands were clad in +willow buds; over her head was a crown of flowers; her mantle was woven +with sweet grasses and ferns, and her moccasins were white lilies, laced +and embroidered with the petals of honeysuckle. When she breathed, the +air of the lodge became warm, and the cold winds rushed back in affright. + +The old man looked in wonder at his strange visitor, and then opened +his lips and said: "My daughter, thou art welcome to the poor shelter +of my cheerless lodge. It is lonely and desolate, and the Great Spirit +has covered the fallen branches of the trees with his death-cloth that I +may not find them and light again the fire of my lodge. Come, sit thou +here and tell me whom thou art that thou dost wander like the deer in +the forest. Tell me also of thy country and what people gave thee such +beauty and grace, and then I, the desolate Manito, will tell thee of my +victories till thou dost weary of my greatness." + +The maiden smiled, and the sunlight streamed forth and shot its warmth +through the roof of the lodge. The desolate Manito filled his pipe of +friendship, and when he had drawn of the fragrant tobacco, he said: "When +I, the Manito, blow the breath from my nostrils the waters of the river +stand still, the great waves on the lakes rest, and the murmurings of the +streams die away in silence." + +Then the maiden said: "The Manito is great and strong and the waters know +the touch of his breath; but when I, the loved of the birds, smile, the +flowers spring up over all the forest and the plains are covered with a +carpet of green." + +Then said the Manito: "I shake my locks, and lo! the earth is wrapped in +the death-cloth of snow." + +Then the maiden replied: "I breathe into the air and the warm rains +come and the death-cloth vanishes like the darkness when the great fire +awakens from its bed in the morning." + +Then the Manito said: "When I walk about, the leaves die on the trees and +fall to the ground; the birds desert their nests and fly away beyond the +lakes; the animals bury themselves in holes in the earth or in caves in +the mountain side, and the winds wail the death-chant over all the land." + +"Ah, great is the Manito," said the maiden, "and his mighty name is +feared by all living things in the land. 'Great is the Manito,' says all +the world, and his fame has spread among the children of the Great Spirit +till they crouch with fear and say: 'Mighty and cruel is the Manito! +Terrible is the Manito, and more cruel and cunning in his tortures than +the red men. His strength is greater than the strength of the giant trees +of the forest, for does he not rend them with his mighty hands?' But when +I, the gentle maiden, walk forth, the trees cover with many leaves the +nakedness which thou, the great Manito, hath caused; the birds sing in +the branches and build again the nests from which thou drivest them; the +animals seek their mates and rear their young; the wind sings soft and +pleasant music to the ears of the red man, while his wives and papooses +sport in the warm sunshine near his wigwam." + +As the maiden spoke, the lodge grew warm and bright, but the boasting +Manito heeded it not, for his head drooped forward on his breast, and he +slept. + +Then the maiden passed her hands above the Manito's head and he began to +grow small. The blue birds came and filled the trees about the lodge and +sang, while the rivers lifted up their waters and boiled with freedom. +Streams of water poured from the Manito's mouth, and the garments that +covered his shrunken and vanishing form turned into bright and glistening +leaves. + +Then the maiden knelt upon the ground and took from her bosom most +precious and beautiful rose-white flowers. She hid them under the leaves +all about her, and as she breathed with love upon them, said: + +"I give to you, oh! precious jewels, all my virtues and my sweetest +breath, and men shall pluck thee with bowed head and on bended knee." + +Then the maiden moved over the plains, the hills and the mountains. The +birds and the winds sang together in joyous chorus, while the flowers +lifted up their heads and greeted her with fragrance. + +Wherever she stepped, and nowhere else, grows the arbutus. + + + + +A LEGEND OF THE RIVER + + +MANY hundred moons ago there dwelt among the Senecas a maiden named +Tonadahwa, whom every young chief coveted to grace his wigwam. One of the +young braves of her tribe had won her heart by imperiling his life to +save her from impending danger, and to none other would she listen. Her +smiles were all for her hero, and her eyes lighted like the sunbeams when +he was near. + +One day the maiden was urging her canoe swiftly along the river, little +thinking that great danger awaited her and threatened her life and +happiness. Darting along the bank of the stream, unseen by Tonadahwa, +was a young Seneca warrior, who had been a suitor for her hand, but whom +she had spurned and avoided. Her light canoe had borne her far from the +village of the Senecas, when she suddenly heard what she supposed was +the call of her lover on the shore. Resting on her paddle, Tonadahwa +listened and again heard the welcome call that deepened the rich color in +her rounded cheeks. Answering with a cry of joy, she headed the canoe +toward the bank, and with a few strokes sent it gliding underneath the +overhanging branches. + +But it was not the form of Tonadahwa's lover that sprang suddenly into +the canoe. It was that of the dark and angry rival, and she saw in his +face a look of evil triumph. + +The maiden uttered no shriek, gave expression to no surprise, though her +eyes darkened and her cheeks assumed a duskier hue. With an exclamation +that almost drove hope from Tonadahwa's heart, the hated lover caught the +paddle from her hands and sent the light craft rapidly towards the middle +of the stream. + +Suddenly a bright object cleft the air and an arrow sped from the bank +of the river and buried itself between the shoulders of the cowardly +abductor as he bent forward to clasp the shrinking maiden in his arms. +With a cry, the defeated rival leaped into the river, hurling the paddle +from him as he sprang, and with his last remaining effort pushed the +canoe and its occupant far out into the rapid current. The whirling, +seething rapids caught the helpless craft and bore it onward with +terrific speed. Tonadahwa waved a farewell to her lover, and, chanting +her death-song, which the pines along the shore caught and whispered, +the canoe went flying amid the mist and spray of that roaring tide. + +Green as the emerald, save where whipped into white foam or enshrouded in +mist, the river rushed on, and the frail canoe, tossed as a plaything at +the sport of the current, was whirled onward until lost in the roar and +tumult of the impetuous flood. + +Like the wind the despairing lover flew along the shore to the high banks +overlooking the falls. There he paused a moment until the canoe and its +precious freight were lost to view. Then, raising his arms a moment +toward the Happy Hunting-Grounds, he leaped into the fearful abyss. + +But amid the pelting spray and beating flood appeared myriads of shadowy +forms--spirits of the mighty braves who long before had found the land of +pleasant forests. Swiftly, yet gently, they lowered the form of the hero +until he stood unharmed beneath the fall of roaring water, and received +in his arms the unconscious form of Tonadahwa, which was held by the +braves to await his coming. + +Clinging to the broken rocks, buffeted and blinded by the awful flood, +the daring and triumphant Seneca bore his loved burden to a place of +safety and watched with thankfulness her return to consciousness and +life. + +The pine trees ever after gently murmured Tonadahwa's song, and, mingled +with the roar of waters, listening lovers through all succeeding time +can often hear the strange, weird cry of Tonadahwa's lover as he plunged +headlong after the beloved maiden. + + + + +LEGENDS OF THE CORN + + +AN old and honored chief went alone to the top of a high mountain to +meet the Great Spirit. The chief told the Great Spirit that the red men +were tired of the roots and herbs which, with the fruits that grew on +the trees and the bushes, made up their food, and he asked the Father to +send them some of the food used in the Happy Hunting-Grounds. The Great +Spirit told the chief to take his wives and papooses and go forth in the +moon of rains and stand on one of the plains, not moving from the place +where they stopped for the space of three suns. Then the Great Spirit +would come and give the Indians food. The chief went back to his people +and told them what he had heard from the Great Spirit. When the moon of +rains came they did as the chief had been directed. In three suns all +had fallen asleep. They were left undisturbed by the Indians, for this +peculiar manifestation was regarded as a mark of especial favor. In a +few weeks the old chief and the members of his family had changed into +luxuriant green plants. The council assembled, sent the wise men to +visit the field, and what they found there was corn. + + * * * * * + +Long and earnestly a young brave wooed a beautiful maiden, and at last +gained her consent to live with him in his wigwam. But the days and +nights were lonely without her and the young brave could not remain away +from her lodge. Fearing that she might be stolen by one of her many +admirers, or that danger might come to her, he slept at night in the +forest that he might be near to protect her. One night he was awakened +by a light footstep and, starting up, saw his loved one stealing out of +her lodge as a sleep-walker. He pursued her, but, as if fleeing in her +dreams from a danger that threatened her life, she ran from him, speeding +through the paths like the fleet-footed hare. On and on he followed, and +finally drew so near that he could hear her quick breath and the rapid +beating of her heart. With all his remaining strength the lover sprang +forward and clasped the maiden's form to his breast. What was his grief +and astonishment when he found that his arms clasped, not the maiden he +loved, but a strange plant the like of which he had never seen before. +The maiden had awakened just as her lover overtook her, and had been so +frightened at her surroundings that she was transformed. She had raised +her arms to her head just as her lover caught her, and her uplifted hands +were changed into ears of corn, and where her fingers caught her hair the +maize bears beautiful silken threads. + + + + +THE FIRST WINTER + + +THERE was a time when the days were always of the same length, and it was +always summer. The red men lived continually in the smile of the Great +Spirit, and they were happy. But there arose a chief who was so powerful +that he at last declared himself mightier than the Great Spirit, and +taught his brothers to go forth to the plains and mock the Great Spirit. +They would call upon the Great Spirit to come and fight with them, or +would challenge him to take away the crop of growing corn, or drive the +game from the woods; they would say he was an unkind father to keep to +himself and their dead brothers the Happy Hunting-Grounds, where the +red men could hunt forever without weariness. They laughed at their old +men, who had feared for so many moons to reproach the Great Spirit for +his unfair treatment of the Indians, who were compelled to hunt and fish +for game for their wives and children, while their women had to plant +the corn and harvest it. "In the Happy Hunting-Grounds," they said, "the +Great Spirit feeds our brothers and their wives and does not let any +foes or dangers come upon them, but here he lets us go hungry many times. +If he is as great as you have said, why does he not take care of his +children here?" + +Then the Great Spirit told them he would turn his smiling face away from +them, so that they should have no more light and warmth, and must build +fires in the forests if they would see. + +But the red men laughed and taunted him, telling him that he had followed +one trail so long that he could not get out of it, but would have to come +every day and give them light and heat. Then they would dance and make +faces at him and taunt him with his helplessness. + +In a few days the quick eyes of some of the red men saw in the morning +the face of the Great Spirit appear where it was not wont to appear, but +they were silent, fearing the jibes of their brothers. Finally duller +eyes noticed the change, and alarm and consternation spread among the +people. Each day brought less and less of the Great Spirit's smile and +his countenance was often hidden by dark clouds, while terrible storms +beat upon the frightened faces turned in appeal toward the heavens. The +strong braves and warriors became as women; the old men covered their +heads with skins and starved in the forests; while the women in their +lodges crooned the low, mournful wail of the death-song, and the papooses +crawled among the caves in the rocks and mountains and died unheeded. +Frosts and snows came upon an unsheltered and stricken race, and many of +them perished. + +Then the Great Spirit, who had almost removed his face from the sight +of the red men, had pity, and told them he would come back. Day after +day the few that remained alive watched with joy the return of the sun. +They sang in praise of the approaching summer, and once more hailed +with thankfulness the first blades of growing corn as it burst from +the ground. The Great Spirit told his children that every year, as a +punishment for the insults they had given their Father, they should feel +for a season the might of the power they had mocked; and they murmured +not, but bowed their heads in meekness. + +From the bodies of those who had perished of cold and hunger sprang all +manner of poisonous plants, which spread themselves over the earth to vex +and endanger the lives of the Indians of all generations; and in after +years when any of the Indians from any reason "ate of the fatal root," it +was said of them that they had "eaten of the bodies of their brothers who +had defied the Great Spirit." + + + + +THE GREAT MOSQUITO + + +AN immense bird preyed upon the red men in all parts of the country. +Their homes were at no time safe from its ravages. Often it would carry +away children playing beside the wigwams, or, like a bolt of lightning, +dart from the sky and strike a woman or man bleeding and dying to the +earth. Whole fields of corn had been destroyed in a single night by its +ravages, and its coming was so swift and terrible that the Indians hardly +dared stir from the shelter of their houses. A strong party of Cayugas +and Onondagas finally determined upon its death, no matter at what cost +to themselves. A young warrior offered himself for the sacrifice. He was +provided with a quantity of raw-hide thongs, and repaired to one of the +open spaces, where it was believed the dreaded monster would discover +and descend upon him. The young brave was to bind one of the thongs upon +the bird's feet or upon some portion of its body, if possible, before +he killed him, and then his companions, rushing from their place of +concealment, would try to slay the enemy that had been snared with such +difficulty. The preparations were elaborately made, and the young brave +went forth on his dangerous mission. I Three days he sat, chanting his +death-song and awaiting the coming of his terrible fate. On the morning +of the fourth day the sky was suddenly darkened and the watchers saw +that the great bird was slowly circling above the heroic young Cayuga. +He ceased his chanting, and, standing upright, shouted defiance to the +almost certain death that awaited him. + +With a scream that turned the hearts of the waiting Indians cold with +terror, the bird dropped upon its victim like a panther on his prey. A +short and terrible struggle took place and then the concealed warriors +rushed forth to finish the work of their brave young companion, who had +succeeded in throwing one of the thongs over the great mosquito's neck. +They brought willing and ready hands to the battle, and the arrows poured +upon the struggling mass like a storm of hail. After a long encounter +the bird was killed, and the young Cayuga smiled in triumph as his last +glance rested upon the dead body of the monster. + +Runners were at once dispatched to the villages to inform the Indians +of the victory, and soon vast numbers of them came to look upon their +long-dreaded enemy that had been slain at such cost. Its body was larger +than that of the largest bear they had ever seen, and the breadth of its +outstretched wings was as great as the height of three men. Its talons +were as long as arrows, and its monstrous beak was lined with sharp +teeth. There was much rejoicing over the great mosquito's death, and for +several days feasting and dancing were held in honor of the bravery of +those who had rid the country of such a terrible scourge. Soon, however, +swarms of the poisonous little flies that have been the pests of all +nations since that time, infested the woods, and the Indians discovered +that they came from the body of the dead bird. Too late they realized +that the body of the great mosquito should have been burned when it was +first slain, for fire is ever the destroyer of evil spirits. + + + + +THE STORY OF ONIATA + +A MAIDEN more beautiful than had ever before been seen came into the +house of a great chief and grew to womanhood by his fireside. All the +tribes within a distance of many long journeys paid her homage, for, +though her eyes were as dark as the depths of the pool in the rocks, her +skin was as fair as that of the palefaces who came thousands of years +afterwards, and her hair was borrowed from the rays of the sun. + +The great chief was honored above all his people on account of his +beautiful daughter, for she could work charms that drove away the evil +spirits of sickness, and when her father went to battle or followed the +chase he was ever successful, for he carried with him the maiden's smiles +to daze and blind his enemies, or to aid in his search for the hidden +trail. Her songs were so full of music that when she sang the wild birds +were silent in the branches of the trees, and listened that they might +catch the tones of her voice. When she laughed the waters in the mountain +streams sought the deep pools and for very shame stopped their noisy +clamor. Her feet were so small and delicate that only the skins of fawns +were used to make her moccasins. The snow that lay over the earth in +winter was no whiter than her skin, and her cheeks were like the first +coming of the sun on the mornings when the corn is ripe. Never before had +the Indians seen one so beautiful, and the wise men whispered that she +had been sent by the Great Spirit from the Happy Hunting-Grounds to teach +the Indians what beauties awaited them when they had journeyed to their +long home. + +Over all the land spread the story of this wondrous maiden, like the +tidings of a bountiful harvest or the boastings of a successful chase. +From the villages far away came the young chiefs and warriors, and +when they had looked upon this lily of the forest and heard the music +of her voice they no longer had hearts for the hunt, but spent their +days in trying to win approving glances from the dark eyes of Oniata, +the daughter of Tiogaughwa. They brought for her the most gorgeous and +elaborate head-dresses of wampum, in which were woven the quills and +feathers of the birds their cunning had been able to ensnare. They +performed the most wonderful feats of agility and endurance, often vying +with each other until even their rugged natures could not withstand the +terrible self-imposed ordeals, and some sank exhausted or dying, while +the more fortunate ones shouted cries of triumph and victory, loudly +boasting of their own powers and strength. + +Tiogaughwa, the father of Oniata, was filled with pride at the attention +shown his daughter. His lodge was rich with presents of rare furs and +strings of wampum that had been laid at her feet; the medicine of the +wisest chiefs was freely placed at his disposal; he could have allied +his tribe with the most powerful--for the greatest chiefs and the most +renowned warriors sought to wed the beautiful Oniata. + +But there came a change to these happy days of the old chief, Tiogaughwa. +One day the chiefs and warriors were surprised to see the council-place +filled with the women and maidens from all the country around. They +deserted their lodges, left the fires to the care of the old men and +children, and, without heeding the dark looks of their husbands, sons or +brothers, took the places usually occupied by the wise men of the nation. +When all were assembled, the wives of five of the principal chiefs +were sent to ask Tiogaughwa and the chiefs and wise men to come to the +council-fires. + +When the chiefs and wise men were seated a silence fell on the +assemblage. At last it was broken by the first faint notes of the +mourning song of an Indian maiden for a lover who had been slain in +battle. Others joined the chant and the weird chorus was caught up by the +hundreds of women assembled, and filled the forests with notes of sorrow. +The song ceased, but its last note had scarcely died away before another +took its place. The Indian wives commenced chanting the sorrowful story +it was the custom of a deserted wife to sing in her lonely lodge when her +husband had left her to join another more congenial to his fancy. When +their complaint had ended, the women sat a long time with bowed heads. +Finally the wife of one of the chiefs--a tall, lithe, beautiful young +princess--stepped before the chiefs and sachems and said: + +"We have come to the council-fires, oh! my brothers, that we might +together tell the Great Spirit that the lovers of the Indian maidens +are dead, and to ask him to meet them at the borders of the Happy +Hunting-Grounds. We have come, too, oh! my brothers, to tell the Great +Spirit that the bad spirits have caught the ears of our husbands and have +told them tales that have led them from our lodges, and their wives and +papooses are sick with hunger. No longer is the smile of the dark maiden +sought by the young braves. She plaits her hair with flowers and wampum +and sits in the forests to await the coming of her mate; but the young +braves come no more to woo her, nor can they be found on the track of the +bear or the panther. They loll with the dogs in the shadow of Oniata's +wigwam and glare like the hard-wounded boar at the dark maidens who +approach them. They are dead, and the hearts of the Indian maidens are +full of sorrow. + +"The wives cover their heads with wolf skins and tell the Great Spirit +that their husbands have deserted them. Day after day they have kept the +lodge fires burning, but the hunters come not to sit in the light and +tell the stories of the chase. The feeble old men and boys have tried to +follow the hunt that they might provide the women with food. The papooses +have sickened and died, and the death-song has been raised many times. +But the warriors come not. They have forgotten their homes, as they lie +in their camps near the lodge of the white lily, where they are held in +sleep by the smiles of the Oniata. + +"Have the dark maidens lost their beauty, that their glances can never +again bring life to the hearts of the young braves? Have the dark wives +refused to do the bidding of their husbands that they should be deserted +like sick and wounded dogs fallen in the chase? + +"My brothers, Waunopeta, the wife of Torwauquanda, has spoken, and her +sisters have told her to say that if they no longer please the hearts +of the red men they ask to be sent on the long journey to the Happy +Hunting-Grounds." + +As Waunopeta ceased speaking and took her place among the crouching forms +of the women, there was a movement on the outer edge of the circle, and +in an instant Oniata stood in the centre of the council-place. There +was an exclamation of interest as this vision of wonderful beauty burst +upon them. Many had never seen her, and they were almost blinded by +a loveliness that was previous to that time unknown to the race. She +was clothed in the richest of skins, and her hair fell like a cloud of +sun-kissed mist over her beautiful shoulders. Her cheeks burned with +tints that betrayed her common ancestry with her dark sisters whom she +had unwittingly troubled. + +"Oniata is here!" she cried, as she looked around at the dark faces +before her, with eyes like those of the hunted fawn. "Oniata is here to +say that she has not asked for the smiles of the young braves. They +came around her wigwam and drove away the dream-god with their cries +and love-songs; but she covered her ears with the skins of the beaver +and would not listen to them. When Oniata went forth to the forest they +appeared before her like the thunder clouds, and she went back to her +wigwam and could not look at her father, the sun. The warriors came to +the lodge of the white lily and with shouts and cries told the Oniata +that their wives and children should be the white lily's slaves if she +would look out of her lodge upon them. But the Oniata called the women +of her wigwam about her and they laughed in the faces of the warriors. +Oniata loves her sisters, but they are angry at the white lily and ask +that she be sent away to the long home where she shall be seen no more +by the braves and warriors. She will go from the home of the red men and +her dark sisters--far away beyond the mountains and the great lakes--and +the braves will return to life for the dark maidens and seek them with +love-songs in the forests, while the warriors will once more go to their +wigwams where their wives and papooses await them. But her people will +remember the Oniata, for she will kiss the flowers in the forests as she +goes. + +"My sisters, the Oniata, daughter of the sun and the great chief +Tiogaughwa, has spoken." + +She waved her hand, and the circle of listening men and women parted +that she might walk through. The chief, Torwauquanda, started forward to +follow her, but the dark princess, Waunopeta, stood in his pathway, and +he knew by the looks of the menacing faces about him that the white lily +would go alone. + +Tiogaughwa rose as his daughter moved rapidly away, and said: "Oniata has +spoken well. She will go in peace. The scalp-lock of the warrior that +follows her will hang in Tiogaughwa's wigwam." + +The old chief turned and folded his arms over his breast, watching with +pathetic love the fast disappearing form of his daughter. + +Out into the forest went the Oniata--the loved of the sunshine, the dream +of the Indian--and the solemn council sat in silence as the beautiful +vision faded forever from their view. + +Far away from her people she wandered, never stopping to look back toward +the home she had loved. The sun warmed her pathway for many days, and at +night the sister of the sun smiled through the branches of the trees and +lighted the forest so the Oniata would not miss her lodge-fire as she +slept. When she rested beside the clear streams she caught to her bosom +the blossoms that covered the banks and breathed into their faces the +love she had borne for her dark sisters and her home. The fragrance of +her love filled their hearts and from that time they have freely given +their love to others, as Oniata bade them when she pressed them to her +lips and kissed them in her loneliness. When the clouds came and the +rain fell, Oniata was sheltered by the thick branches of the trees, and +when the rain had ceased she pulled the branches down, and pressing her +cheeks against them, thanked them for their kindness. The trees learned +gentleness from the maiden, and their blossoms have ever since spread +their grateful perfume on the air. + +Many moons passed. The dark maidens were again wooed by the young braves, +and the wives of the warriors were happy in the return of their husbands. +The winter came and cast its white cloud over the land, and the frosts +locked the rivers in prison houses of ice. But Oniata came not to the +home of her people. + +The great Tiogaughwa mourned his daughter in his lonely wigwam, and his +heart sang her death-song as he sat before the fire-place, in which no +fire was lighted, and bowed his head in mournful silence. + +The warm winds came again, and the young men and maidens were once more +filling the forests with their love-songs, while with laughter they +chanted the praises of their mates. Tiogaughwa saw all this, but his +heart was heavy and he had no words for the council-fire, no strength for +the chase. He left his people and walked away in the path that had been +taken by Oniata. Wherever he went the wild flowers raised their heads +and told him they had been kissed by Oniata, and the great Tiogaughwa +fell down beside them and caught the fragrance of her breath. When the +dew and the rain were upon them he could see once more the beauty of her +eyes, and the gentle songs of the soft winds through the trees that had +sheltered Oniata and had felt the loving touch of her caresses, told the +great Tiogaughwa that the light of his wigwam awaited his coming in the +long home. + + + + +THE MIRROR IN THE WATER + + +WHEN the Great Spirit made the earth and put the water in the deep +valleys to form lakes, and built the springs in the mountains to form +streams and rivers, he did not give to the water the power to show within +its surface his children's faces or to make the trees appear to grow +with their branches pointing deep into the ground. For many thousands +of summers the younger sister of the sun was never seen far down in the +bosom of the lake at night, and many times young men grew old and died +before the sun could see himself in the river, the warriors could put on +their war-paint by the deep pool in the woods, or the maidens plait their +braids with their smiling faces reflected from the laughing stream that +flowed beside the wigwams. + +The red men lived together peacefully and happily then beside a great +river. One day the young hunters came home in haste from the chase and +reported the coming of many strange people from beyond the river. They +said the strange men carried bows twice the height of the tallest chief +known in the peaceful tribes, or held in their hands branches of trees +to which were attached sharpened stones of great size. The chiefs and +wise men assembled, and scouts and runners were sent forth to see if the +young hunters had not been deceived by the evil spirits of the woods. +But the young hunters had not looked with double eyes, and the strange +warriors were as many as the pebbles on the bank of the river. The hearts +of the red men were filled with fear, for they knew not then how to fight +against such numbers, and the sachems arose from the council-fire and +went forth to the cave in the rocks where the Great Spirit talked with +them. The Great Spirit told his children that he would care for them and +protect them from the strange warriors, and he told the people to fear +not, but to obey the three fathers and fire-keepers of the nation. When +the night came the fathers told the men and women to build many fires on +the shore of the river, and when the fires were built the red men were +filled with fear to see burning, deep down in the water, a fire for each +fire on the shore. + +The strange warriors also saw these fires in the water, and they were +frightened and dared not cross the river in the night to destroy them. +But with the morning the strange warriors once more took courage and +plunged into the river to swim to the shore where the children of the +Great Spirit dwelt. Then the Great Spirit loosed the spirits of the storm +and they rushed down the mountain and out upon the river, and when he +called them back the strange warriors were not to be seen. Then the red +men went forth in their canoes and the water of the river was clear and +white. They looked down and saw first their own faces and above them the +smiling face of the Great Spirit; and then, down deep in the water, they +saw the bodies of the strange men who had come to destroy them. + +The water never changed again, for the Great Spirit saw it gave his +children pleasure, and he loved his children then. + + + + +THE BUZZARD'S COVERING + + +IN the beginning, the birds were created naked, but because of their +ill-shaped bodies and long legs they were ashamed and remained in hiding. +At that time their throats had not been so arranged that they could sing. +A long time afterwards they learned their music from the falling rain +and the whistling wind. But they could talk, and with loud voices they +bewailed their fate. Finally, with one accord, they began to cry and +shout as loud as they could, asking that they be provided with coverings. +The Great Spirit thereupon sent them word that their dresses were all +ready, but that he did not have time to come and see that they were +properly fitted. If they were in need of their raiment they must either +go or send to a particular place a long way off, where they would find +the coverings. + +A vote for a messenger was taken and the turkey buzzard was chosen +because he was so strong and hardy. He started proudly on his mission, +but the distance was so great that he became nearly famished before +reaching his destination, and, contrary to his habits in those days, he +was compelled to eat carrion to sustain life. At last he came to the +appointed place and found the coverings ready. As a reward for making +the journey, the buzzard had been given first choice of the garments. +He at once selected the most beautiful of the lot, but upon trying it +discovered that he could not fly well with so many long feathers to +manage, and so he laid the dress aside and tried others. One he feared +would soil too easily; another was not warm enough to satisfy his taste; +a third was too light-colored and would render him too conspicuous; a +fourth was composed of too many pieces and would require too much of his +time to care for it. So he went from one to another, finding some fault +with each, until there was but one suit left the plainest of all. As the +buzzard had been expressly forbidden to try on any of the coverings more +than once, he had but one choice left, and must either accept the plain, +homely, coarse suit he has since worn or go naked. + +Often when the birds hold councils in the woods they talk quite sharply +to the buzzard for his uncleanly habits. He never fails to retort that +his ancestor acquired them while doing a great service for others, and +he closes the discussion by reminding them that they have no special +reason to be vain, as he had choice of all the bird coverings and took +the one that pleased him best. + + + + +ORIGIN OF THE VIOLET + + +THERE was a brave Indian many moons before the white man came to the land +of his fathers who was the pride of all the men of the east. Though he +was young, yet among his people his word was law and his counsels were +listened to by the older chiefs with much attention. Three times had he +done his people service they could never forget. Once, the great heron, +that had preyed upon the children of the tribe for a long time, had +fallen pierced to the heart by the arrow from his bow. He had gone alone +and unarmed many days' journey without food to the mountain where dwelt +the witches, and brought from the medicine caves the roots that cured +his people of the plague. The third great service was when he had led a +band of warriors against their enemies over the mountains and returned +victorious. But on this journey the young warrior had seen a maiden +whom he loved, and he wanted her for his wigwam. The maiden dwelt among +the tribe that had felt the weight of the young chief's blow, and the +warfare between them prevented his buying her with the quills of the +wampum bird, as he could have done had she been one of his own people. +And yet, the young chief thought, unless he could light his wigwam with +the brightness of the maiden's eyes, his heart would no longer be brave +and he could not lead his young men to battle. For many moons he was in +hiding in the woods near the village of his foes, patiently watching for +the maiden whose eyes had softened his heart. He sang the praises of his +loved one so often to the birds as he crouched near their nests in the +branches of the trees that they took up his song and bore it with them in +their flight over I the plains and valleys. So often did the bear, the +fox and the beaver hear the praise of the maiden murmured by the young +chief in his sleep that they thought the forests had brought forth a new +flower of more radiant beauty than any they had seen. + +At last the young chief's vigils and waiting were rewarded, for one day +the maiden wandered into the forest. With the calls of the song-birds and +by singing her praises he lured her far from her home, and then he seized +and bore her away toward the hunting-grounds and village of his people. +The maiden had been watched by the jealous eyes of a young brave who +was her suitor, but he was cowardly, and when he saw her borne swiftly +away on the shoulders of the dreaded chief, he dared not follow, but ran +swiftly back to the village to give the alarm. The braves placed him in +the hands of the women because he was a coward, and started quickly in +pursuit of the girl and her captor. All night they followed them over +the rugged mountains and through the dark forests. In the morning they +overtook them and were filled with rage when they saw that the maiden was +a willing captive, for she had given her heart to the strong young chief, +knowing that he was brave and loved her. To signify her willingness to go +with him she had plaited the braids of her hair about his neck, as was +the customary way among them to indicate a marriage. Enraged at their foe +for his daring and at the girl for deserting her people, the pursuing +warriors killed them both on the spot and left their bodies where they +fell--the great braids of the maiden's hair encircling her lover's neck. + +From this spot sprang the violets; and the winds and birds carried the +seeds of the little flowers over all the world, into all countries where +men dare and maidens love, so that the Indians of all ages might know +that the Great Spirit would always raise a monument to true love and +bravery. + + + + +THE TURTLE CLAN + + +THEN the Great Spirit created the turtles he gave them a vast lake in and +about which they could reside, and where they would never be molested by +either animals or people. But the turtles were not satisfied with the +shape of the lake, and found fault with the hard, gravelly bottom and +clear water. So they set to work to bring all the mud they could find on +the plains surrounding it, and spread the loads of loose soil over the +bottom of the lake where they were accustomed to lie. So many of them +carried on the work that the lake was finally filled with the mud, and +became so shallow that during one particularly hot summer it was entirely +dry. Then the turtles held council and decided that the only way left +to them was to set out to find a place where there was good water. One, +a particularly wise and intelligent old fellow, urged his brethren to +decide first upon some fixed course to follow and then by all means to +remain together. Said he: "If we do this we will not only know exactly +where we are going, but we can help each other. There are a great many +of us, and if any foe attacks us we can together repel the attack, for +with our stone backs and sharp jaws we are well equipped for battle. Let +me tell you, my brothers, that the world is full of dangers, and unless +we are banded together and stand by each other, we will be scattered and +lose our standing as a nation." + +To this wise counsel the turtles apparently agreed, but each one wanted +the honor of presenting the plan that was to be followed, and each also +wanted the distinction of being chosen to lead his fellows. The wise old +turtle made every effort at conciliation and proposed several plans, any +one of which if accepted would have made the turtles a great and powerful +nation, but they could come to no agreement. At last the commotion became +so great that the voice of the wise turtle was drowned in the clamor, +and he was powerless to counsel his fellows any further. Finally each +turtle started off by himself, bound to follow his own inclinations, as +the turtles have done ever since. At this foolish course the wise turtle +became very angry. "Fools!" he cried, "I am ashamed to be counted as one +of the turtle race, and although in memory of the forefathers whom I +honor, I will always bear on my breast the form of a turtle, henceforth I +will not be a turtle." + +With a tremendous effort he threw the shell from his back and leaped +forth, a fully armed and painted warrior. The turtles were terribly +frightened and made off as fast as they could. From that day they have +been wanderers. + +The wise turtle became the progenitor of the turtle clan. He taught his +children to deliberate carefully upon all matters of importance; to give +attention and careful consideration to the counsels of their elders; and +to work in unity in whatever they undertook. + + + + +THE HEALING WATERS + + +NEKUMONTA, the strongest and bravest chief of the Mohawks, wandered alone +in silence through the primeval forest. The giant pines looked down upon +him with frowns; the moss, dark and sodden on the maples with rain, gave +only a gloomy greeting; the low beeches brushed against his anxious +face, and as he passed beneath them chilling showers fell from their icy +branches. Across his path the snarling panther crept in sullen anger; +the frightened rabbit sped away to its nest under the prostrate log; his +brother the bear turned aside and looked with sadness upon the troubled +face of Nekumonta as he hurried forward in the fast gathering darkness. +In all the forest no kindly sight came to comfort the strong and brave +chief of the Mohawks, whose footsteps were heavy with fatigue and whose +heart was burdened with sorrow. + +Through the cheerless, awful moons of snows and frosts the plague had +raged in the village of the Mohawks. Many days and nights had the +death-song been chanted for men, and women, and children. Few were +untouched by the terrible sickness, and the medicine men of the tribe +had long since seen the last of hoarded stores of herbs which they used +to put to flight the bad spirits. The strong and brave Nekumonta and the +light of his wigwam, Shanewis, had watched the fires of life go out many +times. They knew that the Happy Hunting-Grounds rang with the shouts and +laughter of their brothers and sisters; they sent them messages by the +echoing spirits and told them to watch for their coming; but they were +saddened because their brothers and sisters had gone on the long journey. +The home of the Mohawks was full of pleasure when the hunters and the +women, the young men, the maidens and the children worked together in the +fields of growing corn, or gathered at night around the lodge-fire and +listened to the legends told by the aged. + +At last the soft winds came, and their mellow songs drove the cold and +darkness from the valley. With their first notes came hope--hope that +when the awful winter had gone to his home in the north the plague would +also take its flight from the village. + +Then Nekumonta's heart died, for Shanewis, the light of his wigwam, was +stricken, and from her couch of furs smiled sadly as she whispered: +"Shanewis must fight with the bad spirits. She would not leave Nekumonta, +the strong and brave one of the Mohawks, but her brothers and sisters +call to her from their long home." + +For a moment Nekumonta stood erect, while upon his face came the shadows +of despair. As the weary hunter loses control of his canoe and sees below +him the rapids that in terrible fury play with their victim ere they hurl +it over the precipice of death; or, as the warrior who with rising hopes +has long withstood his foes, would see their reinforcements come when his +arm has lost its power, so upon Nekumonta came the realization of the +struggle yet to come. But his brave heart failed not, and bending over +the shivering form of his loved Shanewis, he said: + +"Shanewis shall live. Let her fight the bad spirits, and tell her +brothers and sisters who call to her that she cannot go to her long home +for many moons. Nekumonta has said it. He will find the healing vines of +the Great Spirit, and Shanewis shall live." + +The robe that covered the entrance of the lodge was pushed aside, and the +chief of the Mohawks hurried away into the forest. + +In many places the snows were not melted. The roots were locked in their +beds by the frost, and the medicine herbs had not yet awakened from their +sleep. Running through the open fields, looking anxiously among the +rocks, crawling under the fallen trees, hurrying with despair over the +barren hills, swimming the swollen streams and rivers, darting along the +shores of the half-frozen lakes, penetrating the gloom of the forbidding +forests, stopping neither for rest nor for food, Nekumonta searched, +repeating again and again, until the woods and fields were burdened with +the words: "Shanewis shall live! Nekumonta will find the healing vines of +the Great Spirit, and Shanewis shall live!" + +Three suns had passed since he left his lodge, and still his weary quest +was in vain. Wherever he looked only dead leaves and withered vines were +to be found. When darkness came and he could no longer see, the anxious +searcher had, on his hands and knees, crept onward all the night, hoping +that his keen scent would discover what his sight had failed to disclose +during the day. At the decline of the third sun, stumbling forward in the +gathering darkness, Nekumonta fell exhausted to the earth and the Great +Spirit touched his eyes with sleep. + +Then the dream-god came and Nekumonta saw Shanewis lying sleepless on her +couch of furs and heard her calling his name gently and with tenderness. +He saw that the plague ran through her veins like the fires that swept +the forest when the rustling leaves lay thick upon the ground. Then he +saw her creep to the door of the lodge and push aside the robe that shut +out the cold winds. Long and earnestly she looked into the darkness, +calling him to hasten to her side. He reached forward to clasp her in his +arms, and the vision faded. Now he was in his canoe, which the taunting +spirits of the plague were pushing down the river, and they laughed and +shouted in derision as he tried to catch the medicine plants that grew in +great abundance along the shores. Again, he was with his loved Shanewis +in the cornfields, filling the great baskets with roasting ears to be +taken to the fires where danced and sang the red men in honor of the +ripening harvest. Then the voices of the singers changed into low and +murmuring sounds, which finally grew more distinct until Nekumonta heard +the words: + +"Strong and brave chief of the Mohawks, we are the healing waters of the +Great Spirit. Take us from our prison and thy loved Shanewis shall live." + +Starting from his slumbers like an arrow from the bow, Nekumonta cast off +the dream-god and stood in the first light of the smiling face of the +Great Spirit as he came from his wigwam to open the new day. Swiftly his +glance darted from side to side, searching in vain every tree and bush, +every rock and stone for evidence of the presence of some one who could +have uttered the words that had come so distinctly that they must be more +than the echo of a dream. The practiced eye and ear of the hunter could +discover nothing unusual in the forest, though every faculty was awake, +every nerve strung to its greatest tension. With sadness and loss of hope +his attitude relaxed, and with heavy footsteps he turned toward the hills. + +And yet he could not go away. Something sent him back to the little +opening in the forest, and when he reached the spot where he had fallen +in the darkness the night before he bent suddenly and placed his ear to +the ground. + +What caused Nekumonta to leap to his feet with a cry of triumph that +rang over the hills like the shout of many warriors? What changed in an +instant the hopeless, dejected being who bent to the earth, to a creature +alert, with his hardened sinews standing out upon his body in eagerness +to expend its stifled strength? Faintly, yet distinctly, he had again +heard the murmuring voices: + +"Strong and brave chief of the Mohawks, here are the healing waters of +the Great Spirit. Take us from our prison and thy loved Shanewis shall +live." + +With a bound like that of the panther Nekumonta sprang to the hillside, +and from the trunk of a hardy ash that had been felled by the lightning's +bolt he tore the toughened branches, bearing them in triumph to the +valley. Back he ran like the wind and from the yielding soil dug armfuls +of sharp-edged stones, which he bore with hurrying steps to the place +where a promise had been opened to him greater than the one of the Happy +Hunting-Grounds. Not a moment did he pause, but the cry of "Shanewis! +Shanewis! Shanewis!" was almost constantly on his lips. + +The smiling face of the Great Spirit rose higher in the path it followed +for the day, and looked down over the hill tops at the toiling Nekumonta. +Forcing the toughened limbs of the ash tree deep into the ground he +wrested from their beds the huge bowlders that impeded his progress and +formed the prison of the healing waters. With the sharp-edged stones +he cut the hard earth, and with torn and bleeding hands he hurled the +rough soil from the excavation. Like a very god incarnate the dauntless +spirit toiled--never resting, never tiring, never stopping except at long +intervals, when he bent his ear to the earth. Each time he heard the +voices, swelling louder and louder, and repeating over and over again the +promise that lent him an energy that could have torn the earth asunder +had it refused to yield its life-giving treasure for the light of his +wigwam. + +When the smiling face of the Great Spirit had reached the middle of its +trail and turned once more to the door of his great lodge, the tireless +Nekumonta leaped to the edge of the excavation with renewed shouts of +joy and triumph, and the woods resounded with the laughter and songs +proclaiming that the imprisoning barrier had been broken open. The +sparkling, healing waters heard the welcome voices in the woods, and +rising from their dark prison filled all the place the toiler had torn +open in the earth, and then ran merrily down the valley in the sunlight. + +Nekumonta bathed his bruised hands and burning face in the grateful +waters and then hurried away in the forest. On and on he ran, with a +step so light that the dead leaves scarcely felt its touch, and with a +strength that laughed the wind to scorn. His path was straight through +the forest to the clay banks where his people came in the moon of the +falling leaves and made the vessels in which they cooked their corn +and venison. Here his energy was born anew, and with a skill that was +marvelous in its dexterity he fashioned a jar to contain the healing +waters. From its hiding place he brought the fire stone, and the store +of branches collected by the old men and children at the last moon of +falling leaves furnished him a supply of fuel. When the smiling face of +the Great Spirit entered the door of his wigwam in the west Nekumonta +took from the dying embers the perfected result of his handiwork. + + * * * * * + +The warm winds, laden with hope and comfort, stole gently through the +forest and sang with gladness of the death of winter. Life came once more +to the swaying branches of the trees, and the first notes of the robins +and blue birds thrilled the listening air with a sweetness for which it +had long hungered. The second day of spring had dawned on the home of +the Mohawks the village where the gaunt figure of the awful plague had +reveled in a dance of death throughout the weary moons of winter. + +Suddenly a triumphant shout filled the air. The hearts of weary watchers +stood still with suspense, fearing that the evil witches had once more +returned to taunt them of their helplessness. The plague-stricken woke +from their fitful sleep and called piteously to the Manito. Once more the +shout arose--louder, clearer, more triumphant--a pealing cry of victory +from the strong and brave Nekumonta. + +Bearing aloft in his arms the vessel containing the healing waters, +Nekumonta burst from the deeper gray of the forest like a flood of +sunshine and ran with steps as light as the warm winds themselves to the +darkened lodge of his loved Shanewis. With the soft mosses he had caught +from the banks of the streams he soothed her fevered form, and with +draughts of the grateful healing waters she was lured to returning health. + +Thus the loved Shanewis came back from the very borderland of the Happy +Hunting-Grounds to her home with the Mohawks. + + + + +THE SACRIFICE OF ALIQUIPISO + + +TROUBLE came to a village of the Oneidas. From the north a band of red +men who had listened to the bad spirits came upon the peaceful village, +and, with murder and plunder in their hearts, spread destruction around +them like the wild chase of the forest fires. The homes of the Oneidas +were deserted and made desolate, and the women and children were hurried +away to the rocks and hills for refuge and were guarded by the warriors. +For many days and nights the attacking party vainly tried to find the +trail of the people they had driven from their homes. The Great Spirit +had passed his hands over the forest and the trail of the Oneidas was not +discovered by the savage Mingoes. + +But the Oneidas were almost without food, and over the tops of the trees +and along the face of the almost inaccessible cliff came hunger and death +to their hiding place. The warriors and sachems sat long at the council, +but their eyes were heavy and they could find no path that would lead +them from their trouble. To try to escape from their refuge would expose +them to capture and slavery at the hands of their foes. To remain where +they were meant starvation and death. + +Then the little maiden, Aliquipiso, came to the warriors and sachems and +told how the good spirits had come to her sleeping under the trees, and +had shown her where from the side of the high bluff on which her people +were hiding huge rocks could be rolled into the valley below in such a +manner as to strike down the very trees there. The good spirits also told +her to lead the foes of the Oneidas to the spot and bade her go upon the +mission that she might deliver her people from their danger. The warriors +and sachems listened to the unfolding of the plan with wonder, and when +Aliquipiso had finished, the chief brought forth rich strings of white +wampum and put them about her neck, saying that she was the princess +of all the nation and beloved of the Great Spirit. When the night came +the little maiden left her people quietly and without faltering, and +disappeared in the darkness. + +In the morning watchful scouts of the Mingoes found a little girl +wandering as if lost in the forest. They hurried away with her to the +dismantled village where she had been so happy with her fellows and at +once commenced to torture her, hoping to extort the secret of the hiding +place of her people. With a fortitude that won the admiration of her +captors, Aliquipiso resisted the torture for a long time, but finally +told the cruel tormentors that when the darkness came she would lead them +to the hiding place of the Oneidas. + +Night came again, and the exultant Mingoes started on the trail they +believed would lead them to the camp of the Oneidas. Aliquipiso led the +way, but she was in the grasp of strong warriors who were ready with +poised weapons to take her life at the first evidence of a betrayal. +Through many paths and windings, slowly and craftily, crept the Mingoes +until they were near the overhanging precipice of granite. Then +Aliquipiso signaled to the warriors to come close around her, as though +she were about to roll back the huge mountain wall and disclose to them +those whom they pursued. When they had crowded to her side she suddenly +lifted her voice in a piercing cry of warning--a signal of death. She +knew that above them the sleepless sentries of the starving Oneidas were +holding great bowlders poised upon the brink of the precipice. + +Her captors had scarcely time to strike her lifeless to the ground before +the rocks rushed with terrible force down the side of the mountain, +catching and crushing the entrapped warriors like worms under the foot of +a mighty giant. + +Aliquipiso, brave maiden of the Oneidas, was mourned by her people many +suns. The Great Spirit changed her hair into woodbine, which the red men +called "running hairs," and sent it over the earth as a protector to +old trees. From her body sprang the honeysuckle, which was known to the +Indians as "the blood of brave women." + + + + +WHY THE ANIMALS DO NOT TALK + + +IT was long ago, so long that the books of the white men cannot tell +the time, that all the animals in the forest could talk with the red +men. There was a time when the animals came to the great council-fires +and lent to the Indians the knowledge they possessed of the woods and +streams. The wise beaver taught the Indian women and children where +to snare the pike and salmon, and how to build houses that would keep +out the rain and frosts. The bear and the wolf led the braves out on +the plains and through the forests and imparted to them their skill in +following the trail. The dog, by patient example, gave to the red men the +tact and power to watch for many suns without weariness. From the raccoon +the red men learned to mount the trunks of the largest trees. The horse +consorted with the Indians on the plains and showed them the secret of +swift running. The panther taught them how to conceal themselves in the +thicket, on the branches of an overhanging tree or behind the ledge of +rocks, and to rush forth upon their enemies like the sudden burst of the +whirlwind. + +Thus from every beast of the forest the red men took lessons in the +craft of the woods and plains, and when they had finished all the other +lessons, the fox led them far away into the forest and taught them the +cunning necessary to make use of each. In this way they lived while the +summer and the winter came many times, and they were happy. + +But there came a time when the animals saw that the red man was their +master. He had the wisdom of the beaver, the keen scent of the bear +and the wolf, the patience and fidelity of the dog, the agility of the +raccoon, the speed and endurance of the horse, the spring of the panther +and the cunning of the fox. + +Often the beaver would be surprised to find that the Indian boys and +women had not been content with fishing in the places he had pointed out +to them, but had wandered away to streams which he had hoped to keep for +himself. Furthermore, they were looking with envious eyes upon his warm +coat of fur, and he feared that they might want it for a covering. Their +houses were built with even more skill than his own, and as they had +learned to fashion boats out of the trees he had felled for them and had +made for their use paddles shaped like his tail, they could dart across +the lake or along the river faster than he could ever hope to. And the +beaver was saddened because he had taught the Indians wisdom. + +The bear and the wolf, wandering in the woods, often saw the Indians +following the trail far into the forest. At the same time the Indians +so cunningly disguised their own trail that the wolf howled with anger +when he tried to follow the red men, and the bear grew surly and retired +to his den in the rocks. With the keen scent the bear had trained, the +Indians sought out the trees where the bees stored their honey, and thus +he was robbed of much of the food he loved best. The wolf heard a young +brave promise a maiden that if she would live in his wigwam she should +rest on a couch made of wolf skins and be covered with the warm fur of +the bear. So the wolf and the bear took their little ones into dark caves +and kept away from the homes of the red men. + +The dog, too, found that he no longer held first honors for faithfulness +at the watch. But he was not angered at the knowledge that his brother +could rival him, but lay with him many nights on guard in the wilderness, +vying with him in vigilance. When their long vigils were ended the dog +and the Indian would play together and make merry with each other over +the result of their friendly contest. + +The panther was jealous and raged through the forests with fury. +Sometimes, to his surprise and wrath, when he had taken every precaution +to conceal himself from his brother, the red man, the branches of the +young trees would part as silently as if swayed by the breath of summer, +and between them would appear his red brother, laughing at him for hiding +himself so ill. + +When the raccoon reached the highest point to which he dared climb, +the Indian boys would follow him with shouts of laughter, and go still +further toward the ends of the swaying and bending branches, hanging +from them in such a dangerous and reckless manner that it made the old +raccoon's head turn dizzy, and he went away to the hills by himself. + +The Indians learned their lessons so thoroughly of the horse and +practiced them with so much patience that finally that animal found he +could no longer play when they had races on the plains. But he enjoyed +the contests with his red brothers, and when they returned to the village +he would follow and the Indian maidens would mount his back and ride +proudly to the council-fire. + +The fox was greatly chagrined to find that his cunning and tricks were +matched on the part of his red brothers with others equally shrewd. No +matter how carefully he concealed his trail--though he walked in the beds +of the streams or circled the mountains till he had almost lost his own +pathway--the Indians would track him through all his windings. When he +tried to lead them astray by subtle tales they laughed at his deceptions +and put him to shame before his friends and neighbors. + +So it came to pass that the Indians possessed the knowledge of all the +animals. They could follow the trail with the scent of the bear or the +wolf; build more wisely than the beaver; climb more daringly than the +raccoon; watch more faithfully than the dog; crouch more closely and +spring more surely than the panther; race the plains as swiftly as the +horse, and outwit the cunning of the fox. + +Then the animals held a council, but the fire was not lighted in its +accustomed place and the red men were in heavy slumbers while their +brothers of the forest talked. + +The jealous wolf opened the discussion and declared that when he had +carefully looked on all sides of the existing state of affairs he saw +but one course for the animals to pursue. They ought to rush in upon the +villages and kill all the Indians and their women and papooses. + +The bear was more noble, and said that he thought this proposition was +unfair. He declared, however, that the animals could not stand still any +longer and look without fear upon the dangers which confronted them. It +was their duty to challenge the Indians to an open war. + +The beaver argued that the better way would be to wait till the chilling +blasts should come and then in the night tear away the houses the Indians +had built to protect themselves and their little ones from the cold. +The storms of winter, the beaver said, would very soon put these smart +fellows in a condition that would make them anxious enough to come to +some terms advantageous to the animals. + +The horse said it would not be right to cause the Indians pain or death. +The Indians were not bad neighbors, though perhaps a trifle too apt and +smart for the rest of them. For a great many years, said the horse, his +ancestors and the red men had been on the best of terms--not so much as +a ripple of trouble having disturbed their relations. He could not for a +moment think of entering into any plan whereby he would be called upon +to help take his brother's life or cause him pain. He had heard that +away over beyond the great mountains there was a pleasant country--not +as pleasant and fertile as the one in which they now lived, but a fairly +good place to live in. He would therefore propose that the animals invite +the Indians to go there on a great harvest expedition, and when once the +red men were safely over the mountains the animals could steal away in +the night and return to their loved homes. The panther scoffed at the +horse for advancing what he was pleased to call a silly and senseless +plan. The beaver, too, the panther said, was much too leniently inclined. +The Indians were to be feared, and if the animals were to retain any of +their freedom and independence they must follow the advice of the wolf. +Only total extermination of the Indian race could be depended upon to +warrant them from further molestation from the red men. What good would +it do, forsooth, to lure the red men over the mountains and then run away +from them? Did the horse think the Indians sick nurslings or women to lie +down on the big plains over the mountains and make no effort to return +to their loved streams, lakes and forests? Why, the Indians would come +back as quickly as could the horse himself, and then the very ground +would be made red with the blood of those who had decoyed them away from +homes that had for generations been held in such high reverence by the +Indians. He advocated an immediate advance upon the villages and would +give quarter to none. + +All eyes were turned toward the raccoon as he rose to speak, for his +was a very old family and had long been held in high respect by all +the inhabitants of the forest. He said he could not exactly side with +the panther, for the Indians had never done him any great harm. He was +convinced, however, that the country ought to be rid of them, for they +were becoming altogether too well skilled in the craft of the woods. Too +much power in the hands of one individual, said the raccoon, was apt to +make it unpleasant for those with whom he lived. He favored the plan +advanced by the beaver. They could lay their plans carefully, and in this +manner bring about a treaty that would keep the Indians within proper +bounds. + +The fox felt sure that the better plan would be for the animals to put +themselves under his training. He would teach them how to cheat and steal +while pretending friendship. They could then easily strip the red men's +fields of the corn that had been planted for the winter. They could take +from their moorings on the river banks the boats and fishing nets of bark +and float them far away down the stream where they would be lost in the +rapids. In this manner they could soon have the Indians at their mercy +and bring about a treaty on the plan proposed by the beaver and seconded +by the raccoon. The plan, he continued, offered no danger to them, as did +the contests proposed by the panther and the wolf; and he thought that +mature deliberation would convince all that it was the best one to adopt. + +The dog said that not until the present time had he ever realized what +it was to be a beast. He felt ashamed to think he had been weak enough +to be prevailed upon to attend a council to which their red brothers +were not bidden. It was contrary to the custom that had existed since +the Great Spirit first sent them to this fair and beautiful country. +He expected that they would all be punished for such treachery, and +indeed they ought to be. The Indians had as yet treated them only with +kindness and respect. Many times in winter, when the snows lay so deep +on the ground that no food could be found the Indians had opened their +homes to the animals who had not made suitable provision for food, and +had fed them and kept them from perishing with hunger. There had never +been a time, said the dog, as he looked around the circle of listeners +and waited for a denial of his assertion, when any Indian had refused +shelter, food or aid to a needy, sick or suffering animal. To be sure +the Indians had acquired all the knowledge that the animals possessed, +but their doing this had in no manner impoverished the animals. As they +had lost nothing by this, he saw no reason why they should be jealous +and fault-finding about it. Would it not be far wiser for the animals to +profit by the example set by the Indians and teach each other the various +traits and characteristics each possessed than to be consumed by jealousy +and revenge, and in the heat of passion break a peace that had existed +for so many years? He could not, and would not be a party to any of the +plans proposed, and if the other animals persisted in following out any +of those cruel and treacherous schemes he should consider it his duty to +leave the council and go to the village to warn his sleeping brothers of +their danger. More than that, he would fight on the side of the red men +if it became necessary, and help them defend their lives and homes from +the attack of any force that might be brought against them. + +When the dog had ceased speaking the wolf and the panther were in +a terrible rage. They accused the dog of cowardice, bad faith, +bribe-taking, desertion and treachery. They said he had been made foolish +and silly by the praise that had been lavished upon him by the Indian +maidens. They reviled him and stuck out their tongues at him for being +lovesick after the Indian women. They said he had turned nurse for the +papooses and hereafter would better stay in the villages of his new-found +friends and lie in the sun with the old men. They dared him to go to the +village and expose the proceedings of the council, saying that if he +attempted it they would set upon and kill him. "For a poor and meagre +crust of maize-cake, too hard for the teeth of the red men to crush," +said the panther; "you have been bought, and you give up all claim to the +rights that have been held sacred by the dogs of all times. We should +think that the memory of your forefathers and the long line of noble dogs +who have lived before you came on earth to disgrace them would stir you +to action for the honor of your race." + +"No," said the wolf; "he can remember nothing but the soft caresses of +the Indian girls upon his head. I saw him the other day lying at the feet +of Garewiis, the daughter of the chief Teganagen, and when he raised his +eyes and looked at her she took his head in her arms and laid her cheek +against him, all the time stroking his back and singing to him as she +will sing to her papooses when they come to her wigwam. Not only has he +sold himself to be the friend of the Indians and sit quietly by while we +are enslaved, but he is lovesick and his head is turned." + +This warm and intemperate language caused much confusion and something of +a sensation, though the dog remained calm and dignified. He showed by no +outward sign that the uncivil and untruthful charges of the panther and +the wolf had even been heard, much less heeded. + +The horse instantly sprang into the open place before the fire and hurled +at the two false accusers his most powerful eloquence. "I come as a +champion of my friend, the dog," he said. "You have insulted and maligned +him in a manner that calls for the condemnation of all honorable beasts. +He is my brother. Because there is some difference in our tastes and I +am his superior in size, it makes him none the less my brother. I love +him, for he is gentle, affectionate, trustworthy, noble and brave. You, +the panther, and you, the wolf, boast of your bravery; yet which of you +dared rush into the burning forests as did my brother, the dog, and lead +the blind doe to a place of safety? Which of you dared plunge into the +river, made deep and dangerous by the melting snows as winter died and +the warm winds came to bury--him when the waters boiled and foamed to the +very tops of the high banks and spread out over the plains like a great +lake--and from the midst of that angry flood bring safely to the shore a +weak and drowning companion who had stumbled and fallen over the bank? +I have heretofore loved you all, but henceforth I shall be ashamed to +acknowledge the wolf and panther as my brothers. They seem to think that +bravery consists in cruel attack and glistening teeth, but I can tell +them that it is more surely found in noble deeds. I will follow the dog +to the homes of the red men, and together we will fight against the cruel +practices you design to put in force." + +As the horse ceased speaking the Great Spirit came suddenly to the +council-fire and said that the loud voices of the disputants had been +borne to his ears by the message-bearers and he had listened in sorrow to +all that had been said. He had therefore left the Happy Hunting-Grounds +and come to their council. He was grieved that the pleasant relations +heretofore existing between the Indians and the animals would now have +to be broken and disturbed. When they had been given life the intention +was formed that eventually all would dwell together in the Happy +Hunting-Grounds. Now he would be compelled to alter his plans. He would +change the language of his red children so that the beasts could never +talk with them again. He would go to his children in the villages and +tell them all that had been said at this clandestine council in the +woods. For all time the wolf and panther should be hunted and killed by +the Indians. They should be looked upon and warred against as the most +dangerous of foes. The bear might be counted as an honorable antagonist, +and the red men would be ready to fight him in open battle whenever the +opportunity offered. The red men would not disturb or molest him, but +if he should come and demand a battle the Indians would not refuse. The +beaver and raccoon, on account of the heartless plan they had set forth +for the vanquishing of their brethren, should be considered the prey of +the Indian and should yield their thick furs to keep his children warm. +The fox would be looked upon as a thief. He had proposed to steal the +food of the Indians and bring them to want; now he might practice his +desire. But the Indians would be warned and would set traps and snares +for him. When caught his fur would be used like the fur of the beaver and +raccoon. The horse and the dog might still retain their understanding +of speech of I the Indians, but as they had been guilty of breaking an +ancient treaty by attending a council to which all the parties of the +treaty had not been bidden, they must receive some punishment, and would +no longer be permitted to speak the Indian language. But they should +always be the champions and friends of the red men; they should live +in the Indians' homes, be present at the great feasts and festivals, +share the products of their hunt, be loved and petted by the maidens +and papooses, fight with the Indians when they fought and be partakers +and sharers in the victories or defeats. In a word, they should be the +companions and brothers of the Indians forever, here and in the Happy +Hunting-Grounds. + + + + +THE MESSAGE-BEARERS + + +WHEN the Great Spirit brought the red men from the Happy Hunting-Grounds +and left them upon the earth, they were filled with fear lest they could +never make him hear their wants and could not reach his ears when they +desired to tell him of their joys and sorrows. The sachems went before +him and said: "Oh, our Father, how will thy children tell thee of the +deeds they have performed that will please thine ear? How will they ask +thee to their homes to help them drive away the bad spirits; and how +will they invite thee to their feasts and dances? Oh, our Father, thou +canst not at all times be awake and watching thy children, and they will +not know when thou art sleeping. Thy children do not know the trail to +the Happy Hunting-Grounds by which to send their wise men and sachems to +talk with thee, for thou hast covered it with thy hands and thy children +cannot discover it. How will the words of thy children reach thee, oh, +our Father, the Manito; how will what they say come to thine ears?" + +Then the Great Spirit created for each one of the red men a second self, +to whom he gave a home in the air. He provided these beings with wings +and swift feet so they could move very rapidly. To them he imparted the +secret of the entrance to his home and made them guides to his children +whom he had called on the long journey so that they should not lose +the paths leading to their future home. Finally, the Great Spirit told +these creatures of the air that they should be message-bearers for his +children, and convey their words exactly as spoken from one point to +another until they reached the ears of his sachems in the big wigwam by +the side of the council-fire that never lost its light. They must be +ready at all times to answer the calls of the red men, so that none of +their words might be lost. Messages to the loved ones who had left the +earth and gone to the Happy Hunting-Grounds must be transmitted with the +same watchful care as were those intended for his ears alone. If any of +his children spoke idle and untruthful words they, too, must be repeated +that their father might know whether they were worthy to be admitted to +the grand council-fire. + +When he had finished his instructions, the Great Spirit told the sachems +that he would return to his home and that they could go with his +children to the bank of a beautiful river near which they dwelt, and +there talk to him. + +Slowly and with a loud voice, the chief sachem began to speak. From +the opposite bank of the river the waiting message-bearer caught up +the sachem's words as they were spoken and with a strong voice shouted +them to another dweller of the air who crouched in the tree-tops far +down the river, ready and alert to do the Great Spirit's bidding. On +and on, rolling along the ravines and valleys, leaping from hill-top to +mountain-side, and from mountain-side to lake, striding over the forests +at a bound--fainter and yet fainter, until lost in the blue distance of +the plain--the message of thankfulness and love was borne from the lips +of the grateful sachem until it reached the ears of the ever listening +and loving father, and was told to the chiefs who sat in the light of the +council-fire that never grows dim. + + + + +THE WISE SACHEM'S GIFT + + +A LONG time before the white men came, there lived a wise sachem who +was known as the Great Peacemaker. His life was full of winters and his +mind was stored with the teachings of the wisest sachems that had lived +before him. He could remember the time when all the red men dwelt in +peace, and before troubles came that drove them to wars and dissensions. +All his life was spent in going from one village to another, teaching +the doctrine of peace among his people. He told the red men how to help +each other when the bad spirits came and disturbed them. If the harvest +was poor in one village, he taught other villages that they must take +food to their brothers; if any were in want, he said that those who had +plenty must relieve them. He settled differences and difficulties by his +logic, quelled wars and disturbances by his wise counsels and eloquence, +and taught gentleness by his example. Finally, when he had reached an age +beyond that of any of the sachems who had lived before him, he called his +people together and told them that he must go away on the long journey, +but that they need not mourn for him, as he would return in a form that +would live forever. + +From his grave sprang the tobacco plant, and in honor of his memory was +established the custom of smoking the pipe of peace at all peaceful +councils. + +When the curling smoke ascended around the council-fires the red men saw +in its fantastic shapes the form and features of the Great Peacemaker. +They opened their ears and he told them that agreements made in his +presence were sacred, and if violated would displease the Great Spirit. +They bent their heads and the wise sachem placed his hands upon them as +a token that he would aid his children in all peaceful pursuits. His +presence was never invoked when there were discussions of wars, for +he would frown upon his children and frighten them with his terrible +countenance. + +Many generations lived and died, and all respected the agreements made +in the presence of the wise sachem's spirit, for not until years after, +when the red men had been taught the meaning of a broken treaty through +experience with the whites did they ever violate a treaty that had been +ratified by "the pipe of peace." + + + + +THE FLYING HEAD + + +THERE were many evil spirits and terrible monsters that hid in the +mountain caves when the sun shone, but came out to vex and plague the red +men when storms swept the earth or when there was darkness in the forest. +Among them was a flying head which, when it rested upon the ground, was +higher than the tallest man. It was covered with a thick coating of hair +that shielded it from the stroke of arrows. The face was very dark and +angry, filled with great wrinkles and horrid furrows. Long black wings +came out of its sides, and when it rushed through the air mournful sounds +assailed the ears of the frightened men and women. On its under side +were two long, sharp claws, with which it tore its food and attacked its +victims. + +The Flying Head came oftenest to frighten the women and children. It came +at night to the homes of the widows and orphans, and beat its angry wings +upon the walls of their houses and uttered fearful cries in an unknown +tongue. Then it went away, and in a few days death followed and took +one of the little family with him. The maiden to whom the Flying Head +appeared never heard the words of a husband's wooing or the prattle of a +papoose, for a pestilence came upon her and she soon sickened and died. + +One night a widow sat alone in her cabin. From a little fire burning near +the door she frequently drew roasted acorns and ate them for her evening +meal. She did not see the Flying Head grinning at her from the doorway, +for her eyes were deep in the coals and her thoughts upon the scenes of +happiness in which she dwelt before her husband and children had gone +away to the long home. + +The Flying Head stealthily reached forth one of its long claws and +snatched some of the coals of fire and thrust them into its mouth for it +thought that these were what the woman was eating. With a howl of pain it +flew away, and the red men were never afterwards troubled by its visits. + + + + +THE ASH TREE + + +THE ash tree, the leaves and bark of which were the universal specific +for the poison of the rattlesnake, had its origin in a warrior whose wife +and two children died from the bite of a rattlesnake that had found its +way into their wigwam. The brave's grief was so violent that the Great +Spirit gave him permission to turn into a tree, the branches of which +would make bows and arrows with which his people could kill their deadly +enemies; the green leaves placed in a circle around the sleeping warriors +would form a barrier through which the reptiles would not crawl; the +bruised leaves would act as a poultice to draw the venom from the wound, +and from the bark could be brewed a draught that would drive the delirium +from the body of the suffering victim. + +A form of words was pronounced as the Indians approached the ash tree to +draw on its resources for any of the purposes named. They would say: "Oh, +my brother, the mighty friend of the Indian, your red brother comes to +you for help. He has met the forked-tongue whose bite is like the sting +of bad arrows. He knows not where to turn except to his noble brother, +whose goodness is known to all the Indians. Help me, my brother, for the +sting of the forked-tongue is deep and the eyes of your brother close in +sleep if you do not help him. I wound you, my brother, but my fathers +have told me of your goodness and of your hatred of the forked-tongue." + + + + +THE HUNTER + + +KANISTAGIA, the hunter, was loved by all the animals with gentle natures. +He never pursued them in wantonness, and he took the life of none except +in case of stern necessity. To the wild, fierce monsters that inhabited +the forests and preyed upon the weak and timid ones, Kanistagia was a +constant foe, and so swift was the flight of his arrow, so powerful the +blow of his hunting club, so unerring his knowledge of their haunts in +the mountains, that they feared him deeply and hid away with low and +sullen mutterings when they heard his ringing shout upon the chase. + +These were the panther, the wolf, the wildcat, and other strange and +vicious animals at war with the red men. + +But it was not so with the bear, the beaver, the raccoon, the elk, the +red deer, the moose, the fox, the squirrel and the dog. They were the +friends of Kanistagia, and when he walked abroad his path was made bright +by their greetings, and he often sat a long time in their company and +talked with them of curious things found in their haunts. He treated +them as friends and neighbors, and when any were sick or wounded he gave +them advice about the medicine they should use that they might recover. + +Once when the corn was tasseled there came fierce and warlike men from +the north, and Kanistagia and his brothers went forth to defend their +homes. The Great Spirit gave their arms strength and the fierce men were +driven away. But before they went Kanistagia was struck upon the head by +the war club of one of the northern men, and when the hunter fell to the +ground his victor cut the scalp-lock from his head and bore it away in +triumph. + +The hunters and warriors did not see Kanistagia fall and mourned him as +one who had been taken a prisoner by the fierce men they had fought. +They knew he would meet death bravely and go on his way to the Happy +Hunting-Grounds with smiles on his lips, and that the wrinkles of a +coward would find no place on his face. But his fall did not escape +the keen eyes of the fox, who ran to him when the fighting men had +disappeared. + +"Alas! my benefactor and brother," lamented the fox, "the heavy sleep has +closed thine eyes forever. Thy kindly life has been rudely torn from thy +body before the death-song could warn thy brethren of thy coming. Woe and +sorrow will be many days with thy brothers in the forest if, perchance, +none of them know the medicine that shall bring thee from thy sleep." + +Then the fox ran to the top of a high hill and began to sing his death +lament, that all might know that trouble had come upon him. Through the +forest echoed the mournful sounds, and they were caught up and repeated +by the listening beasts on hill and in valley until all had heard the +tidings and gathered at the place where the body of Kanistagia, their +brother, lay. When they had mourned over his fate the bear called the +council to silence. + +Said the bear: "My brothers, we mourn for a protector with whom we have +spent many pleasant seasons. By his wisdom and counsel we have been +taught many things that were good for us to know. It is our duty now, if +any know a powerful charm that will awaken him, to produce it that we may +once more be gladdened by our brother's smiles." + +Then each one ran to and fro in the forest, bringing many curious +substances to the side of the hunter, but none was of avail. The bear +and the fox, with plaintive whines, stretched themselves by his side +and gently licked the wounds of their brother, but their efforts +brought forth no sign of life. At last they were forced to believe that +Kanistagia must surely be lifeless, and a great cry of mourning arose +from the hundreds of animals present. This attracted the attention of the +long nest (oriole) and he flew to ask its meaning. He was informed by the +deer, upon whose horns he alighted, and after asking permission from the +bear to invite the birds to the mournful gathering, flew rapidly away on +his errand. Soon all the birds in the forest had been told and the sky +was darkened by their flight to the scene of Kanistagia's death--so wide +was the fame of the hunter that all knew him. Among them was the great +eagle of the Iroquois, which seldom approached nearer the earth than the +tops of the highest mountains. Slowly he floated over the assembled birds +and animals and finally stilled his mighty wings and stood beside the +hunter. Then he spoke: + +"Kanistagia will wake from his heavy sleep if the sharp eyes of his +friends will discover his scalp-lock and their swift feet or tireless +wings will bear it to this place before the moon is round." + +Forth upon their search ran the animals, the bear and elk alone remaining +beside their brother to guard his body from foes. Long and earnestly +they sought the trail of the warrior who had slain their friend, but so +carefully had he concealed his path that none could follow it. The beaver +sought traces of his footsteps in the beds of streams; the dog and the +fox thrust their noses under the leaves and deeply drew in their breaths, +hoping to find the scent of the murderer's footsteps; the raccoon climbed +to the tops of the highest trees and looked in every direction; the red +deer ran in great circles, hoping to come suddenly upon the fugitive; the +squirrels, and even gentle rabbits, scampered in all directions, looking +in vain for traces of the slayer of Kanistagia. But at last all returned, +and with heavy hearts told the council that they knew not where to look. + +The great eagle of the Iroquois bade the pigeon-hawk make the first +flight for the birds, as he was swift of wing. Scarcely had he gone when +he returned again, but brought no tidings. The birds murmured that his +flight had been so swift that he had not looked carefully, and the eagle +sent forth the white heron. But the heron was so slow of wing that the +patience of all was exhausted, and soon some small birds came to the +council with the news that he had discovered a plain on which wild beans +grew in abundance and was now so overladen with feeding on them that he +could not rise and fly. Then the crow came forward and said that if he +were sent he would pledge himself to discover the hiding place of the +murderer. So the crow was sent and at once flew to a village where he +had many times been to watch for food. He sailed slowly over the wigwams +at a great height and finally his keen eyes spied the coveted treasure. +Watching his chance, the crow dashed down and caught the scalp-lock from +the pole upon which it hung, and rapidly winged his way back to the +council. + +But when they attempted to place the scalp-lock upon their brother's head +they found that the piece had been dried and would not fit, and they +searched long and faithfully for something that would make it pliable. +But their search was in vain, and in despair they turned again to the +great eagle, who heard their plight and bade them listen to his words: + +"The wings of the eagle are never furled. For many thousand moons the +dews of heaven have fallen on my back as I rose to great heights above +the storm and watched my mate on her nest above the clouds. These waters +may have a virtue no earthly fountain can possess." + +Then the eagle plucked a feather from his breast and dipped it in the +glistening cup of dew that had fallen on his back, and when this was +applied to the scalp-lock it at once became as when first removed. + +Again the animals ran into the forest, and from every hidden place, from +every deep ravine, from tops of hills and mountains, from knoll and from +morass, brought leaves and blossoms and roots from the rarest plants and +trees. The birds sought the cliffs and precipices where foot could not +rest and added to the collection many curious and rare specimens. With +these they made a healing medicine, and when they had placed it upon the +hunter's head, his eyes were opened and he lived. + +Then, indeed, there was rejoicing. The birds beat their wings and sang +loud choruses, while the animals ran about in wild delight because their +brother had been awakened from his heavy slumber. As the eagle of the +Iroquois soared again to his home on the mountain-top, the round moon, +whose coming all had so dreaded, rose over the waving branches of the +forest and lent its cheerful light to the happy gathering. + + + + +HIAWATHA + + +LISTEN, my children, while the fire burns red and the shadows come and go +like mighty giants, and I will tell you the story of Ta-ren-ya-wa-gon, +the holder of the heavens, who afterwards became a mortal and was called +Hiawatha, the wise man. + +There came to his ears one day a great cry of distress, and when he +looked from the entrance of the Happy Hunting-Grounds he saw a few men +and women in the forest moaning with terror, for all their friends had +been slain by mighty giants and fierce monsters. So he went quickly +to their aid, and taking a little maiden by the hand, bade all follow +whither she led. By paths known only to Ta-ren-ya-wa-gon, he conducted +them to a cave near the mouth of a river,[1] and there he brought them +food and bade them sleep. + +[1] Oswego River. + +When they had remained there many days Ta-ren-ya-wa-gon again took the +maiden by the hand and led her toward the rising sun, and the few people +who had been saved by his mercy followed gladly in the trail he pointed +out. At last they came where the great river[2] they had followed poured +over some mighty rocks to the level of another river,[3] and here he told +them to build a house in which they might dwell in peace. Many moons they +remained there in happiness, and the little children who came to them +grew to be strong men and handsome women. Then came Ta-ren-ya-wa-gon and +said to them: + +[2] Mohawk River. + +[3] Hudson River. + +"You, my children, must now go forth and become mighty nations; and I +will teach you the mysteries of the forests and make your numbers like +the leaves that cover the trees when the warm days have come." + +Then they followed him toward the setting-sun, and when they had gone +some distance he told off certain numbers and families that should make +their homes and build a village in that place. These he gave corn, beans, +squash, potatoes and tobacco, and also dogs with which to hunt game, and +named them Te-ha-wro-gah.[4] From that time they could not understand +their brothers, and they dwelt henceforward on the banks of the beautiful +river. + +[4] Divided speech; the Mohawks. + +Then went he with the others towards the sun-setting till at last they +halted in a broad valley where were beautiful streams. And he bade +some of his followers remain there, and gave the same good gifts he +had given their brothers and told them that they should be called +Ne-ha-wre-ta-go,[5] for the trees of the forest were of great size where +he bade them dwell, and in a short time these had also learned to speak a +new tongue. + +[5] The Oneidas. + +Then Ta-ren-ya-wa-gon led the rest of his people onward toward +the sun-setting till they came to a mountain which he called +O-nun-da-ga-o-no-ga.[6] There he again commanded some of his people +to remain, and he gave into their possession the same gifts he +had confided to the care of his other children, and called them +Se-uh-no-wah-ah-tah.[7] To these he gave his own language. + +[6] Onondaga; on the hills. + +[7] Carrying the name; the Onondagas. + +Many days journey toward the sunset, near the shores of a lake named +Go-yo-gah,[8] he selected a dwelling-place for others of his children and +bade them build a village and left them provided with all good things. +These he called Sho-nea-na-we-to-wah;[9] and their language was also +changed. + +[8] Mountain rising from the water; the Cayugas. + +[9] People of the great pipe. + +Then with those who remained Ta-ren-ya-wa-gon continued toward the sunset +until they came to a mountain near the lake called Ga-nun-da-gwa,[10] +and here he told them they should dwell. And he gave to them the name +Te-ho-ne-noy-hent,[11] and changed their language as he had done that of +their brothers and bestowed upon them the same gifts for their food. + +[10] Canandaigua; the place chosen for settlement. + +[11] Possessing the door; the Senecas. + +But there were some who were not content to stay where the holder of the +heavens had bidden them to live and who ran away toward the setting-sun +many days until they came to a great river which they crossed on a wild +grape vine. But when the last ones were crossing, the vine broke and none +could ever return.[12] + +[12] This refers to the Indians beyond the Mississippi. + +Then the holder of the heavens gave his time to the instruction of his +children, and to each family he imparted some distinctive skill. To the +Senecas he gave the power of swift feet, and they could soon outrun +any animal in the forest. The Cayugas became skilled in the use of the +canoe, and glided over the waters more rapidly than the skimming birds or +darting fish. The Onondagas were instructed in all the laws and wishes +of the Great Spirit and had power to speak his mind. The Oneidas became +skilful in ways of making weapons, of the building of houses and the +weaving of baskets. The Mohawks were taught to shoot their arrows with +surer aim than all the others, and could snare the fish from the streams +with wondrous skill. + +You, my children, must know that Ta-ren-ya-wa-gon, the holder of the +heavens, had power to assume any shape, and that he could fly from one +place to another, far distant, more rapidly than the great eagle. He +taught his people the knowledge of hunting and gardening; he fashioned +arrow-heads from the flint and guided the hands of his children until +they, too, could make them; he gave instruction in the arts of war, +that they might defend themselves; he cleared their streams from +obstructions and pointed out the water path[13] from the sun-rising to +the sun-setting. He taught them the form of poisonous fruits and plants, +giving them to eat of those that were wholesome; he taught them how to +kill and dress their game; made the forest free for the tribes to hunt +in, and gave them laws and precepts to guide them in the treatment of +both the young and the old. + +[13] The "water path" was up the Mohawk River to Rome, over a short +portage to Wood Creek, thence to Oneida Lake, down the Oswegp River to +Seneca River, and thence westward over the chain of lakes in the interior +of the State of New York. If the journey was to be to the far west, the +Oswego River was taken to Lake Ontario and thence through the chain of +great lakes. + +Then Ta-ren-ya-wa-gon determined to reside with his children, and +he assumed the form of a man and chose as a wife a maiden from the +Onondagas. When he had done this he was named Hiawatha. His home was +on the shores of a beautiful lake,[14] and to it came many of the red +men and their wives and children, that they might learn from the wise +Hiawatha how their lives should be guided. To his wigwam came also a +daughter, whose beauty was as the flowers, glistening with the dews of +night and kissed by the light of the Great Spirit's smiling face. The +name of the daughter was Minnehaha. + +[14] Cross Lake, Cayuga County, New York. A very romantic and beautiful +point on the southern shores of this little body of water is pointed out +by the Indians as the site of Hiawatha's home. + +Many seasons passed. Under the teachings of Hiawatha the Onondagas became +the greatest of all nations. The wise man came in his magic canoe of +dazzling whiteness and sat at all their councils, and by his wisdom and +moderation the tribe was preserved from strife and became foremost in the +arts and knowledge of the forest. + +But at last there came an alarm from the north beyond the great lakes, +and the story was told with fear at the lodge-fires of a relentless +enemy who came to kill and burn. In terror the chiefs told their fears +to Hiawatha and he advised them to call a council of all the tribes at a +place on the borders of a lake where he had once told them to light a +great council-fire, that they might make preparations to meet their foes. +Swift runners went to the villages of all the tribes and the chiefs, +and warriors assembled at the appointed place. Three days they awaited +the coming of Hiawatha, and on the morning of the fourth a mighty shout +arose as they saw his mystic canoe gliding over the waters of the lake. +In its prow sat the beautiful Minnehaha, while the wise man, her father, +occupied a seat at the stern of the boat and with a light paddle directed +the course of the mysterious craft. He was met at the edge of the water +by the foremost men of the tribes, and greeting them as brothers, each in +their own language, he stepped from the canoe and walked a short distance +along the shore. Suddenly a rushing noise was heard, as of the coming of +an awful storm, and as all eyes turned upwards a great bird was observed +coming out of the heavens with the speed of an arrow. Hiawatha and his +daughter alone stood unmoved and tranquil. The others fled in terror. +The celestial visitor alighted at the feet of Hiawatha. Impelled by some +unseen power, Minnehaha knelt at her father's feet. He placed his hands +on her head for a moment and then she slowly rose, cast one look into his +face, murmured gently, "Farewell, my father!" and took her place between +the wings of the Great Spirit's messenger. Instantly the giant bird +stretched its wings for flight over the glistening waters of the lake, +and circling over the heads of the appalled multitude, swiftly bore its +burden of loveliness to the home of the Manito. + +Hiawatha sank to the earth and covered his head with the robe of a +panther. Three times did the smiling face of the Great Spirit pass across +the heavens before the wise man moved or uttered a sound, and his red +brothers feared he had gone on the long journey and could not again give +them counsel. Finally he rose from his mourning, bathed himself in the +lake and asked that the council be called. When all were seated in the +place appointed, Hiawatha came before them and said: + +"My children, listen to the words of Hiawatha, for they are the last he +will speak to you. My heart beats with yours, my children, but I cannot +longer remain to make known to you the will of the Great Spirit. + +"My children, the voice of strife has brought you from the homes where +you have so long dwelt in peace. You tremble for the safety of your wives +and little ones; you fear that your happy life will be disturbed. You, +the members of many tribes and villages, have one common fear, and you +should therefore have one common interest. Singly, no tribe can oppose +the hordes of the north that threaten to come like the storms of winter, +blasting and killing all in their path. Divided you can make no progress. +You must unite as one common band of brothers. You must have one voice, +for many tongues make confusion. You must have one fire, one pipe, one +war club. If your warriors unite they can defeat any enemy and protect +the safety of their homes. + +"My children, listen, and Hiawatha will tell the wampum of the Great +Spirit." + +He made a signal and the fire-keepers advanced to the center of the +council-place and united the council-fires in one.[15] Then Hiawatha +threw tobacco upon this and said: + +[15] See note on this legend. + +"Onondaga, you are the people of the hills and are warlike and mighty. +Your strength is like that of the great tree whose branches withstand the +storm because its roots sink deep into the ground. You shall be the first +nation. + +"Oneida, you are the people who recline your bodies against the +everlasting stone that cannot be moved.[16] You shall be the second +nation because you give wise counsel. + +[16] Evidently an allusion to Trenton Falls chasm, located within the +Oneidas' Country. + +"Seneca, you are the people who have habitation at the foot of the great +mountain and dwell within the shadows of its crags. You shall be the +third nation because you are fleet of foot and are greatly gifted in +speech. + +"Cayuga, you whose dwelling is in the dark forest and whose home is +everywhere because of the swiftness of your canoes, you shall be the +fourth nation because of your superior cunning in hunting. + +"Mohawk, you are the people who live in the open country and possess much +wisdom. You shall be the fifth nation because you understand best the +cultivation of corn and beans and the building of cabins. + +"Like the fingers on the hand of the warrior, each must lend aid to the +other and work in unison. Then foes shall not disturb or subdue you. + +"My children, these are the words of the Great Spirit spoken to you by +Hiawatha. Let them sink deep into your hearts and be remembered. When the +sun comes again I will listen to your decision. I have done." + +On the following day the council again assembled and the wise men agreed +that Hiawatha had spoken well and that they would follow his teachings. +They asked him to be their chief sachem, but he told them he could not as +he was going away. Then Hiawatha approached the spot where the celestial +bird had rested and gathered a quantity of white plumes that had fallen +from its wings. These he gave to the warriors as emblems that they should +wear and by which they should be known as members of the Ako-no-shu-ne, +who were called the Iroquois.[17] Then Hiawatha said to them: + +[17] Succeeding generations wore feathers from the white heron, +approaching as nearly as possible the plumage of the celestial bird. + +"To you, Oh! my children, remember well the words of Hiawatha. To you, +Oh! my friends and brothers, be faithful in aiding each other when danger +may come. Recall the words of the Great Spirit which have been given to +you for many moons. Do not admit to your councils the people of other +tribes, for they will plant among you the seeds of jealousy and trouble +and you will become feeble and enslaved. + +"Friends and brothers, these are the last words you will hear from the +lips of Hiawatha. Choose the wisest maiden[18] in your tribes, who shall +be your peacemaker, and to your sachems shall come wisdom to arrange +for the reference to her of dissensions that may arise among you. I have +spoken, and will now follow the call of the Great Spirit." + +[18] See legend "The Peacemaker," and note on same. + +At that moment sweet strains of music burst upon the ears of the +listening multitude like the gentle voice of summer in the branches of +the pine trees; they heard it, but knew not whence it came. The wise +man stepped forward, and as he was seated in the mystic canoe the music +burst upon the air in tones more beautiful than the red men had ever +before heard. But the snow-white canoe did not skim the waters of the +lake. Slowly it rose as the choral chant pealed forth, and, following +the direction taken by the celestial bird, disappeared among the summer +clouds as the melody ceased. + + + + +THE PEACEMAKER + + +KIENUKA, the peace-home, was desolate. The fire of pine knots that for +many generations had burned upon its fire-place was dead and sodden. No +voice of welcome was heard within its doors. Its hangings of skins and +robes were torn and loosened by the winds of all seasons. The broad paths +leading from the sun-rising, the sun-setting, the guide star and the +summer land, which for many hundred moons by night and by day had been +pressed by the feet of the red children of the forest when in trouble, +in danger, in need of counsel, or in want, were now choked with briars +and thistles. The wolf whelped her young in the couch of the Peacemaker. +Birds without song and of black plumage built their nests and muttered +hoarse croakings to their nestlings in the roof of the peace-home. + +Blood had been shed in Kienuka and the Great Spirit had made the +peace-home desolate. + +When Hiawatha, the wise man, was speaking the last words to his children, +he told them to choose from their tribes a maiden possessing wisdom, +who should be their peacemaker. So the red men built a home wherein the +peacemaker should dwell, and doors were made at each side so that it +mattered not whence came the wayfarer he would find a welcome. Then the +maidens of the tribes were brought together at the council-place and +to them were submitted the questions in dispute among their brothers. +The wise men decided that she who would decide the greatest number most +justly should be the Peacemaker Queen and dwell within the fortress they +had built. Thus the Queen was chosen, and when the Great Spirit called +her to the long home she was mourned by the people of all the tribes, and +none entered the peace-home until her successor had been selected. + +In this manner came to the peace-home Genetaska, the Seneca maiden, whose +wisdom and kindness were known to all, and whose beauty was like that of +the full summer. She was the most famous of all the Peacemaker Queens, +and the red men said that Minnehaha, the daughter of Hiawatha, came often +from the sky on the back of the celestial bird and gave her advice and +guidance. Whoever went to the doors of the peace-home disputing came +from them again, when they had eaten and rested, with no anger in their +hearts, for Genetaska soothed them by her gentle voice. To the sick +and wounded she ministered with the greatest medicine herbs; to those +heated by passion she told tales of the Great Spirit that taught them +moderation. Disputes among the tribes were so adjusted that the hunters +or warriors who would come to Kienuka with anger and war in their hearts +left its doors as brothers. + +One day there came to the peace-home two young chiefs--one from the +Oneidas and the other from the Onondagas. Each claimed that his arrow +had given the death stroke to a mighty buck they had been trailing in +the forest. When they had tried their skill with weapons, agreeing that +the most skillful should possess the slain animal, neither could gain +advantage over the other. Then said the Onondaga: "I will fight thee, +Oneida, and he who lives may carry to his village the mighty buck and the +scalp-lock of his enemy." + +But the Oneida said: "Thou, Onondaga, must remember the words that have +been spoken in thine ears by the old men who listened to the teachings +of Hiawatha, that when two hunters of the Five Nations dispute in the +paths of the forest they shall not fight, but tell their dispute to the +Peacemaker. The Oneida will go with thee to Kienuka." + +When they had eaten and rested at the peace-home, the hunters were told +that each should take half of the buck back to his village. "For," said +the Peacemaker, "the animal is large, and with half each hath enough for +his wife and little ones." + +"The Oneida is alone in his home," said the chief. "I carry the meat to +the old men and to the women who have no sons. The Oneida has seen no +maiden he would take to his wigwam till he beheld Genetaska, the Peace +Queen." + +Then said the Onondaga: "The home of the Onondaga is desolate since the +plague robbed it of the loved ones. He is a great chief and has power in +his tribe, for he was never defeated on the chase or in the contest. But +the Peacemaker has made his heart weak, and he can never be strong again +unless she will come to his wigwam." + +Then said Genetaska: "Go, thou, my brothers, and think no more of the +Peace Queen, who is chosen by the tribes and may not be the wife of any. +Seek thou other maidens, who will gladly become wives to you." + +But when they were gone there was no longer peace in the heart of +Genetaska, for the form of the Oneida was before her eyes. + +When the autumn came--when its first tints had touched the forests and +merely tinged the dark green with a hazy brown--the Oneida chief came at +sun-setting to the peace-home and stood boldly before the Peacemaker. He +said: + +"The Oneida hath built a wigwam in the summer land where the Five Tribes +do not care to go. He hath filled it with robes and supplied it with food +and it awaits the coming of Genetaska, the Seneca maiden, who loves the +Oneida. The tribes will choose another Peace Queen when thou art gone, +and thy heart will no longer be heavy with the burdens of all the red +children who come to thee with their troubles. Will not Genetaska go?" + +The maiden looked boldly into the face of her lover and answered: +"Genetaska will go." + +Toward the summer land they left Kienuka, and when they came to the river +they glided rapidly along in the Oneida's canoe and were lost to their +people forever. + + * * * * * + +But the peace-home was desolate, and to its doors in the darkness came +running two men whose anger toward each other had long been fed with +jealousy and hatred. When no Peacemaker was found their rage could no +longer be controlled, and they fell upon each other with their hunting +clubs and fought till they sank from exhaustion and died before each +other's eyes. + +The peace-home had been desecrated by the shedding of blood. Henceforth +it was a place shunned by all men. + + + + +AN UNWELCOME VISITOR + + +WHEN the frosts were unlocked from the hillsides there came into one +of the villages of the red men a mild and quiet old man whom none of +them had ever seen before. He stood beside the field where the young +men played at their games, and when some of the fathers approached to +bid him welcome to their village and wigwams they saw that his body was +covered with sores, and they made excuses to turn aside that they might +not meet him. When none went to him and called him brother, he turned to +the village and walked slowly from door to door of the wigwams. The women +saw him and as he approached their doors they covered their children's +faces that they might not see his features, and wished in their hearts +that he would not enter. When the little man read their thoughts, with +saddened eyes and heavy steps he would turn away and seek another +habitation, where he would again see that he was not welcome and turn his +weary footsteps from the door. When he had visited all the wigwams in the +village without finding a welcome in any, he went suddenly to the forest +and they saw him no more. + +The next day he appeared in another village, where the same weary round +of the day before brought him no shelter. For many days thereafter he +went from village to village, and, though he spoke to no one, he knew +that their hearts were not open to him and that they shuddered at his +coming. + +Finally there remained but two more villages to visit and he feared that +he should find none who would bid him enter their homes that they might +minister to his wants. At last, however, as he approached a humble cabin +his eyes brightened, for he read in the heart of the woman who saw him +coming that she had taken pity on his forlorn condition and that her +hospitality would overcome the dread his appearance caused. Said the +woman: + +"Thou art welcome, my brother, for thou art a stranger." + +Then said the strange man: "Peace to my sister's house and happiness to +her husband." + +Then the woman spread a couch of soft furs at one side of the wigwam and +bade the stranger lie down; and when she had done so she asked him how +she should minister to his wants. Then the strange man said: + +"Listen, my sister: Thou of all thy race hast had in thy heart pity and +love for a suffering and friendless creature that have led thee to give +him shelter in thy house. Know then, my sister, that thy name shall +henceforth be great. Many wonders shall be taught thee, and thy sons +will be made chiefs and thy daughters princesses. I am Quarara, and bear +messages from the Great Spirit." + +Then Quarara described to the woman a plant which she went forth into the +forest and procured. She returned to the hut and prepared it as he bade +her, and when it was administered to him he recovered from his sickness +and the sores left him. + +Quarara remained at the woman's wigwam many moons and brought upon +himself all manner of fevers, plagues and diseases, and for each one he +described the medicine root or herb that would perform its cure. These +the woman found in the forest and brought to him, and he made it plain +how they should be prepared to do the will of the Great Spirit and defeat +the evil spirits and witches that plagued his people. + +Then said the strange man, Quarara, to her: + +"Thou, Oh! sister, knowest now what the Great Spirit would have thee +teach his children freely. Thou hast been patient and kind and thy heart +is filled with gentleness. The sons that shall be born to thee shall be +called Sagawahs, the healers, and thou and thy family shall be remembered +throughout all generations." + +Quarara then brought upon himself the fatal disease, for which there is +no remedy, and returned to his home with the Great Spirit. + + + + +_Bits of Folk-Lore_ + + + + +BITS OF FOLK-LORE + + +FIRE was believed to be a giant that was fed on pygmies or small spirits +existing only in the wind. The process of fanning the embers into flame +with one's breath was only attempted at the greatest hazard, as it was +"very bad medicine." + + +Whoever might be engaged in the practice of any mystery should never +be disturbed or interfered with except under penalty of the direst +misfortunes and the suspicion of all his tribe. They might wonder in +their own hearts, but they must never betray the least curiosity to +find out what one of their number might be trying to bring about by his +experiments, incantations or mysterious performances. The arrows of a +curious hunter never hit the mark, and the corn planted and tilled by a +curious woman bore only crooked and withered ears. + + +The sun was commonly known as "the smiling face of the Great Spirit," and +when it disappeared at night it was supposed to have entered the door +of a great wigwam which was built in the form of a semi-circle. In the +morning it reappeared at the other door of the wigwam. Their ideas about +astronomy were extremely vague and were constantly changing. The moon was +believed to be a sister of the sun, and in time would be able to give as +much light as her brother. The stars were bright and glowing brands of +fire tied with thongs and held by spirits created for that purpose by +the Great Spirit. One star alone, the North Star, was held by the Great +Spirit himself because it was always in the same place. It was called the +guide. Other stars and planets were named, but the names have not been +preserved. + + +The springs and the streams they formed were first made for the +convenience of the Great Spirit. He desired to leave the Happy +Hunting-Grounds and make a journey over the earth and so he sent a +large white bird to carry water from the original spring near the Great +Spirit's wigwam and plant it in the earth at convenient distances. +Sections of country that were without springs had not been visited by the +Great Spirit. + + +Language was looked upon as a sacred gift, and was as much a part of the +body as the head or limbs. For this reason an Indian never spoke the +language of another nation except in the capacity of interpreter. When +a council was held between tribes the orators conducted the debate in +their own language, and the words were translated, when necessary, as +they fell from the lips of the speakers by those who had been trained +for that purpose. It was considered the greatest possible affront to +their ancestors and to the Great Spirit for the Iroquois to speak any +language other than their own. Deaf mutes among them were pointed out as +people who were not satisfied with the language of their fathers and in +consequence had lost the power to speak or hear. + + +Difficulties and contentions were spirits of evil that flew about +inciting trouble. When disputes and differences were arranged or settled +they would arise again unless buried. When terms of a settlement had been +agreed upon it was customary to dig a hole in the ground, around which +the disputants would gather, and each party to the dispute would talk +his grievances into the excavation, absolutely unburdening himself of +all he had to say. When the ceremony was concluded, the excavated earth +was returned and firmly stamped and pounded down. In this way, it was +believed, the quarrel could be forever buried unless one of the parties +to the ceremony deliberately removed the earth and again opened the +prison of the bad spirits. From this belief grew the custom of "burying +the hatchet" when peace was secured, and of digging it up when war was +determined upon. + + +The Aurora Borealis was believed to be the reflection of the light of the +camp-fires in the Happy Hunting-Grounds. When its lights were seen it was +supposed that the brothers who had passed into the future were rejoicing +over the successful termination of some great hunt or participating in +a feast. The size of a fire that could cast such wonderful lights was +beyond their comprehension, and often the death-song of the warriors and +chiefs would refer to their hope of soon standing beside the fire that +was greater than the mountains. It was customary for them to stand in +the open air and make long speeches to the spirits during the time the +Aurora was to be seen. They would chide the spirits for wastefulness in +building so large a fire and call upon them not to burn all the forests +of the Great Spirit before their friends on the earth were admitted to +the charmed circle and permitted to enjoy the pleasures of a camp-fire +of such gigantic proportions. + + +It was wrong to complain of pain of any kind or to show by any act that +pain was experienced. Both pain and suffering were caused by bad spirits, +and surely one would not give their enemies the pleasure of knowing that +their attempts had in any manner caused discomfort. The Great Spirit +was trying with all his power to relieve those who suffered pain, and +to complain when your friend was doing his best to aid you would make +him think that his efforts were not appreciated. Besides this, after the +first shock of a wound, none of the animals betray by their cries the +presence of pain. The dog will carry a broken leg for days, wistfully but +uncomplainingly. The cat, stricken with club or stone, or caught in some +trap from which it gnaws its way to freedom, crawls to some secret place +and bears its agony in silence. The wolf or bear, caught in the pitfalls +and pierced with scores of stinging arrows, indicate by no outward sign +that they suffer. The wounded deer speeds to some thick brake and in +pitiful submission waits for death. The eagle, struck by the arrow in +mid-air, fights to the last against the fatal summons. There is no moan +or sound of pain, and the defiant look never fades from its eyes until +the lids close over them never to uncover again. The Indians learned many +of their lessons from the animals and were taught to be as brave and +uncomplaining as their brothers of the forests. + + + + +_The Happy Hunting-Grounds_ + + + + +THE HAPPY HUNTING-GROUNDS + + +IT is hardly possible to define the creed of the people comprising the +Iroquois, for it was so intermingled with curious superstitions of every +kind that it cannot be traced to a continuous doctrine like the religions +of other peoples. They had no special teachers of religion, and the +privilege of adding as many superstitions as the mind could conceive was +possessed by each individual member. Thus their religious belief was +encumbered with almost every superstition that could be created in the +minds of an ignorant and uncivilized people dwelling in wildernesses +filled with numerous wild beasts and given over to the undisputed sway of +solitude. + +In a general way, however, according to the explanations made by +Cornplanter of the belief entertained by him, their religion saw God as +a great and loving spirit whose extended arms bore up and encircled the +universe. They believed this Great Spirit created all the objects, both +animate and inanimate, upon the earth; that he smiled upon his people +in sunshine and shower, and frowned upon them in fierce storms and +whirlwinds. He peopled the air with millions of embodied spirits, some of +which were evil, and unless propitiated caused pain, sickness, trouble +and death. Others were good spirits and aided the hunter in his chase, +the lover in his suit, and brought male offspring to the mother's arms. +Finally, he had prepared for them a "Happy Hunting-Ground," where every +one should go after death. There beautiful birds would make resonant +the hills and valleys with their enchanting song. The Great Spirit had +covered that vast and magnificent country with plains, and forests, and +limpid streams, in which and over which would sport the red deer, bears, +buffaloes, wild horses and all animals and fishes useful for clothing +and food. The good Indian could there reside forever with his wives and +papooses, climbing the rugged hills without weariness, sporting in the +rivers and lakes that never failed to supply an abundance of fish--always +returning from the chase laden with the trophies of his skill. But the +bad Indian would return from the chase empty-handed; he would lose his +way and wander in the labyrinth of beautiful paths that led him beside +fields of growing maize which disappeared when he attempted to pluck the +glistening ears. Then his more fortunate brothers would take pity upon +him and lead him to his home, and his punishment would be the chagrin he +would feel when of necessity he was compelled to partake of his brother's +bounty. + +In the beginning, the red men dwelt with the Great Spirit in this +delightful country, but they were so boisterous and full of play that +the Great Spirit could get no rest on account of their noise. Besides +this, there were no evil spirits or dangers there, and they could not +learn to be brave and courageous unless they were situated where they +came in contact with opposition and trouble. So the Great Spirit made +a large basket in which he placed the red men, carefully covering them +so they could not see the trail by which he took them from his home. He +brought them to the earth and left them with the promise that when they +had acquired bravery and circumspection they should again be carried to +his home and there dwell for "so many moons that all the needles on the +greatest pine tree would not tell them all." + +The Iroquois held sacred no day on which to perform particular religious +exercises, but they had several annual festivals which were observed +with regularity for ages, and which are, in a measure, celebrated by +the so-called pagans among the Senecas, Onondagas and Tuscaroras at the +present time. The first of these was the "Maple Dance," and exemplified +their way of thanking the Great Spirit for tempering the wind so that +the snows would disappear and the sweet waters would flow from the sides +of the maple trees that abounded in the wilderness about their homes. +Previous to holding this, and all other festivals, the inhabitants of +each village would meet at the council-place for what might be termed +to-day "a confession of sins"--for such it really was. When all had +assembled, one of the oldest sachems would stand before his brethren with +a string of white wampum in his hands and tell wherein he had sinned +according to Indian ethics. When he had concluded, the wampum would +be passed to another, and so on until all had unburdened themselves. +The open declaration of their misdeeds did not relieve them of the +consequences of the deeds themselves, but in a measure it tempered the +punishment. The moral code may be briefly summed up as follows: + + It was a sin to neglect the old in any manner, or to refuse to share + with them the fruits of the chase or the products of the fields, + and it was especially sinful to neglect or disregard aged or infirm + parents. + + To speak in derision or slightingly of anyone who might be lame, + blind, idiotic, insane--crippled in any manner or unfortunate in any + degree, or to refuse them aid or shelter. + + To refuse to share food or shelter with anyone who might apply for + either, or to fail to care for the sick and for orphan children and + widows. + + To break any treaty or agreement made at the council-fire when the + peace-pipe had been smoked, or after the parties making the treaty + had partaken of food together. + + To violate the chastity of any woman. + + To kill animals for any other purpose than for food and covering, and + for the protection of growing crops and human life. + + To tell a falsehood, even though it might be of the most innocent + character. + + To show cowardice in meeting any kind of danger or to shrink from + exposure, pain, suffering, sickness or death. + + To take human life unless the person killed was a member of a tribe + with which the Iroquois was at war. + +There were no punishments prescribed for breaking any of these or +other recognized laws, but the person offending by the commission of +the greater sins was, by common consent and custom, shunned, scorned, +shamed, neglected, pointed at and ostracised from all connection whatever +with his tribe and relatives. This generally resulted in the culprit's +suicide, which was looked upon as a very brave act, and was full +reparation for the wrongs committed. + +Soon after the "Maple Dance" had been held came the "Planting Festival," +which was conducted as a thank offering to the Great Spirit for unfolding +the buds upon the trees, decking the woods and fields with flowers and +warming the earth so that it could receive and nourish the seed. + +When the seed had been planted, and upon the appearance of the first +shoots of corn, the "Hope Festival" was held. At this time, as the red +men circled around the glowing fires, they called upon the Great Spirit +to protect the seeds that he had given life and asked him to bring them +to maturity. They sprinkled leaves of tobacco upon the fires and repeated +slow, monotonous chants or prayers that had been used by them for unknown +generations. They asked the Great Spirit to give attention to their words +arising to him in the smoke and not to let his ears become closed that he +might not hear. They said: + + Thy children thank thee for the life thou hast given the dead seeds. + Give us a good season that our crops may be plentiful. Continue to + listen for the smoke still rises. Preserve our old men among us and + protect the young. Help us to celebrate this festival as did our + fathers. + +The "Green Corn Festival" was held when the season had so far advanced +that the corn was ready to be used as roasting ears. The old women +decided when this time had come, and none might partake of the corn +until the festival had proceeded to the proper stage. This was a time +of returning to the Great Spirit their thanks for his goodness, and the +festivities lasted several days. They were wild and uncouth, of course, +but the participants had faith that these ceremonies were pleasing to +the Great Spirit. The revelry was conducted in a prescribed form that +probably did not change for centuries. In the midst of one of the dances +peculiar to the "Green Corn Festival" the oldest sachem of the tribe +gave utterance to a prayer of thanksgiving, which has been translated as +follows: + + Great Spirit in the Happy Hunting-Grounds, listen to our words. We + have assembled to perform a sacred duty as thou hast commanded and + which has been performed by our fathers since thou taught them to + observe this festival. We salute thee with our thanks that thou hast + caused our supporters to yield abundant harvest. + + Great Spirit, our words continue to flow towards thee. Preserve + us from all danger. Preserve our aged men. Preserve our mothers. + Preserve our warriors. Preserve our children. Preserve our old men + that they may remember all that thou hast told them. Preserve our + young men and give them strength to celebrate with pleasure thy + sacred festival. + + Great Spirit, the council of thy people here assembled, the men and + women with many winters on their heads, the strong warriors, the + women and children, unite their voices in thanksgiving to thee. + +The "Harvest Festival" was held a few weeks afterwards and was similar in +character, though not considered of so much importance as the "Green Corn +Festival." + +Some time during the winter was held the "White Dog Dance." This, +however, was not of so ancient an origin as the other festivals and was +probably a superstition promulgated by some of the great "medicine men" +within the last two hundred and fifty years. Evil spirits that might have +been driven into the houses of the Indians by the cold, were induced by +various ceremonies to enter the body of a white dog or gray fox that was +led from house to house for that purpose. Then, with due ceremony, the +animal was killed and the bad spirits cremated with the body--the jaws +having been tied together so that the spirits could not escape through +its mouth, into which they had entered. + +The Indians had numerous other ceremonial dances and any number of social +dances--more than any other race of people, for they had few other +amusements--but those enumerated above were the only strictly religious +festivals. These were in every sense reverential, devotional and inspired +by faith. The red men believed that if they observed them according to +ancient customs and usages it would please the Great Spirit and that he +would eventually take them all to the Happy Hunting-Grounds. While they +clearly believed in an immortal life and in the resurrection of the body, +they had no belief whatever in the infliction of future punishment, other +than that experienced by the hunter whose arrows could not procure the +game he coveted and trailed in the land where game abounded forever. + +Had these people, possessing (as they most certainly did) a religion +combining so many of the elements of the Christian religion, been +discovered by any one of the enlightened nations of the present day +instead of by the intolerant and greedy bigots of four hundred years ago, +their history would not have been written with so many sad scenes for +illustrations. + +About the year 1800 a new religion was revealed to the members of the +Iroquois then residing in New York State, and as it is what is now known +as the Pagan belief, it may be well to describe it briefly. At that time +there was living on Cornplanter Island, in the State of Pennsylvania, a +half-brother of Cornplanter and Blacksnake by a common father--Abeel, +the white trader. His name was Handsome Lake (Ga-ne-o-di-yo), and he +was born near the site of the village of Avon, N. Y., in 1735, and +died in 1815 at Onondaga when on a pastoral visit to that nation. His +life had been spent mainly in dissipation, and in his old age he fell +ill and was not expected to live from day to day. One night he sent +his daughter to summon his renowned brothers to his bedside, as he was +convinced that his end was drawing near. His brothers reached the house +shortly after daylight and found Handsome Lake at some distance from +the hut, apparently dead. They carried him in and had commenced to make +preparations for the funeral, when suddenly he revived, sat upright and +commenced to talk very strangely. He recovered rapidly and at his urgent +request a council of his people was summoned to meet at Cornplanter, and +to this assembly he revealed all that had befallen him. + +His revelations soon became the religion of the Iroquois and may be +considered their creed at the present time. Handsome Lake journeyed from +tribe to tribe and taught the new faith till his death, fifteen years +after. He was regarded as a second Hiawatha and had wonderful influence. +After his death other teachers took his place and continued to expound +the new faith as nearly as possible in the exact words of him to whom +it was believed to have been first revealed. Unlike modern theologians, +they made no attempt to put their views and ideas ahead of the original +revelation, for they commenced each new section of the long and tedious +recital with the words, "Thus said Handsome Lake," and they followed him +as closely as possible, both in words and gestures. They did not add to +or take away--they simply repeated. The last great follower of Handsome +Lake was his grandson (Sase-ha-wa), known to the whites as Jimmy Johnson, +who died about 1830. About the middle of August, 1894, a grand council of +the chiefs was held at Onondaga, and on that occasion these traditions +were revived, several days being spent in the work. + +Stripped of long explanations as to how the message was told and the +details of the various provisions and requirements, the creed of Handsome +Lake was as follows: + +As he lay in his cabin looking out of the window at the stars, +momentarily expecting death, three beautiful men came to his couch and +gave him some berries to eat, which threw him into a deep sleep. When +he awoke he was told by one of the men that he might live if he would +throughout the remainder of his life be a teacher of his people and speak +to them the words that the Great Spirit put into his mouth. He promised +to do this and immediately became strong. Then the men conducted him to +the outer air, where he was found by his brothers, and, after showing +him many wonderful things concerning the Happy Hunting-Grounds, again +threw him into a sleep and disappeared. When he taught he closed his +eyes and spoke only the words put into his mouth by the Great Spirit; +therefore, whatever he told them was inspired. The doctrines expounded +by him did not displace any of the old ceremonies so dear to the heart +of the Iroquois. In fact, he urged the observance of all the religious +dances, saying they were pleasing to the Creator. His first efforts +were directed toward the eradication of intemperance, and here entered +the first threat of future punishment in the creed of the Iroquois. A +drunkard was promised boiling hot liquor, which he must drink in great +quantities. When he had drunk until he could hold no more, streams of +fire would issue from his mouth and he would be commanded to sing as +he had done on earth after drinking the fire-water. Husbands and wives +who had been quarrelsome on earth were to be compelled to rage at each +other till their eyes and tongues ran out so far they could neither see +nor speak. A wife-beater would be repeatedly led before a red-hot statue +which he would be told to strike as he struck his wife upon earth, and +when the blow fell, molten sparks would fly from the image and burn +his arm to the bone. Lazy people were compelled to till cornfields in +a burning sun, and as fast as the weeds were struck down they would +again spring up with renewed luxuriance. Those who sold the lands of +their people to the whites were assigned to the task of removing a +never-diminishing pile of sand, one grain at a time, over a vast distance. + +These are but samples of the terrible punishments to be dealt out to +evil-doers of all kinds. + +At the same time he taught that rewards would be freely bestowed to +those who kept the laws laid down by the Great Spirit, and into these +laws as revealed by Handsome Lake, with many fanciful and poetical +imaginings that pleased the simple people to whom he taught, he wove the +Ten Commandments. He taught morality, temperance, patience, forbearance, +charity, forgiveness, and all the cardinal virtues. + +Handsome Lake implicitly believed that the vision he described was a +direct visitation from the Creator, and he also believed that in his +teachings he was simply giving voice to the wishes of that Creator. +There is little doubt that he exerted a decided influence for good, as +did also his followers for many years after his death; but when sects +and denominations commenced to tumble over each other in their zeal to +"Christianize the Iroquois," and hair-splitting questions of theology +were put forward to confuse and confound the teachings of the prophet of +their own blood, the Indians began to doubt all that had been told them +in the past and their ears were stopped to all that might be preached to +them in the future. It may be truthfully stated that few Indians have at +present any well-grounded religious belief, yet if they were not fearful +that it would cause them to be subjected to further legal restrictions +they would be well pleased to return once more to the free enjoyment of +the teachings of Handsome Lake, their greatest prophet. + + + + +_Sacred Stone of the Oneidas_ + + +_The Sacred Stone of the Oneida Indians_ + +[Illustration] + + + + +THE SACRED STONE OF THE ONEIDAS + + +IN Forest Hill Cemetery, at Utica, New York, a short distance from the +entrance, may be seen what is probably the most interesting historical +relic of the Iroquois--the Sacred Stone of the Oneida Indians. The legend +connected with this monument is as strange and poetic as any of those +given in the preceding pages, and quite naturally should have a place in +this volume. The story was obtained from the Indians by the late William +Tracy before their removal to Green Bay, Wisconsin, and as told by him +and by contemporary writers is as follows: + +Two brothers and their families left the Onondagas and erected their +wigwams on the north shore of the Oneida River, at the outlet of the +lake bearing that name. They kept the celebrations commanded by the +Great Spirit and he was pleased with their obedience. One morning there +appeared at their resting place an oblong stone, unlike any of the rocks +in the vicinity, and the Indians were told that from it their name should +be taken, and that it would for all time be the altar around which their +councils and their festive and religious ceremonies should take place, as +it would follow them wherever they should go. So they took the name of +"The People of the Upright Stone," and kept their home beside this altar +many years. But finally they became so numerous that there was not room +for them here, and they builded their chief village upon the south side +of the lake, where a creek bearing the same name discharges its waters. +True to the promise, and unassisted by human hands, the sacred stone +followed and located once more in the midst of them. + +Here the Oneidas flourished till the confederation of the Iroquois +was formed, and they became second in the order of precedence in the +confederacy. After many years it was determined by the chief men of the +nation to remove their council-fire to the summit of one of a chain of +hills about twenty miles distant--a commanding point before which is +spread a broad view of the fertile Stockbridge valley. And when the +council of the nation had selected this new home for its people, the +sacred stone once more followed in the train of its children. It rested +in a grove of butternut trees, from beneath whose branches the eye could +look out upon a landscape not equaled elsewhere in their national domain. +Here it remained to see the Iroquois increase in power and importance +until the name struck terror to their foes from the Hudson to the Father +of Waters. Around this unhewn altar, within its leafy temple was gathered +all the wisdom of the nation when measures affecting its welfare were to +be considered. Their eloquence, as effective and beautiful as ever fell +from Greek or Roman lips, was poured forth upon the ears of the sons and +daughters of the forest. Logan, the white man's friend, was there trained +to utter words that burned, and there Sconondoa, the last orator of his +race, the warrior chief and lowly Christian convert, with matchless +power swayed the hearts of his countrymen; there the sacred rites were +celebrated at the return of each harvest moon and each new year, when +every son and daughter of the stone came up like the Jewish tribes of old +to join in the national festivities. + +This was the resting place of the stone when the first news came that +the paleface had come from beyond the bitter waters. It remained to see +him penetrate the forest and come among its children a stranger; to see +him welcomed by the red men to a home, and then to see its red children +shrink and wither away until the white man's sons plowed the fields +beneath whose forest coverings slept many generations. + +At length the council-fire of the Oneidas was extinguished; its people +were scattered, and there was no new resting place for them to which this +palladium might betake itself and again become their altar. It was a +stranger in the ancient home of its children, an exile upon its own soil. + + * * * * * + +It was known to several of the trustees of the Forest Hill Cemetery +Association that when the Oneidas removed to Green Bay and broke up their +tribal relations they were very loath to leave their altar unprotected, +and when the association was formed in the spring of 1849, correspondence +was had with some of the head men of the nation, and consultations were +held with the few remaining in the vicinity of their old home. They were +most desirous that the stone should be protected, and were happy in +the prospect of its removal to some place where it would remain secure +from the contingencies and dangers to which it might be exposed in a +private holding, liable to constant change of owners. With the consent +of the owner of the farm upon which it was located, the huge boulder was +carefully loaded upon a wagon drawn by four horses, and in the autumn +of 1849, accompanied by a delegation of Oneida Indians and two of the +trustees of the cemetery association, it was conveyed with considerable +difficulty to its present site. It is said by some who remember the +occasion, that before the Indians departed from the cemetery, they +assembled around the stone and betrayed in their leave-taking pitiful +manifestations of grief, several of them kneeling beside the boulder and +kissing it. + +Here this mass of white granite, which is unlike any of the stones or +rocks to be found south of the northern dip of the Adirondacks, or the +granite hills of Vermont and New Hampshire, remained on a grassy mound a +half century. Its weight is estimated to be about four thousand pounds. +In the spring of 1902 the cemetery authorities caused it to be placed +upon a base of Westerly marble, upon one side of which is fixed a bronze +tablet bearing this inscription: + + SACRED STONE OF THE + ONEIDA INDIANS + + ------ + + THIS STONE WAS THE NATIONAL + ALTAR OF THE ONEIDA INDIANS, + AROUND WHICH THEY GATHERED + FROM YEAR TO YEAR TO CELEBRATE + SOLEMN RELIGIOUS RITES AND + TO WORSHIP THE GREAT SPIRIT. + THEY WERE KNOWN AS THE TRIBE + OF THE UPRIGHT STONE. THIS + VALUABLE HISTORICAL RELIC WAS + BROUGHT HERE FROM STOCKBRIDGE, + MADISON COUNTY, N. Y., IN 1849. + +Many times during the first twenty-five or thirty years after the sacred +stone was deposited upon Forest Hill it was visited by members of its +tribe; and even now at occasional intervals the cemetery employees see +the figure of an Indian passing along the graveled paths to pause beside +this sole remaining monument of a broken race. + +It is pleasing to know that this granite boulder will here forever +remain, a memorial to a people celebrated for their savage virtues, +and who were once by no means obscure actors in some of the stirring +passages of our country's history; a people who were happy in their homes +and who loved these fertile hills and valleys as we love them, but of +whose ownership and sovereignty, whose teeming life and undisputed sway, +there remains only this mute, unembellished monument. + +Truthfully it may be said: "He-o-weh-go-gek"--once a home, now a memory. + + + + +_Notes to the Legends_ + + + + +NOTES TO THE LEGENDS + + +THE CONFEDERATION OF THE IROQUOIS, Page 23.--When the Europeans +discovered North America they found that portion of the continent lying +east of a line about as far west as the city of Cleveland, Ohio, and +from the great lakes on the north to the Chesapeake Bay on the south, +practically under the control of a confederacy of tribes, to which the +French in after years applied the term Iroquois, and which the English +called the Five Nations. This confederacy was composed of the Senecas, +Mohawks, Onondagas, Oneidas and Cayugas. In the year 1712 the Tuscaroras, +a tribe previously located in North Carolina, were defeated in a war +with their white neighbors, and about one thousand eight hundred of them +fled to what is now New York State, then the actual dwelling-place of +most of the Iroquois, and were adopted into the confederacy. The new +tribe did not possess the energy and courage of their associates, and +for several years after their coming the men wore the tobacco pouches of +the women, thus acknowledging upon all occasions that they were inferior +to the other five nations comprising the union which had become their +protectors. After the coming of the Tuscaroras the confederacy was known +as the Six Nations of Indians--a designation which is often used at the +present time in law in matters pertaining to the Indians of New York +State. + +The date of the formation of this confederacy has never been settled with +any degree of certainty, and all attempts have ended in mere conjecture +and speculation. The most authentic tradition heretofore published places +the date about the year 1589, but there is no positive proof that this +date is accurate. The legend of its formation here published is not only +based upon what was considered reliable authority by Cornplanter, but has +also the sanction of that other noted Seneca chief, Governor Blacksnake +(the Nephew), who was contemporaneous with Cornplanter, and who was +probably born about the year 1736 and died in 1859, at the supposed age +of one hundred and twenty-three years. These chiefs both claimed to have +seen a string of wampum in their early years that placed the formation +of the confederacy at a time when there occurred a total eclipse of the +sun--"a darkening of the Great Spirit's smiling face"--that took place +when the corn was receiving its last tillage, long before events that +could be reliably ascribed to the year 1540. + +At this point it will be well to say that the Indians possessed strings +of wampum which actually recorded historical events. They were made +upon the skins of some animal and were formed of small pieces of bone, +variously shaped and colored, small stones, and a variety of small +shells, quills and sometimes the teeth or claws of animals. These were +strung upon the tanned skin by piercing holes through them and tying them +securely with sinews. Certain ones in the tribe were selected as keepers +of the wampum and it was their duty to store all necessary facts in their +memory and associate with them the successive lines and arrangement of +the stones, shells, quills, etc., so that they could be readily called to +mind. At general councils these records were brought before the people +and solemnly expounded. As these people possessed remarkable memories, +the meaning of the wampum string was accurately carried down from +generation to generation. + +The place of holding the council that formed the confederacy has also +been the subject of some dispute, but it is pretty certain that it was +near the northern end of either Seneca or Cayuga Lake, and that it took +place in that year previous to 1540 in which occurred an eclipse of the +sun in the month when the corn receives its last tilling. + +Professor Lewis Swift, of the Warner Observatory, Rochester, kindly +furnished the following table of dates: + + Annular Eclipse October 11, 1520 + + Annular Eclipse May 8, 1491 + + Total Eclipse July 29, 1478 + + Total Eclipse June 28, 1451 + + Annular Eclipse April 26, 1427 + +The first given, October, 1520, is out of the question, as the corn would +have been harvested at that time of year. + +The second, May, 1491, would have been too early in the season to comply +with the conditions of the wampum record, for the corn would hardly have +made its appearance above the ground as early as the 8th of May. + +The third, the last of July, 1478, will not answer the account given, for +the ears of the maize would have been forming at that time and the plant +would have passed its period of tillage. + +The fourth date, June 28, 1451, must, therefore, have been the one upon +which the confederation took place, as at that time of the year the corn +in Central New York Is about ready for its final tilling. + +Upon the authority of these two chiefs it is not difficult to believe +that this date is historically correct and that the incident related in +the legend was the occasion upon which this wonderful union of republics +was formed. Considered as a government formed by a savage people, the +confederation of the Iroquois certainly was a wonderful union. Had it +not been broken and destroyed by the whites after a series of wars +extending over two centuries and culminating in the great village-burning +expedition of Sullivan in 1779, this confederacy would have made rapid +progress in civilization. + +Among the Five Nations alone can be found the Indian of the novelist and +poet. The Iroquois stand out and above all other aboriginal inhabitants +in their intelligence, their oratory, their friendship and their +character. Had they been treated with fairness; had they not been made +the subjects of the most cruel wrongs and deceptions; had they not been +driven to retaliation and finally to relentless slaughter, the pages of +our histories would doubtless have recorded of this people achievements +of which any nation might be proud. + + +A LEGEND OF THE RIVER, Page 47.--This story was told of the Genesee River +and Falls, and is occasionally heard among the older Senecas at the +present time. It is said that one family of the Senecas were very much +opposed to signing the treaty that surrendered the territory surrounding +the scene of this legend. They claimed to be descendants of Tonadahwa and +her brave rescuer, and believed that the spirits of their dead ancestors +often visited the scene of their adventure and upon this spot plighted +anew their troth. There is little doubt that this story, in the main, is +true, and that a young Indian and a maiden, whom he was trying to rescue +from a warrior of another tribe, were almost miraculously preserved alive +after being carried over the Genesee Falls in a canoe. This legend has +been put forth in various ways, one of which was that the Indians living +near Niagara Falls were accustomed to sacrifice annually to the spirit of +the Falls by sending the fairest maiden of the tribe over the precipice +in a white birch canoe, decked with fruits and flowers. Frequently male +relatives or lovers are said to have accompanied or followed victims who +were set apart for this sacrifice. If this is so it must have been a +practice of some other tribe than those composing the Iroquois, for the +Iroquoian tribes did not practice customs which called for the sacrifice +of human life, unless the sacrifice was self-imposed. + + +LEGENDS OF THE CORN, Page 51.--Corn, or maize, was the chief food of the +Indians and consequently there were many legends concerning its origin. +The two here given were looked upon as the oldest. The Indians had a firm +belief that it was possible to change one's form, unless the one desiring +the change was unfortunate enough to be under the influence of some evil +spirit that out of malice prevented the transformation. The Indian women +were especially proud of the legend attributing the origin of the maize +to the frightened maiden fleeing from her lover, and it was told to their +daughters very often and with many extravagant embellishments. + + +THE FIRST WINTER, Page 55.--The Indians were taught never to speak ill of +any of the celestial bodies or of the works of nature. They must never +complain of the glare and heat of the sun, lest they be stricken blind; +nor must they complain of the clouds for fear that they might be shut up +in caves in the mountains where no light could enter. The moon must be +treated with the same respect and consideration, for those who said aught +against her were in imminent danger of death by a fall of rocks from the +sky. The most severe storms of wind, snow, frost or hail must be treated +only with great respect. Those who complained about them were by this act +unarmed and could not resist their attacks and rigors. In fact, they were +taught to "take the bitter with the sweet" without making wry faces. This +training through long generations rendered the race cold and stoical, +apparently indifferent to suffering. They probably suffered the same as +others, but they bore it without a sign. This legend was a very common +one and was frequently told the young in order that the lesson might be +deeply impressed upon them that they should never set themselves up in +opposition to the Great Spirit or complain of the enforcement of his laws. + + +THE STORY OF ONIATA, Page 63.--Cornplanter held that there were many +traditions among the Indians that in one way or another mentioned persons +who were described as white; and this, too, long before the coming of the +Europeans. One tradition was to the effect that thousands of years ago, +away off to the southwest, there was a tribe of Indians in which were +born several children who were made "like the Great Spirit, with faces +as the sun." They were said to be very proud of the distinction and also +to have been great warriors. They were believed to have wandered to the +south and finally to have been lost in the mountains. After the coming of +the Europeans this tradition was revived, and the ever-ready imagination +of the Indians added a sequel to the disappearance of the "white +Indians." They said the whites had gone across the bitter lake (the +ocean) and founded the nations of the palefaces and were now returning to +conquer and subdue their forefathers. It was Cornplanter's belief that +this was the older continent and that the Indian was nearest the original +creation. He did not believe these traditional white people were as white +as the English. They possessed all the Indian features, he said, but had +light-colored skins and light hair. + +Since this volume was made ready for publication the author found in +a Western newspaper an account of the return from New Mexico of a Mr. +Williamson, who had been spending some months in an out-of-the-way +place in that territory among the Moqui Indians. Mr. Williamson told an +interesting story about a family of that tribe the members of which are +white. He saw these people and asserts there is no doubt as to their +color. He also says they are without doubt pure Indians and that they +have none of the characteristics of the Albinos often seen among the +Negroes. The family is known far and wide among the Indians themselves, +but as their place of residence is some distance from the usual routes +traveled by white men, they are rarely seen by others than the race to +which they belong. The Indians look upon them as something holier than +the rest of the tribe, and hence do not talk about them to outsiders. +The narrator stated that the head man of the family says that there is a +tradition among them that they originally came from the north and settled +among the Moqui people, where they have been so long that they have lost +all knowledge of the northern tribe and were not certain that they now +spoke the language of their progenitors. When any of the Moqui married +into the family, their children were always white. This discovery, if +true and there seems no reason for such a statement unless it be true +is interesting in this connection and may be looked upon by some as a +proof of the claim that about the year A. D. 400 a race of white people +occupied the territory bordering the southern shores of the great lakes, +and that they were driven away by red men who came from still further +north. Of course this is speculation and will probably remain a mystery +as long as the world stands. + + +THE BUZZARD'S COVERING, Page 77.--This legend regarding the buzzard's +plumage was often told by the Indians to illustrate the failure of some +one of their number to win success in marriage or upon the chase. "We +wear the turkey buzzard's feathers," said one of the Sioux chiefs a few +years ago when making complaint to a Congressional committee. Few of +those who heard him understood the metaphor and the supposition was that +he referred to the plainness of his clothing compared with that of the +politicians who met him. This expression coming from a Sioux chief proves +that at least some of the legends common among the Iroquois centuries ago +can be traced among the tribes of the West at the present time. A white +man to convey the same meaning would say, "We have the worst end of the +bargain," or, "We have only a crooked stick at last." + + +ORIGIN OF THE VIOLET, Page 81.--The Indian term for the violet is "heads +entangled." This is not one of the legends told by Cornplanter. It was +told the author by a Seneca Indian named Simon Blackchief. Afterwards the +authenticity of the legend was confirmed by inquiries among other members +of the Seneca Nation. + + +THE TURTLE CLAN, Page 85.--Of the various clans existing among the +Iroquois the Turtle was probably the most respected. The families +belonging to the Turtles were in reality the Freemasons of those days +and to them were accorded the highest honors. At the council-fires the +wisdom of the Turtles was displayed in counselling unity of action. Their +opinions were almost always accepted without discussion. + + +THE HEALING WATERS, Page 89.--The Indians possessed for many years a +knowledge of the curative properties of the mineral springs of this +country and held the waters in the highest veneration. Their faith in +them was so great that some did not hesitate to declare that the waters +would cure all ills. Another spring that they held in high reverence +was an oil spring situated in Allegany County, New York State, near the +Pennsylvania line. The water of this spring is covered with a thick +substance that was formerly collected by the Indians by conducting the +water into pools and skimming the surface with flat stones or the +branches of trees. The oil thus collected was used to mix with various +substances to form war-paint, but more especially as a healing salve for +various wounds. The Indians knew of its existence for many centuries, +and there were few days in summer when bands of Indians were not in +that vicinity gathering the oil, which they evaporated by exposure to +the sun and then stored in raw-hide or earthen vessels for future use. +Years ago the spring and a plot of ground one mile square was set aside +as a reservation, and it is still held as such. A curious fact in this +connection is that the oil from the spring was vaseline in its crude +state, and the same substance is now extensively secured from petroleum +oil wells in that vicinity. + + +THE MESSAGE BEARERS, Page 119.--The belief of the Indians that the echoes +they heard among the mountains and forests were spirits who repeated from +one to another the words spoken by the men and women until the words +reached Heaven itself, is almost too beautiful to be destroyed by the +cold facts of science. There is something about their theory that appeals +very strongly to all and makes us wish that we, like the Indians of a +thousand years ago, could believe that our prayers, if spoken boldly, +would be caught from our lips by waiting and listening spirits and +carried to "the tent of the Great Spirit." + +It was customary for them to frequent rivers with high wooded banks, or +to seek ravines with precipitous sides where reverberations could be +heard for miles, until they would die away in the distance. Here they +would stand for hours, shouting and listening as the echoing shouts +leaped from shore to shore, or from hill to mountain and from mountain +to valley--on and on into silence; always firmly believing that the +words were called from one to another of the faithful spirits until +they reached the ears of their loved ones and finally the Great Spirit +himself. This custom was practiced among the Senecas less than one +hundred years ago, and there are now living men who have been present on +occasions when nearly the whole tribe participated in an event of this +character. This belief was doubtless the origin of the "death shout" that +Indian warriors are said to make when mortally wounded upon the battle +field. The cry is sent forth by the dying warrior to let the friends whom +he would meet in heaven know that he has started on the long journey. + + +THE HUNTER, Page 129.--This legend is one of the many relating the origin +of the "medicine compound." When the rejoicing over the return to life of +Kanistagia had ceased, the bear and fox took him aside and imparted the +secret of the mysterious compound which had mended his wounded head when +once the scalp had been restored. There has always been a great deal of +mystery, and something of superstition, concerning, "Indian medicines," +and quack nostrums have been eagerly sought by people of these later +years simply because they were labeled with Indian names and ascribed to +Indian origin. The fact is the Indians were poor doctors. They knew the +virtue of catnip, peppermint, pennyroyal, and a few simple herbs of like +nature. They knew that lobelia would act as an emetic and throw poisons +from the stomach. They found that a salve made from the inner bark of +the slippery elm and elder would heal wounds. While they had an infinite +variety of so-called "medicines," their cures were generally effected +through faith and good constitutions, aided by a liberal use of cold +water. They lived out of doors during the greater part of their lives, +and to this, more than to their knowledge of cures, may be ascribed their +longevity. + +The secret of their "great medicine" was imparted to but few, and the +formula here given was told the author by one of the older Jimmersons, a +resident of the Seneca Reservation: Each year before the coming of the +frosts a meeting of the chiefs was held in one of the largest wigwams. +Those entitled to attend could not enter the wigwam before dark. Each one +brought with him several of the rarest herbs, roots, branches of trees or +fruits of which he had knowledge, and often hundreds of miles had been +traversed in the search for some particularly scarce product. These, +with a few simple, fragrant herbs and a certain proportion of dry corn +and beans, were pounded into a pulpy mass. Each one present assumed the +character of some bird or animal, and they often masqueraded to carry out +the role. No words passed between them, but a continual din was kept up +as each one sounded the cries of the bird or animal he represented. One +would bark like a fox, another caw like a crow, a third would growl like +a bear, the fourth, fifth and sixth chatter like squirrels, raccoons or +ground-hogs. Another would scream like a hawk, while others would imitate +the wild turkey, geese, ducks, etc. They worked rapidly, for they must +complete their task before the break of day. If one closed his eyes in +sleep, it was a sure sign that the plague would come upon the tribe. At +daylight the compound was divided, carefully bestowed in panther skin +pouches, and carried away for future use. + +The manner of administering it was as curious as its manufacture. Water +was dipped from a running stream in a wooden vessel. Care was taken to +dip with the current--never against it. When the water in the vessel +had become absolutely quiet, three small portions of the powder were +carefully dropped on its surface in the form of a triangle. If the powder +spread over the surface of the water, as dust often will, the patient +hastily gulped down the dose and got well. If the powder sank to the +bottom without spreading over the surface, the medicine man quickly +departed with his potion and no further effort was made to save the +patient's life. + + +HIAWATHA, Page 137.--This version of Hiawatha follows as closely as it +is possible to translate into English the legend as told by Governor +Blacksnake (The Nephew). This aged Seneca chief was contemporaneous +with Cornplanter, and died December 26, 1859, at the age of 117 or 120 +years. He was a very intelligent man, possessing all the nobler traits +of his race and very few, if any, of the baser ones. He possessed the +confidence and esteem of Washington, and to the day of his death wore +upon a thong around his neck a silver medal given him by Washington. He +also constantly carried a little leathern pouch containing a pass written +and signed by Washington's own hand. + +It is believed that many will be pleased to read in prose the beautiful +story that Longfellow has immortalized in verse, and into which he wove +many other curious legends to make the story complete. The form of +the tradition here given is believed to be the purest one extant. Its +narrator repeated it frequently to assemblages of the Senecas up to a few +months prior to his death, and as here given follows the story precisely +as it came from Blacksnake's own lips. + +This legendary account of the formation of the confederacy of the +Iroquois differs materially from the historical account as given by +Cornplanter. The story of Hiawatha was believed by Cornplanter as +implicitly as any Christian believes the Bible. But he said this happened +so many years ago, when everything was spiritual and supernatural, that +the Five Nations in time came to look upon it as something that was not +binding upon them. By degrees they drifted away and were estranged, +and the council-fire combined and lighted by Hiawatha at that time was +permitted to go out--that is, each tribe held its separate council. +After the second reunion of the tribes (see note and legend "The +Confederation of the Iroquois") the council was again established at +Onondaga, and the great council-fire was relighted on the spot hallowed +by the presence of their wisest leader. It is also interesting to note +that the councils of the Iroquois were held at Onondaga until January +18, 1777. In the War of the Revolution the Mohawks, Onondagas, Senecas +and Cayugas favored the English. The Mohawks went to Canada and never +returned, save as foes, till after peace was declared, and the other +tribes named lent the English much assistance. The Oneidas and Tuscaroras +remained neutral, but really aided the Colonists. On the 19th of January, +1777, a delegation of Oneida Indians visited Fort Stanwix (now Rome), +and told the commanding officer that the council-fire of the Iroquois at +Onondaga had the previous day been extinguished for all time. What was +probably the oldest confederacy in the world died in the very infancy of +American Independence. + + +THE PEACEMAKER, Page 149.--The location of this "City of Refuge" will, +of course, never be known, and all that can be said about it must be +simply speculation. It seems reasonable to suppose that it was located +in a somewhat central position; where it would be most convenient to all +the tribes. From the fact that Genetaska and her lover went southward to +a river and took a canoe to complete their wedding trip, it is believed +that Kienuka was situated in one of the three valleys in the central +part of the State of New York, drained respectively by the Tioughnioga, +the Chenango or the Unadilla rivers. The eloping couple are said to have +been the progenitors of a very intelligent tribe on Chesapeake Bay, +and probably reached their home by way of the Susquehanna River. Elias +Johnson, a Tuscarora Indian, gives a somewhat different version of this +legend, and says that Kienuka was located four miles eastward of the +inlet of the Niagara gorge at Lewiston. Although Mr. Johnson is possessed +of much information as to the early legends of his people, it is probable +that he has erred in the location of the peace-home. The location he +points out would have been manifestly unfair to the Mohawks and Oneidas, +and, indeed, it would have been very difficult of access to all the +tribes, for even the Senecas (the westernmost tribe) would have had to +make a journey of nearly a hundred miles to have gotten within the sacred +walls. + +Wherever it was, Kienuka was a veritable "City of Refuge." Its queen was +chosen as indicated in the legend and her word became law. There was +absolutely no appeal from it. With three or four retainers, who must be +old women, she was supported by all the tribes, and great quantities of +food were stored at the retreat for the relief of those who came there in +distress. This must be ready at all times for those who might be in want. +Disputes were not tolerated in the presence of the Peacemaker and would +have been punished by death if reported to the council. Every one who +reached the charmed circle was safe from molestation until the Peacemaker +had delivered her sentence. If for some offence the refugee should be +adjudged guilty of a crime punishable by death, he must be taken far from +the peace-home before the sentence could be executed, for the shedding +of blood within its pale was strictly forbidden. For this reason, when +deserted by Genetaska, whose vows were forgotten in the love she bore +the young Oneida, Kienuka became the scene of bloodshed, and it was +afterwards shunned, accursed and desolated. + +Six hundred years elapsed after the occurrence of this romantic incident +before the office of Queen Peacemaker was again filled. The shock the +Indians felt over the betrayal of such a high trust as that imposed +in Genetaska led them to practically abolish the venerated custom. In +1878 they bestowed the honor upon Caroline Parker, a sister of General +Eli S. Parker, a former member of General Grant's staff. She was a +resident of the Tuscarora Reservation, and afterwards became the wife +of John Mountpleasant. She is possessed of a comfortable home and a +fortune of moderate size. She is a woman of education and refinement, +and is in all respects an ideal Peacemaker. Her home is ever open to the +poor, distressed and needy; her heart is moved by pity at every sign of +suffering; her sound judgment and fine sensibilities render her a most +valuable friend and counsellor. + + +AN UNWELCOME VISITOR, Page 155.--This legend was as common among the +Indians as are the parables of the Prodigal Son or the Good Samaritan +among Christians. It was told to the young very impressively and often, +that they might learn by its teachings never to refuse welcome and +shelter to a stranger, no matter what his condition, even though he be +covered with the awful pustules of smallpox, with which the visitor in +the legend is supposed to have been suffering. If they should refuse +shelter, they might be, unawares, turning "good medicine" from the +door. This is also one of the legends explaining the origin of the +knowledge possessed by the Indians of the curative properties of plants +and roots. Unfortunately the name of the benefactress of their race +who figures in the legend has been lost, but in all tribes and clans +there have been noted Sagawahs who were supposed to be her descendants. +As no one could enter the Happy Hunting-Grounds except through the +gate of death, the Great Spirit's messenger, who had gone through much +suffering for the welfare of the red men, brought upon himself the "fatal +disease"--consumption--for which the Indians had no remedy. + + + * * * * * + + +Transcriber Notes + + +Presumed typos were corrected. Hyphenation was standardized. + + + + + + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's The Legends of the Iroquois, by William W. Canfield + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 58228 *** |