
Mythology of the Iroquois includes the creation stories and folktales of the
Native Americans who formed the confederacy of the
Five Nations, later the
Six Nations. Historically, these stories were recorded in
wampum
Wampum is a traditional shell bead of the Eastern Woodlands tribes of Native Americans. It includes white shell beads hand-fashioned from the North Atlantic channeled whelk shell and white and purple beads made from the quahog or Western N ...
and recited, only being written down later. In the written versions, the spellings of names differ due to
transliteration
Transliteration is a type of conversion of a text from one script to another that involves swapping letters (thus ''trans-'' + '' liter-'') in predictable ways, such as Greek → , Cyrillic → , Greek → the digraph , Armenian → or ...
and spelling variations in European languages that were not yet standardized. Variants of the stories exist, reflecting different localities and times.
Oral traditions
The Iroquois have passed down their stories as a centuries-old
oral tradition
Oral tradition, or oral lore, is a form of human communication wherein knowledge, art, ideas and cultural material is received, preserved, and transmitted orally from one generation to another. Vansina, Jan: ''Oral Tradition as History'' (1985 ...
. Through these stories, listeners learn values, laws, and acceptable behaviors in their communities For example, "Girl Who Was Not Satisfied" is a traditional story about a girl who runs off with a man for his looks. The moral of the story is to judge people based on their character, not their looks. The story also teaches people the importance of valuing what they already have.
Iroquois storytelling is also entertainment and a way to preserve culture. The stories reflect the Iroquois' perception and understanding of the world. Traditionally, the stories were poetic and delivered in metaphors. However, translations often lose the expressive qualities which existed in the original language.
It is also possible that
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesu ...
influenced the written mythologies.
In 1923, historian
Arthur C. Parker wrote, "There is an amazing lack of authentic material on Iroquois-folklore, though much of what arrogates this name itself has been written. The writers, however, have in general so glossed the native themes with poetic and literary interpretations that the material has shrunken in value and can scarcely be considered without many reservations."
Each Iroquois village had a Hage'ota or storyteller who was responsible for learning and memorizing the ganondas'hag or stories.
[Parker, Arthur Caswell (1923). '' Seneca Myths and Folk Tales''. Buffalo, New York: Buffalo Historical Society. pp. xxv-xxvi. Retrieved May 26, 2015 via Internet Archive.] Traditionally, no stories were told during the summer months in accordance with the law of the ().
Violators were said to suffer an omen or great evils, such as a being stung on the lips by a bee or being strangled by a snake while sleeping.
The Iroquois believed that telling the stories in summer would make the animals, plants, trees, and humans lazy, as work stops for a good story..
Stories
Following are examples of Iroquois myths, as recorded by
Harriet Maxwell Converse
Harriet Maxwell Converse (née, Harriet Arnot Maxwell; Seneca clan name, Gayaneshaoh; Seneca tribal name, “Ya-ie-wa-noh, meaning ‘she watches over us.’” (11 January 1836 - 18 November 1903) was an American author of Scottish and Irish he ...
in 1908,
Arthur C. Parker in 1923, and others.
Creation
The earth was a thought in the mind of
(), the ruler of a great island floating above the clouds.
The floating island is a place of calm where all needs are provided and there is no pain or death. The island's inhabitants hold council under a great apple tree.
Hawëni:yo’ says, "Let us make a new place where another people can grow. Under our council tree is a great sea of clouds which calls out for light." He orders the uprooting of the council tree and he looks through the hole, down into the depths. He tells (Mohawk:) () to look down. Hearing the voice of the sea below calling, Hawëni:yo’ tells Awëöha’i’, who was pregnant, to bring it life. He wraps her in light and drops her down through the hole.
All the birds and animals who live in the great cloud sea are panicked. The Duck asks, "Where can it rest?" The Beaver replies, "Only the oeh-dah () from the bottom of our great sea can hold it. I will get some." The Beaver dives down but never returns. Then, the Duck tries, but its dead body floats to the surface. Many of the other birds and animals try and fail.
Finally, the Muskrat returns with some Oeh-dah in his paws. He says, "It's heavy. Who can support it?" The Turtle volunteers and the oeh-dah is placed on top of his shell. The birds fly up and carry Awëöha’i’ on their wings to the Turtle's back. This is how Hah-nu-nah, the Turtle, came to be the earth bearer. When he moves, the sea gets rough and the earth shakes.
The Do-yo-da-no
Once brought to the surface, the oeh-dah from the sea floor grows and forms an island.
Ata-en-sic () goes to the island, knowing her time to give birth is near. She hears two voices under her heart. One voice is calm and quiet, but the other is loud and angry. Her children are the Do-yo-da-no or the Twin Gods. The good twin,
Hah-gweh-di-yu or Teharonhiakwako, is born in the normal way.
The evil twin,
Hä-qweh-da-ět-gǎh or Sawiskera, forces his way out from under his mother's arm, killing her.
After the death of Ata-en-sic, the island is shrouded in gloom. Hah-gweh-di-yu shapes the sky and creates the sun from his mother's face saying, "You shall rule here where your face will shine forever." However, Hä-qweh-da-ět-gǎh sets the great darkness in the west to drive down the sun. Hah-gweh-di-yu then takes the moon and stars, his sisters, from his mother's breast and places them to guard the night sky. He gives his mother's body to the earth, the Great Mother from whom all life came.
Ga-gaah, the Crow, comes from the sun land carrying a grain of corn in his ear. Hah-gweh-di-yu plants the corn above his mother's body and it becomes the first grain. Ga-gaah hovers over the corn fields, guarding them against harm and claiming his share.
Aid by assistants or subordinate spirits such as the
Huron spirit
Ioskeha, Hah-gweh-di-yu creates the first people, heals disease, defeats
demons, and gives the Iroquois many magical and ceremonial rituals. Another of his gifts is
tobacco
Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ch ...
, a central part of the Iroquois religion. In contrast, Hä-qweh-da-ět-gǎh brings dangerous and destructive things to the world. Thus, the Do-yo-da-no creation myth is also about the behaviors and morals of people.
Notes
Hé-no
Iroquois mythology tells of
Hé-no, the spirit of thunder who brings rain to nourish the crops. The Iroquois address Hé-no as Tisote (). He appears as a warrior, wearing on his head a magic feather that makes him invulnerable to the attacks of Hah-gweh-di-yu. On his back, he carries a basket filled with pieces of
chert
Chert () is a hard, fine-grained sedimentary rock composed of microcrystalline or cryptocrystalline quartz, the mineral form of silicon dioxide (SiO2). Chert is characteristically of biological origin, but may also occur inorganically as a ...
which he throws at evil spirits and witches.
Hé-no lives in a cave under
Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls () is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the border between the province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York in the United States. The largest of the three is Horseshoe Fall ...
. At that time, a young girl lives above the falls and is engaged to marry a disagreeable old man. Rather than marry, she climbs into a canoe and heads down the river. The girl and the canoe are carried over the falls; the canoe is seen falling to destruction, but the girl disappears. Hé-no and his two assistants catch her in a blanket and take her to his cave. One of the assistants is taken with her beauty and marries her.
Later, Hé-no rescues her village from a huge serpent that was devastating it with diseases. He lures the serpent to a spot on
Buffalo Creek where he strikes it with a thunderbolt. Fatally wounded, the serpent tries to escape to the safety of
Lake Erie
Lake Erie ( "eerie") is the fourth largest lake by surface area of the five Great Lakes in North America and the eleventh-largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has t ...
but dies before he gets away. His body floats downstream to the head of Niagara Falls, stretching nearly across the river and arching backward to form a dam. The dammed water breaks the rocks, and the snake's body falls onto the rocks below. This forms
Horseshoe Falls
Horseshoe Falls is the largest of the three waterfalls that collectively form Niagara Falls on the Niagara River along the Canada–United States border. Approximately 90% of the Niagara River, after diversions for hydropower generation, flows ...
but destroys Hé-no's home in the process.
De-oh-há-ko
The Iroquois name De-oh-há-ko means Our Life or Our Supporters. Often called the Three Sisters, the De-oh-há-ko are the spirits of corn, beans, and squash. The sisters have the form of beautiful maidens. They are fond of each other and like to live near each other. This is an analogy to the three plants which are historically grown from the same mound.
One day while O-na-tah, the spirit of the corn, is wandering alone, she is captured by Hä-qweh-da-ět-gǎh, the evil Twin God. Hä-qweh-da-ět-gǎh sends one of his monsters to devastate the fields, and the other sisters run away. Hä-qweh-da-ět-gǎh holds O-na-tah captive in darkness under the earth until a searching ray of sunlight reached the surface. Back on the earth's surface, she weeps over the devastation to her fields and her abandonment by her sisters. She vows to never again leave her fields, which she guards alone, without her sisters.
Jo-ga-oh
Iroquois myths tell of the (
Jo-gä-oh) or the Little People. The are invisible nature spirits, similar to the
fairies
A fairy (also fay, fae, fey, fair folk, or faerie) is a type of mythical being or legendary creature found in the folklore of multiple European cultures (including Celtic, Slavic, Germanic, English, and French folklore), a form of spirit, of ...
of European myth. They protect and guide the natural world and protect people from unseen hidden enemies. There are three tribes of .
The first tribe is the
Ga-hon-ga who inhabit rivers and rocks. They live in rocky caves beside streams and have great strength despite their small stature. The
Ga-hon-ga enjoy feats of strength and enjoy inviting people to their habitations to compete in contests. They enjoy playing ball with rocks, tossing the rocks high in the air, so they are often called Stone Throwers.
The second tribe is the Gan-da-yah who protect and advise the fruits and grains. Throughout the growing season, the Gan-da-yah guards crops against disease and other pests. Their special gift is the strawberry plant; in the spring they loosen the earth so it can grow. They turn strawberry leaves toward the sun and guide their runners. When the strawberries ripen, the () hold the spring festival with its nighttime dances of thanksgiving to the . They sometimes visit the people in the form of a robin for good news, an owl for a warning, or a bat for an imminent life-and-death struggle. Believers in the Gan-da-yah say, "The most minute harmless insect or worm may be the bearer of important 'talk' from the 'Little People' and is not destroyed for the 'trail is broad enough for all'"..
The third tribe of are the Oh-do-was, who inhabit the shadowy places under the earth. In this underworld, there are forests and animals, including a white buffalo. The Oh-do-was guard against poisonous snakes and creatures of death that try to escape from the underworld. Occasionally, the Oh-do-was emerge from the underworld at night and visit the world above where they hold festivals and dance in rings around trees. Afterward, grass will not grow in the ring.
Gǎ-oh
Iroquois myths tell of
Gaoh, the personification of the wind. He is a giant and an "instrumentality through whom the
Great Spirit
The Great Spirit is the concept of a life force, a Supreme Being or god known more specifically as Wakan Tanka in Lakota,Ostler, Jeffry. ''The Plains Sioux and U.S. Colonialism from Lewis and Clark to Wounded Knee''. Cambridge University Pres ...
moves the elements".
His home is in the far northern sky.
He controls the four winds: north wind (Bear), west wind (Panther), east wind (Moose), and south wind (Fawn).
The North Wind is personified by a
bear
Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family Ursidae. They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the N ...
spirit named
Ya-o-gah
Gaoh, Ga-oh or Gǎ-oh is a wind spirit and giant of the Iroquois, Huron and Seneca people.
Gaoh was described as a cannibal and a giant who could uproot trees. He takes the form of a solitary old man. Gaoh is subservient to the Great Spirit, ...
. Ya-o-gah can destroy the world with his fiercely cold breath but is kept in check by Gǎ-oh. Ne-o-ga, the south wind, is as "gentle, and kind as the sunbeam". The West Wind, the
panther Da-jo-ji, "can climb the high mountains, and tear down the forests...carry the whirlwind on
isback, and toss the great sea waves high in the air, and snarl at the tempests". O-yan-do-ne, the east wind, blows his breath "to chill the young clouds as they float through the sky".
Notes
So-son-do-wah
According to Iroquois mythology,
So-son-do-wah is a great
hunter
Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/ hide, bone/tusks, horn/antler, et ...
, known for stalking a supernatural
elk. He is captured by Dawn, a goddess who needs him as a watchman. So-son-do-wah falls in love with the human woman
Gendenwitha Gendenwitha (also spelled Gendewitha) is a mythological character represented by the Morning Star in Iroquois mythology. Her name means "It Brings the Day." Gendenwitha was originally a beautiful maiden who was loved by Sosondowah, a great hunter ...
(, alternate spelling:
Gendewitha Gendenwitha (also spelled Gendewitha) is a mythological character represented by the Morning Star in Iroquois mythology. Her name means "It Brings the Day." Gendenwitha was originally a beautiful maiden who was loved by Sosondowah, a great hunter h ...
). He tried to woo her with song. In spring, he sings as a
bluebird
The bluebirds are a North American group of medium-sized, mostly insectivorous or omnivorous birds in the order of Passerines in the genus ''Sialia'' of the thrush family (Turdidae). Bluebirds are one of the few thrush genera in the Americas. ...
, in summer as a
blackbird, and in autumn as a
hawk
Hawks are birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. They are widely distributed and are found on all continents except Antarctica.
* The subfamily Accipitrinae includes goshawks, sparrowhawks, sharp-shinned hawks and others. This subfa ...
. The hawk tries to take Gendenwitha into the sky with him. However, Dawn ties So-son-do-wah to her doorpost. She changes Gendenwitha into the
Morning Star
Morning Star, morning star, or Morningstar may refer to:
Astronomy
* Morning star, most commonly used as a name for the planet Venus when it appears in the east before sunrise
** See also Venus in culture
* Morning star, a name for the star Siri ...
, so the hunter can watch her all night but never be with her.
Flying Head
Iroquois mythology tells of the
Flying Head
The Flying Head (also known as ''Big Head'' or the ''Great Head'') is a cannibalistic spirit from Iroquois and Wyandot mythology.
Description
According to both Iroquois and Wyandot, Flying Heads are described as being ravenous spirits that are ...
(Mohawk ), a monster in the form of a giant disembodied head as tall as a man. It is covered with thick hair and has long black wings and long sharp claws. At night, the Flying Head comes to the homes of widows and orphans, beating its wings on the walls of the houses and issuing terrifying cries in an unknown language. A few days after the Flying Head visits, a death claims one of the family. The
Seneca name for the Flying Head is , meaning whirlwind.
Djodi'kwado
According to Iroquois mythology, Djodi'kwado' is a
horned serpent who inhabits the depths of rivers and lakes. He is capable of taking the form of a man and seducing young women. He is prominent in the tales "Thunder Destroys Horned Snake". and "The Horned Serpent Runs Away with a Young Wife who is Rescued by the Thunderer".
In the latter, he appears as a helpful being, although his help is less than useful. Hé-no attacks and may have killed Djodi'kwado'.
Tuscarora legend
William Byrd II
William Byrd II (March 28, 1674August 26, 1744) was an American planter, lawyer, surveyor, author, and a man of letters. Born in Colonial Virginia, he was educated in London, where he practiced law. Upon his father's death, he returned to Virg ...
recorded a tradition of a former religious leader from the
Tuscarora tribe, in his ''
History of the Dividing Line Betwixt North Carolina and Virginia'' (1728), The Tuscarora are an
Iroquoian
The Iroquoian languages are a language family of indigenous peoples of North America. They are known for their general lack of labial consonants. The Iroquoian languages are polysynthetic and head-marking.
As of 2020, all surviving Iroquoia ...
-speaking tribe, historically settled in
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia a ...
, that migrated to the Iroquois Confederacy in New York because of warfare. According to Byrd:
The Three Brothers
This is an Iroquois sun myth about three brothers who tire of being on earth and decide to chase the sun into the sky. Two of the brothers succeed, with the third succeeding in spirit only. The Sun Spirit remakes and tests the two brothers, who stay in the realm of the sky for many years. They eventually miss their home and return, only to find that many years have passed. With everything they knew either changed or gone, they long to return to the realm of the sky. They return to the sky when they are struck by lightning, as earthly perils could not harm them.
See also
*
The Great Peacemaker
The Great Peacemaker (''Skén:nen rahá:wi'' kʌ̃.nːʌ̃.ɾahaːwiin Mohawk), sometimes referred to as Deganawida or Tekanawí:ta (as a mark of respect, some Iroquois avoid using his personal name except in special circumstances) was by tradi ...
*
Seneca mythology
*
Turtle Island (North America)
Turtle Island is a name for Earth or North America, used by some Indigenous peoples, as well as by some Indigenous rights activists. The name is based on a common North American Indigenous creation story and is in some cultures synonymous with ...
*
Gaasyendietha Gaasyendietha, according to Seneca mythology, is a giant serpent that dwells in the deep areas of rivers and lakes of Canada, especially Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, w ...
References
External links
{{List of mythological figures by region
Native American religion
North American folklore