INTRODUCTION xvii
I. FUNDAMENTAL FACTORS IN SENECA FOLK LORE 1
BASIC PREMISES 3
GODS, MAJOR SPIRITS AND FOLK-BEASTS 5
NATURE BEINGS 10
MAGIC BEASTS AND BIRDS 16
MAGICAL MAN-LIKE BEINGS 18
II. THEMES AND MATERIALS 23
STEREOTYPED OBJECTS AND INCIDENTS 27
COMPONENTS OF THE COSMOLOGICAL MYTH 33
III. THE ATMOSPHERE IN WHICH THE LEGENDS WERE TOLD 37
IV. WHEN THE WORLD WAS NEW 57
1. HOW THE WORLD BEGAN 59
2. THE BROTHERS WHO CLIMBED INTO THE SKY 74
3. THE DEATH PANTHER 78
4. THE GREAT BEAR CONSTELLATION 81
5. THE SEVEN BROTHERS OF THE STAR CLUSTER 83
6. THE SEVEN STAR DANCERS 86
7. THE COMING OF SPRING 88
8. THE COMING OF DEATH 92
V. BOYS WHO DEFIED MAGIC AND OVERCAME IT 95
9. ORIGIN OF FOLK STORIES 97
10. THE FORBIDDEN ARROW AND THE QUILT OF MEN’S EYES 101
11. CORN GRINDER, THE GRANDSON 108
12. HE-GOES-TO-LISTEN 116
13. HATONDAS, THE LISTENER, FINDS A WIFE 122
14. THE ORIGIN OF THE CHESTNUT TREE 128
15. DIVIDED BODY RESCUES A GIRL 133
16. THE ORIGIN OF THE BUFFALO SOCIETY 137
17. THE BOY WHO COULD NOT UNDERSTAND 142
18. THE BOY WHO LIVED WITH THE BEARS 147
19. THE SEVENTH SON 154
20. THE BOY WHO OVERCAME ALL MAGIC BY LAUGHTER 159
VI. TALES OF LOVE AND MARRIAGE 171
21. TWO FEATHERS AND TURKEY BROTHER 173
22. TWO FEATHERS AND WOODCHUCK LEGGINGS 184
23. TURKEY BOY SQUEEZED THE HEARTS OF SORCERERS 200
24. CORN RAINS INTO EMPTY BARRELS 205
25. TWENTGOWA AND THE MISCHIEF MAKER 208
26. THE HORNED SERPENT RUNS AWAY WITH A GIRL 218
27. THE GREAT SERPENT AND THE YOUNG WIFE 223
28. BUSHY HEAD THE BEWITCHED WARRIOR 228
29. THE FLINT CHIP THROWER 235
VII. HORROR TALES OF CANNIBALS AND SORCERERS: 239
30. THE DUEL OF THE DREAM TEST 241
31. THE VAMPIRE SIRENS 253
32. YOUNGER BROTHER ELUDES HIS SISTER-IN-LAW 262
33. THE ISLAND OF THE CANNIBAL 269
34. THE TWELVE BROTHERS AND THE WRAITH 278
35. THE CANNIBAL AND HIS NEPHEW 284
36. A YOUTH’S DOUBLE ABUSES HIS SISTER 290
37. MURDERED DOUBLE SPEAKS THROUGH FIRE 293
38. THE VAMPIRE CORPSE 298
VIII. TALES OF TALKING ANIMALS: 301
39. THE MAN WHO EXHALED FIRE 303
40. THE TURTLE’S WAR PARTY 305
41. THE RACE OF THE TURTLE AND THE BEAVER 309
42. THE WOLF AND THE RACCOON 312
43. THE CHIPMUNK’S STRIPES 314
44. THE RABBIT SONG 315
45. THE RABBIT GAMBLER 317
46. THE RACCOON AND THE CRABS 319
47. THE CRAB’S EYES 321
48. HOW THE SQUIRREL GAVE A BLANKET, ETC. 322
49. THE CHICKADEE’S SONG 325
50. THE BIRD WOMAN 326
51. THE PARTRIDGE’S SONG 328
IX. TALES OF GIANTS, PYGMIES AND MONSTER BEARS: 329
52. A TALE OF THE DJOGEON OR PYGMIES 331
53. BEYOND-THE-RAPIDS AND THE STONE GIANT 334
54. THE ANIMATED FINGER 337
55. THE STONE GIANT’S BATTLE 340
56. THE BOY AND THE FALSE FACE 342
57. HOW A BOY OUTWITTED A NIA’´GWAHE 344
58. NIA’´GWAHE, THE MAMMOTH BEAR 349
59. THE BOY AND THE NIA’´GWAHE 358
X. TRADITIONS: 363
SENECA BELIEF IN WITCHCRAFT 365
60. CONTENTS OF A CHARM HOLDER’S BUNDLE 368
61. CONTENTS OF A WITCH BUNDLE 369
62. OVERCOMING A WITCH 370
63. THE SCORNED WITCH WOMAN 372
64. CATCHING A WITCH BUNDLE 376
65. WITCH WITH A DOG TRANSFORMATION 378
66. WITCH STEALS CHILDREN’S HEARTS 380
67. HOTCIWAHO (HAMMER IN HIS BELT) 382
68. HOW AMERICA WAS DISCOVERED 383
69. ORIGIN OF THE CHARM HOLDER’S MEDICINE SOCIETY 386
70. ORIGIN OF THE FALSE FACE COMPANY 394
71. ORIGIN OF THE LONG HOUSE 403
72. DEAD TIMBER, A TRADITION OF ALBANY 407
XI. APPENDIX: 409
A. ORIGIN OF THE WORLD 411
B. THE WYANDOT CREATION MYTH 417
C. AN INTERVIEW WITH “ESQ.” JOHNSON BY MRS. ASHER WRIGHT 421
D. EMBLEMATIC TREES IN IROQUOIAN MYTHOLOGY 431
E. THE SOCIETY THAT GUARDS THE MYSTIC POTENCE 445
ILLUSTRATIONS
PLATES:
THE ATMOSPHERE IN WHICH LEGENDS WERE TOLD.—FROM PAINTING BY R. J. TUCKER Front.
EDWARD CORNPLANTER—SOSONDOWA Op. p. 4
DELOS BIG KITTLE—SAINOWA 〃 〃 58
THE SEVEN DANCING BROTHERS—FROM PAINTING BY R. J. TUCKER 〃 〃 82
MRS. JOHN BIG KITTLE.—PHOTO BY E. C. WINNEGAR 〃 〃 172
HADUI MASK OF THE FALSE FACE COMPANY 〃 〃 240
EMILY TALLCHIEF.—PHOTO BY E. C. WINNEGAR 〃 〃 364
DRAWINGS BY JESSE CORNPLANTER:
THE THUNDER SERPENT 7
THE SPIRIT OF DIONHEKON 11
THE FLYING HEAD OF THE WIND 13
THE SPIRIT OF THE FROST 14
THE SNOW SNAKE GAME 39
A BARK COMMUNAL HOUSE 47
THE BEAR DANCE 151
THE HORNED SERPENT Op. p. 218
MAGIC WHISTLE 255
FIGURE OF DANCING WARRIOR 273
RESTORATION OF RED HAND 386
ILLUSTRATING EMBLEMATIC TREES:
PICTOGRAPH OF THE SKY-DOME 432
A FALSE FACE LEADER 435
SYMBOLISM OF LEGGING STRIPS 437
SKY-DOME SYMBOLS 438
EMBROIDERED BORDERS 441
EMBROIDERED POUCH: SENECA WORK BEFORE 1850 Op. p. 442
FORMS OF THE CELESTIAL TREE 443
“BIG TREE IN MIDDLE OF THE EARTH” 444
ARRANGEMENT OF THE LITTLE WATER LODGE 451
BIBLIOGRAPHY 459
INDEX 461