474 SENECA FICTION, LEGENDS, AND MYTHS [eth. ANN. 32 



103. Dagwanoentent and Gaasyendiet'ha ''' 



There was a large village of people provided with plenty of meat, 

 who lived happily. Among these people was a man who lived at 

 one end of the village, whom few noticed. 



One night this man had a dream, in which his Dream Spirit said 

 to him, " Something is going to happen to the people of the village, 

 so you must notify them to move away within ten days." In the 

 morning he went to the center of the village, and having gathered 

 the people together, told them his dream. Some of them believed 

 and some did not. Five days later, all those who had believed his 

 dream joined those who had not believed and paid no further heed 

 to the warning. 



On the fifth night the man dreamed again. This time his Dream 

 Spirit said to him: "We know that all the people do not believe 

 you. Now save yourself. Start within three days, taking your bow 

 and all your arrows with you. About halfway up the high hill east 

 of the village you will find a large hollow rock; enter this cavein, 

 and you will find a subterranean passage running toward the village. 

 Ijook through this passage,' and you will see all that is going on in 

 the village. The people will be destroyed. At midday of the tenth 

 day a great cry will be raised by the people, such a cry as you have 

 never heard. When it begins to die away you must commence to 

 shoot through the passage, for the monster that destroys the village 

 will track you to this place. You will save your life if j^ou shoot all 

 your arrows before the monster reaches the underground passage. 

 When your arrows are gone, come out of your hiding place and go 

 to the place where the monster has fallen. Then take a small piece 

 of its skin together with the hair (which is very long) from the back 

 of its head ; this will be of use to you, for it has great orenda (magical 

 power). This monster is called Dagwanoenyent. You must wind 

 (.lie hair around your body next to your skin and declare at the same 

 time that there is nothing that you can not do. At night when it is 

 too dark. for you to be seen, go northward a short distance, and you 

 will find a tree upturned by the roots. Go around the roots — you 

 must not be frightened, for I will give you something which will be 

 of gi'eat service to j^ou." 



Tiie morning after this dream the man seemed very gloomy and 

 unhappy. When the time came, taking his bow and bundle of 

 arrows, he started ; going eastward, he soon began to climb the 

 mountain (he did not take his family', for all believed not in his 

 dream). Just as the sun set he came to a large rock, in the opposite 

 side of which he found an opening. Entering here, he kept on 

 until, as he thought, he arrived directly under the center of the rock; 

 there he found a room high enough for him to stand in. (There 



