658 SENECA FICTION, LEGENDS, AND MYTHS tmii. an;*. 32 



127. The Origin of the Bear Songs and Dances 



Concerning the origin of the Bear songs and dances the following 

 legend is told by our ancestors, said a Seneca shaman. This is what 

 took place when these songs and dances became manifest on their 

 human side, or rather, became manifest in their relation to human 

 beings in their quest of happiness. 



In tlie past, it is said, a boy was kidnaped from a temporaiy camp 

 of some hunters. It happened in this manner. A woman of the 

 hunting party was left alone at the camp while the hunters were out 

 in the forest for the day ; it was her duty to keep the fire and to have 

 food cooked when tlic hunters returned in the evening. The woman 

 had a child, a boy, who was then nearly 2 years of age. The little 

 fellow played outside of the lodge while his mother was busy around 

 the fire or with her other duties inside of the lodge, feeling that her 

 child could take care of himself in the meantime. 



One day, when the men had gone on their usual hunting trips in 

 the forest, the woman fell asleep while the child was outside of the 

 lodge playing by himself. Suddenly he was surjjrised to see ^ 

 strange man coming toward him. This man, whom the child did 

 not know, came directly to the place where he was at play. When 

 he reached the child he said : " My child, I have come for you. You 

 shall go with me to our lodge. My children desire that you shoidd 

 visit us, and you and they shall play together regularly. The reason 

 for this IS that you are entirely alone, and they will amuse you so that 

 your mind will be contented." Then they two started away. They 

 arrived at the lodge of the strange man, where they found two small 

 boys of the same size who lived there. On entering the lodge the 

 father said: "I have now brought here the person whom you two 

 for a long time have desired me to bring to you, so now your wish 

 has been fulfilled. You two must love and be kind to him; you must 

 never hurt him ; you two must not annoy or vex him ; let there be 

 peace and pleasantness during the time that he shall be on a visit 

 to us. So, whatever happens, be kind to him." 



The three children went around from place to place and played 

 together. The visiting boy observed carefully all that he saw in 

 and about the lodge. He saw what these people were accustomed to 

 eat; that they lived on various kinds of nuts, on honey, and on 

 huckleberries, mulberries, and various other kinds of berries. All 

 these things he understood. He saw, too, that they had plenty of 

 corn, on which they lived, as well as on the berries and honey and 

 nuts. 



The visiting boy had been there for some time when it became the 

 custom for him to accompany the other two children around from 

 place to place; he would accompany them when they went out to 



