806 SENECA FICTION, LEOENDS, AND MYTHS 



hejinl or seen, are inaccurate, as the word simply means •• Wliiit is present to 

 view." 



294. See note 109. NiaswijilieKowa of tliis line differs from that cited in 

 Note 169 by liaving the adjective gowa "great, large, monstrous," suffixed to it. 



295. Tgiiwenosdenh for Tgaivmos'dfh' signifies "At the broad island," or "At 

 the great island." 



296. Othowege for Ot'hoice'ge' signifies "At or in the north," literally "At 

 or in the place of cold." 



297. Hathogowa for Hut'ho"!i6wu signifies "He is the Great Cold," which is 

 evidently the name of the Winter Pow-er (God). 



298. Otho for Of'ho' signifies "It is cold." 



299. Onenonhge for OnC'rui"'(/c' signifies "At tlie place of sunshine." 



3<10. Itedioshwineqdon for Dcil'Ki'x'hivinrq'iU)" is the n.inie of the "Warm 

 spring wind." 



."JOl. Ongwe Honwe for (hlfiirc'-'J/ornrc- signifies "real, or native, people," 

 people in contrast with pseudohuman beings, or beings that as.sume or have had 

 the human form and attributes belonging to the inyth-making epoch. In mod- 

 ern times, the name was applied to the native Indian person in contrast with 

 the European person. 



302. (Jaasyendiefha for diKl's'iortilic'fliir is the name of the firedragon, or 

 the meteor. See note 260. 



303. Stone Coats is the legendary name of the sons of the Whiter (Jod. This 

 brood of harmful fictitious creatures owe their being to an erroneous folk-ety- 

 mology of the word Tawiskaro"', the name of the Winter God. Of. Introduction. 



304. Ongwe Hanyos for Oi'i'inrc' Ha'nio'n signify "He is in the habit of kill- 

 ing human beings," sometimes meaning a cannibal. 



305. There is a well-known Wyandot tradition that in some former country 

 of their ancestoi-s the winters were very severe and the snows fell excessively 

 deep — so deep sometimes that the poor people had to dig their way out of their 

 wigwams in quest of sustenance. Consequently, food was often scarce and 

 famine rife, because the hunters were unable to go out on account of tlie great 

 depth of the snow. And, in some instances, it is said, the pangs of hunger were 

 so pressing that some famisliing per.sous were driven to kill and devour some 

 of their own neighbors and friends. Others, more fortunate, learning of these 

 crinnibalistic nets, decided to leave the country at once. So, digging their way 

 out through the drifted snows, they finally readied, southward from their former 

 homes, a river which they crossed and, continuing their journey some time, 

 they at last reached a land in which they found a much milder climate. But 

 those who remained became monsters — man-e.-iters. giants, stone coats, stone 

 giants — and were very strong in body. This is the poptilar explanation of a 

 lost myth Incident — tbe activity of the Winter God. 



In later times, it is said, one of these Stone Coats found his way to tlie 

 river which the fugitives had crossed and stood on the farther bank, where he 

 was seen by one of the fugitive hunters. The Stone Coat would not attempt 

 to cross the river for he was afraid of water, but he called out across the river 

 to the hunter, wlio had escaped from the northern country, saying, " Cousin, come 

 over here." It is held that he wanted to ciit the hunter, who. however, did not 

 obe.v his summons. I'.ut, in :i canoe, he went close to the opposite shore of the 

 river, carrying with him a (iii.intlty of hot deer fat. which he gave to the Stone 

 Coat, telling liim to drink it. When the Stone Coat drank it his cont or skin of 

 stone fell off from him. and he ce.ised lieing a man-eater, .ind he tlien w;is willing 

 to cross the river witli the hunter, whom he called his cousin. In tlie course 

 of time the snows melted in that northern country and the Stone Coats dis- 

 persed in various directions. 



