812 SENECA FICTION, LEGENDS, AND MYTHS 



434. This is the method formerly used to "guess" the meaning of one's 

 dream. 



435. It will be noted that most of tlie proper names in this story indicate ref- 

 erence to some process or object of nature. 



436. This risinj; and falling of the sl^y appears as an incident in a number of 

 other tales of this character. 



487. This term is used as both noun and adjective ; here it is used as a noun ; 

 it signifies, " What customarily uses its orenda or magic power destructively." 



438. This term refers to the Wind God whose activities earned for him the 

 epithet, " Evil-minded." 



439. This form of the generic uoun on'tin-c' signifies "The male Man-Reing." 



440. This address is made as a part of the ceremonies at the harvest festival, 

 commonly called the " Green Corn dance." In this expression the word " green " 

 stands for " new," i. e., newly harvested corn. 



441. This woman in the original story is Mother Earth. Here she has become 

 the repre.sentative of the expression of 'Mother Earth — the offspring of her life- 

 giving powers. 



442. This appears to be a sort of parable teaching the virtue of gratefulness 

 for what one receives of the bounties of nature on earth. 



443. The evil of one man is visited on the members of the conununity to which 

 he belongs ; this represents the method of avenging a wrong by the early Iro- 

 quoian people. 



444. This old woman was the matron of the family, or ohwachira. 



445. This is the Winter God. but here he is called " He who is rot)ed in flint." 



446. This has reference to the dances of the women and maids in which they 

 dramatize the waving of the .stalks of standing corn. 



447. The expression " You two cousins " denotes the two .symbolic sides of 

 the tribe — the two phratries, or. rather, sisterhoods, of clans. 



448. It will be noted that the framework of this story is in some respects 

 exactly like that of the next preceding. 



449. This is a fine example of the native regard for all living things; even 

 the plants find a place in their sympathy. 



450. This story has a number of interesting weather signs. 



450a. This is a very interesting statement, because it connects this mythic 

 porcupine with Sunlight. The porcupine, the mythic being, is usually connected 

 with sunlight in American myths, especially the quivering or dancing spring 

 sunlight. 



451. This is the act of exorcism by blowing up the evil persons. 



4.52. The native word literally means, " One — it one's word uses to make," i. e., 

 " One uses it to make one's word " ; briefly, it is one's pledge, the token of 

 a vow. 



453. The imitative .sounds or utterances which certain activities were thought 

 to emit are no small part of the interest these stories have for the students of 

 the origin of words and sentences. The recorder was at all times careful to 

 write down these very naive but most expressive sounds. 



454. The remainder of this incident belongs to the story of S'hodieon.skon ; 

 this version, however, is much longer. 



455. This circumstance gave rise to the name of this hero, Hahadodagwafha, 

 i. e., " He who pulls out the branch cu.stomarily." 



456. This name signifies " Standing Rock " or " Projecting Rock." 



457. This native word is usually rendered variou.sly in popular translations 

 as " Stone Coat," " Stone Shirt," " Stone Giant," " Giant," " Monster Man." 



