OF THE BUREAU OF ETHNOLOGY. XXIX 



menials stated, will be surprising, not only to persons who 

 have been taught the old fiction of the Indian's monotheism, 

 but to those who have regarded his religious philosophy to be 

 vague and chaotic. The facts are pi*esented with the same 

 corroboration of etymologies in language used so successfully 

 by scholars in the study of Eurasian myths, and with further 

 verification b}^ objects in the National Museum, figured in the 

 illustrations. 



MYTHS OF THE IROQUOIS, BY MRS. ERMINNIE A. SMITH. 



The myths, mythic tales, and folk-loi'e of a savage or bar- 

 barian people correspond with the literature of civilization. In 

 them, with jjroper attention to the archaeology embraced in 

 the language, scientifically studied, in which they are ex- 

 pressed, may be found all of its philosophy and all of its his- 

 tory and prehistoric customs that can ever be known. 



These myths and tales are constantly repeated, often with 

 publicity and ceremony, and the audiences having heard them 

 many times, with the precise verbal memory characteristic of 

 intelligent tribes to whom writing is unknown, are critical as 

 to accuracy of rendition. Furthermore, certain words, espe- 

 ciall}^ names and titles preserved in the narratives, are some- 

 times archaic, requiring better etymologists than the modern 

 Indians to ascertain their true meaning, and are only under- 

 stood when the language has been reduced to writing by lin- 

 guistic scholars. The narrators do not understand or pretend 

 to explain what they have received as handed down to them, 

 but simply produce what they have memorized. When col- 

 lected with thorough understanding of the language, and with 

 collation of the several versions, these oral traditions may be 

 presented in substantial purity with intrinsic evidence of their 

 antiquity. 



Many tales have been published of the sayings and doings 

 of the Indian gods and heroes, and some relating to their home- 

 life, institutions, and customs, but few of these have been free 

 from blunder or perversion. Generally the dubious medium 

 of interpreters was necessary, and the disposition to poetize or 



