esiiTii) GODS AND OTHER SUPERNATURAL BEINGS. 53 



the red man, and the " Happy Hunting-ground," generally reported to be 

 the Indian's idea of a future state, are both of them but their ready 

 conception of the white man's God and Heaven. This is evident from a 

 careful study of their past as gleaned from the numerous myths of their 

 prehistoric existence. 



It may be true that many of the first missionaries found them in pos- 

 session of such ideas, but the Indians had long been in contact with 

 white men from whom those ideas were obtained, and there was no in- 

 congruity in simply adding them to their former beliefs, as no funda- 

 mental change was required. They accepted the Great Spirit, but re- 

 tained in many instances their former gods as his attributes, consider- 

 ing the thunder as his voice and the winds as his breath, and at the 

 same time they introduced into their pagan worship a form of the trinity 

 which is still preserved, consisting of the Great Spirit, the Sun, and 

 Mother Earth. 



Good and evil spirits also play an important role in Iroquoian mythol- 

 ogy. Among the good spirits are the three sisters who still continue to 

 preside over the favorite vegetables — corn, beans, and squashes. They 

 are represented as loving each other very dearly and dwelling together 

 in peace and unity. The vines of the vegetables grow upon the same 

 soil and cling lovingly around each other. The spirit of corn is sup- 

 posed to be draped with its long leaves and silken tassels. The sister 

 who guards the bean has a wreath of its velvety pods with garments of 

 the delicate tendrils, while the spirit of squashes is clothed with the bril- 

 liant blossoms under her care. In bright nights the sisters can be seen 

 flitting about or heard rustling among the tall corn. To this day yearly- 

 festivals are held in their honor, and they are appealed to as " Our life, 

 our supporters." 



Among the supernatural beings corresponding to good and evil genii 

 were the Great Heads, with ever watchful eyes, and long hair which served 

 them as wings to bear them on missions of mercy or of destruction. 

 This pure product of the Indian imagination figures largely in the un- 

 written literature of the Iroquois. There were also in those days stone 

 giants, always the mortal enemy of man, but whose final extermination 

 furnished the theme for wonderful stories of daring deeds performed 

 oftentimes under the influence of charms or magic, but never in too 

 marvelous a manner to disturb the credulity of the eager listener. 



Although Atotarho and Hiawatha were contemporary personages, 

 whose names are still continued in the list of chiefs of the present day, 

 the myths which have accumulated around their history are so many 

 and varied that it is impossible to define the vague boundary line sep- 

 arating fact from fiction. They may, therefore, be properly classed as 

 demigods. The name of the former, which signifies " the entangled," 

 together with his skill, cunning, and cruelty in war, soon resulted in his 

 becoming invested with the title of a wizard. The origin of his name 

 is attributed to his marvelous hair, which consisted of living snakes, 



