54 MYTHS OF THE IROQUOIS. 



aud thus be is represented by tbe pictograpbers of his time. He is still 

 regarded by his tribe as having been a being with supernatural endow- 

 ments. 



Among the same tribe, the Ouondagas, are found what may be termed 

 the "Hiawatha legends." So numerous and yet different are these 

 stories, that they may be regarded as the histories of a long line of 

 Hiawathas, the Hiawatha being the official name of one of the most 

 important functionaries in the tribal government. These stories, in 

 their relation through many generations, have at last become applied to 

 one person, who is thus most marvelously endowed, as far surpassing 

 all in goodness as did Atotarho in the opposite attributes. To him is 

 ascribed the honor of having established the Great Confederacy of the 

 Iroquois which so long rendered them invincible in war. His name, 

 which signifies "He who seeks the wampum belt,"* probably led to the 

 superstition of his having invented wampum. To accomplish his won- 

 derful feats, he was provided with a magic canoe which obeyed his bid- 

 ding. The legendary apotheosis accorded him, in which he is repre- 

 sented as ascending to Heaven in a white canoe, appears to be of 

 modern origin. 



HI-NU" DESTROYING THE GIANT ANIMALS. 



A hunter in the woods was once caught in a thunder-shower, when 

 he heard a voice calling upon him to follow. This he did until he found 

 himself in the clouds, the height of many trees from the ground. Beings 

 which seemed to be men surrounded him, with one among them who 

 seemed to be their chief. He was told to look below and tell whether 

 he could see a huge water- serpent. Eeplying that he could not, the 

 old man anointed his eyes, after which he could see the monster in 

 the depths below him. They then ordered oue of their number to try 

 and kill this enemy to the human race. Upon his failing, the hunter 

 was told to accomplish the feat. He accordingly drew his bow and 

 killed the foe. He was then conducted back to the place where he had 

 sought shelter from the storm, which had now ceased. 



This was man's first acquaiutance with the Thunder God aud his 

 assistants, and by it he learned that they were friendly toward the hu- 

 man race, and protected it from dragons, serpents, and other enemies. 



A SENECA LEGEND OF HI-NU^ AND NIAGARA. 



A beautiful Indian maiden was about to be compelled by her family 

 to marry a hideous old Indian. 



* This is the iuterpretation given by the tribe, the real ineaninf;, as P6re Ciioq sug- 

 gests, being a "river maker," which implies alliance between nations, and as wam- 

 pum was used for treaties, the original idea seems to have been retained after the 

 word itself has become denotive. 



