6M1TU.) ECHO GOD, ETC. 59 



When a warfare was ended victoriously a dance was held to the Echo 

 God and the nations assembled to rejoice — but first to mourn for the 

 dead and decide on the fate of the captives. As the Echo God was 

 never called upon except in emergencies during warfare, now since 

 wars are over the feast and dance to the Echo God have ceased to be a 

 part of the Iroquois ceremonies. 



EXTERMINATION OF THE STONE GIANTS. 

 Related by Mr. O'BEILLE BEILLE, grandson of Cornplanter. 



The stone giants, who principally inhabited the far West, resolved to 

 come East and exterminate the Indians. A party of Senecas, just start- 

 ing out on the war-path, were warned of their impending danger and 

 were bidden to accept the challenge to fight the stone giants and appoint 

 a time and place. This they did. At the appointed time the giants 

 appeared at the place, which was near a great gulf. Then there came 

 a mighty wind from the west which precipitated the whole race of giants 

 down into the abyss, from which they were never able to extricate them- 

 selves, and the God of the West Wind was ever after held in reverence 

 by the Senecas. 



THE NORTH WIND. 



It was the custom at a certain season for the medicine men to go about 

 demanding gifts of the people; but an icy figure had also appeared, de- 

 manding a man as a sacrifice ; whereupon the Thunder God was appealed 

 to, and he came to the rescue with his assistants and chased the figure 

 far into the north, where they doomed the icy demon to remain. To 

 this day his howling and blustering are heard, and when any ven- 

 turesome mortal dares to intrude too far towards his abode his frosty 

 children soon punish the offender. He is termed KatSsh-hiiaht, or 

 North Wind, and ranks as an evil spirit. 



GREAT HEAD. 



It was a common belief among Indians that there was a strange, hu- 

 manlike creature, consisting simply of a head made terrific with large 

 eyes and covered with long hair. His home was upon a huge rock, a 

 rifted promontory, over which his long hair streamed in shaggy fierce- 

 ness. 



