136 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



messenger of the Creator and as the patron of war, as the face of 

 the first mother, and as the father of mankind of earthly origin, 

 although this latter conclusion may be disputed by some for lack of 

 a definite reference. 



This leads us to the fact that Iroquois mythology in its present 

 state has been derived from several sources. This has been caused, 

 without doubt, by the policy of adopting the remnants of conquered 

 tribes. Thus we may expect that in Iroquois mythology are the sur- 

 vivals of early Huron, Neutral, Erie, and Andaste elements. It is 

 now possible to trace only the Huron. Algonquian elements came 

 in through the Delaware, the Chippewa, the Shawnee, the Munsee, 

 the Mahikan, and possibly the Nanticoke. It is not difficult to trace 

 Siouan influence. 



The writer has been able to trace some of the influencing ele- 

 ments to their sources, but it is nevertheless admitted that the prob- 

 lem of critically sifting and comparing Iroquois myths is a delicate 

 task. 



ANECDOTES OF CORNPLANTER 

 Related by Emily Tallchief, his great great granddaughter 



CORNPLANTER MAKES PEACE 



" Now these stories are true and came to Solomon Obail from 

 Cornplanter, and Solomon, my father, told me. 



" The Cornplanter reservation Senecas often traveled by canoes 

 down the Allegany river to Pittsburgh. On a certain occasion 

 Cornplanter went with a party of canoeists down the Allegany to 

 Pittsburgh. While on his journey one of the paddlers sang 

 Woine'owi as he paddled. Now as he sang the party was startled 

 by a voice that called from the cliff above, ' Halt ye ! ' The pad- 

 dler grounded the canoe and Cornplanter went ashore, where, 

 ascending the cliff, he found a number of Indians gathered about 

 a tree to which a white man was bound. ' So now Cornplanter,' 

 said the chief of the band, ' I have called you to kill this man. You 

 may now do as you please w^ith him and we will be satisfied.' 

 Cornplanter drew forth his long hunting knife and feeling of its 

 sharp edge said ' So I may do as I wish. Truly then I shall do 

 so.' So saying he rushed toward the man with upraised knife and 

 brought it down with a flourish. The man was not injured but 

 instead stepped out from the tree free, for Cornplanter's knife had 

 severed the thongs. * Now,' said Cornplanter, after some conver- 

 sation with the man, ' I will hire a guide to take this man back to 



