Part 1 

 IROQUOIS MYTHS AND LEGENDS 



BY 

 HARRIET MAXWELL CONVERSE 



PREFACE 



In these legends, which I have gathered from time to time 

 during the 22 years of my adoption among the Seneca Indians, 

 I have endeavored to adhere to the poetical metaphor of these 

 people. Of the 40* which will be included in the volume, save 

 four or five, none of them have been published; and it has been 

 my privilege to listen to these stories during the winter season, 

 which is the only time when an Indian will relate his mystery tales. 

 They have descended to me first through my grandfather, then my 

 father, finally to be corroborated and recited to me by the Indi- 

 ans themselves. 



Harriet Maxwell Converse 



In Mrs Converse's text the English method of spelling Indian names has been used - 

 In his footnotes, however, the editor has used the phonetic system generally adopted by 

 students of American languages. 



CREATION 2 



Hah-gweh-di-yu, Spirit of Good. Hah-gweh-da-et-gah, Spirit of Evil. 

 Ata-en-sic, 3 the Sky Woman. Hah-nu-nah, 4 the Turtle 



The floating island 



By Iroquois mythology, the earth was the thought of the Indian 

 Ruler of a great island which floats in space. In all the Iroquois 

 myths, the natural and the supernatural are so closely blended 

 that they seem of one realm. Yet in the story of the creation, 



!The manuscript as found among Mrs Converse's papers embraced but 22 legends. From 

 her rough notes the editor has added 14 other myths and folk tales besides a number of mis- 

 cellaneous papers. 



2 See Appendix A. p. 185. 



3 Ata'-en'-sic. This is the Huron name for the first mother, and not that of the (confeder- 

 ated) Iroquois. The Senecas usually give this character no name other than Ea-gen'-tci, 

 literally old woman or ancient bodied. This name is not a personal one, however. Mrs 

 Converse has therefore substituted the Huronian personal name for the Iroquoian common 



name. 



4 Hah -nu-nah. The mystic name of the turtle. This name is used in the lodge ceremonies 

 cf the Little Water Company. The ordinary name for the turtle is Ha'-no'-wa. 



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