﻿COUNCILS 
  AND 
  CEREMONIES 
  OF 
  ADOPTION 
  OF 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  INDIANS 
  41 
  1 
  

  

  ing, 
  and 
  occupying 
  several 
  days. 
  Mr 
  Arthur 
  C. 
  Parker 
  called 
  the 
  

   teachings 
  of 
  Handsome 
  Lake 
  Ga-i-wi-u 
  or 
  good 
  tidings. 
  There 
  are 
  

   no 
  special 
  rites 
  but 
  all 
  the 
  circumstances 
  of 
  the 
  revelation 
  to 
  Hand- 
  

   some 
  Lake 
  are 
  given, 
  and 
  his 
  messages 
  are 
  related 
  as 
  closely 
  as 
  pos- 
  

   sible. 
  Morgan 
  gave 
  a 
  full 
  and 
  excellent 
  account 
  of 
  this, 
  and 
  the 
  

   writer 
  summarized 
  this 
  and 
  some 
  others 
  in 
  the 
  Journal 
  of 
  American 
  

   Folklore 
  for 
  1897. 
  These 
  councils 
  are 
  called 
  like 
  others, 
  white 
  wam- 
  

   pum 
  being 
  used, 
  attached 
  to 
  a 
  stick. 
  They 
  do 
  not 
  occur 
  every 
  year, 
  

   but 
  only 
  as 
  desired, 
  and 
  are 
  a 
  distinct 
  feature 
  of 
  what 
  is 
  called 
  the 
  

   new 
  religion. 
  

  

  The 
  Iroquois 
  originally 
  had 
  a 
  belief 
  in 
  Agreskoue, 
  Taenyawah- 
  

   kee 
  or 
  Taronhiwagon 
  and 
  other 
  divinities 
  of 
  whom 
  these 
  were 
  the 
  

   chief. 
  According 
  to 
  Father 
  Jogues, 
  human 
  sacrifices 
  were 
  some- 
  

   times 
  offered 
  to 
  the 
  former, 
  and 
  other 
  early 
  writers 
  used 
  his 
  state- 
  

   ment 
  without 
  credit. 
  The 
  later 
  missionaries 
  say 
  nothing 
  of 
  this, 
  

   though 
  strenuous 
  in 
  their 
  efforts 
  to 
  abolish 
  the 
  worship. 
  They 
  

   were 
  successful 
  in 
  this 
  among 
  the 
  Mohawks 
  in 
  1670, 
  and 
  at 
  Onon- 
  

   daga 
  about 
  the 
  same 
  time. 
  At 
  the 
  latter 
  place 
  the 
  change 
  was 
  

   more 
  nominal 
  than 
  real, 
  but 
  there 
  was 
  everywhere 
  a 
  weakening 
  

   of 
  the 
  old 
  vague 
  belief. 
  Taenyawahkee, 
  the 
  Holder 
  of 
  the 
  Heavens, 
  

   is 
  still 
  revered, 
  but 
  with 
  changed 
  ideas 
  of 
  his 
  person 
  and 
  character. 
  

   His 
  name 
  is 
  now 
  used 
  in 
  religious 
  ceremonies 
  only 
  at 
  the 
  New 
  

   Year's 
  or 
  white 
  dog 
  feast. 
  At 
  other 
  feasts 
  Sone-yah-tis-sa-ye 
  is 
  

   used 
  by 
  the 
  Onondagas, 
  meaning 
  One 
  that 
  Made 
  Us. 
  Sometimes, 
  

   the 
  Christian 
  Indians 
  employ 
  this 
  term, 
  but 
  more 
  commonly 
  that 
  

   of 
  Ha-wen-ne-yu, 
  One 
  that 
  Rules 
  in 
  All 
  Things, 
  usually 
  rendered 
  

   the 
  Great 
  Spirit. 
  

  

  There 
  were 
  many 
  minor 
  spirits. 
  The 
  Thunders 
  are 
  among 
  these, 
  

   and 
  have 
  yet 
  their 
  offerings 
  of 
  tobacco 
  when 
  rain 
  is 
  desired. 
  The 
  

   three 
  supporters 
  of 
  life, 
  corn, 
  beans 
  and 
  squashes, 
  are 
  personified. 
  

   Fairies 
  and 
  witches 
  have 
  a 
  prominent 
  place. 
  Originally 
  everything 
  

   had 
  its 
  spirit, 
  and 
  the 
  Indians' 
  relation 
  to 
  those 
  of 
  animals 
  was 
  

   recognized 
  in 
  many 
  curious 
  ways. 
  These 
  will 
  be 
  passed 
  over 
  now, 
  

   as 
  well 
  as 
  the 
  great 
  and 
  wonderful 
  influence 
  of 
  dreams, 
  which 
  the 
  

   Jesuit 
  missionaries 
  so 
  often 
  described. 
  The 
  origin 
  and 
  use 
  of 
  the 
  

   religious 
  council 
  will 
  form 
  the 
  present 
  subject. 
  

  

  Central 
  New 
  York 
  has 
  originated 
  three 
  new 
  religions. 
  Mor- 
  

   monism 
  had 
  its 
  birth 
  there, 
  and 
  has 
  become 
  a 
  power 
  in 
  the 
  nation. 
  

  

  