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NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



The mythology of the Iroquois differs in form from that of many 

 other of the American races. Iroquois tales were of strength, of 

 great deeds, of nature and the forces of nature, "standing out in 

 striking contrast to the flimsy conceptions of the Algonquins," as 

 someone has remarked. They are the classics of all the unwritten 

 literature of the American aborigines. 



The Iroquois were a people who loved to weave language in fine 

 metaphor and delicate allusion and possessed a language singularly 

 adapted for this purpose. They were unconscious poets, and 

 some of their tales seem to have been chanted in blank verse, the 

 rhythm and swing of the meter in their estimation giving an added 

 delight to the story. When the legends are told to white men the 

 delicate word-weave is seldom revealed, and never if the legend is 

 told in English. The translation robs it of much of its intended 

 charm and grace, for the Indian seems to think that the pale in- 

 vader may laugh at his metaphors or deride him for revealing 

 that such fine emotions exist within a stoic's breast. Thus it is 

 that so many legends appear puerile and without pertinency which 

 in the vernacular are strong and full of meaning. 



Story-telling customs of the Iroquois. Each settlement had its 

 official story-teller whose predecessor had carefully taught him all 

 the legends and traditions of the mysterious past and his listeners 

 who gathered about him never tired of the narrative though re- 

 peated again and again. 



According to ancient traditions no fable, myth tale, or story of 

 ancient adventures might be told during the months of summer. 

 Such practice was forbidden by "the little people" (jo-ga-oh), 

 the wood fairies. Should their law be violated some jo-ga-oh flying 

 about in the form of a beetle or bird might discover the offender 

 and report him to the jo-ga-oh chief. Upon this a sign would 

 warn the forgetful Indian. Failing to observe the omen, some 

 evil would befall the culprit. Bees might sting his lips or his 

 tongue would swell and fill his mouth. Snakes might crawl in 

 his bed and choke him while he slept, and so on, until he was pun- 

 ished and forced to desist from forbidden talk. 



The wood sprites enacted and enforced this law for two purposes : 

 first, that no animal should become offended by man's boasting 

 of his triumph over beasts, or at the same time learn too much of 

 human cunning and fly forever the haunts of mankind; and second, 

 that no animal, who listening to tales of wonder, adventure or 

 humor, should become so interested as to forget its place in nature, 

 and pondering over the mysteries of man's words, wander dazed 



