38 



NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



leaping furies, lifting the sea waters to mountainous waves, and 

 devastating the earth. 



Notwithstanding these outbursts, Ga-oh is faithful in disciplining 

 the winds to their proper seasons, and guarding Earth from the 

 rage of the elements. 



When the north wind blows strong, the Iroquois say, <! The Bear 

 is prowling in the sky"; if the west wind is violent, " The Panther 

 is whining." When the east wind chills with its rain, " The Moose 

 is spreading his breath"; and when the south wind wafts soft 

 breezes, " The Fawn is returning to its Doe." 



NAMING THE WINDS 



Ga-oh, Spirit of the Winds. Ya-o-gah, the Bear. Da-jo-ji, the Panther. 

 O-yan-do-ne, the Moose. Xe-o-ga, the Fawn 



When, in the creation of the earth, Hah-gweh-di-yu limited the 

 duties of the powerful Ga-oh to the sky, assigning to him the govern- 

 ing of the tempests, he blew a strong blast that shook the whole 

 earth to trembling, and summoned his assistants to a council. 



Ga-oh chose his aids from the terrestrial because of their knowl- 

 edge of the earth; and when his reverberating call had ceased its 

 thunderous echoes, he opened his north gate wide across the sky 

 and called Ya-o-gah, the Bear. 



Lumbering over the mountains as he pushed them from his 

 path, Ya-o-gah, the bulky bear, who had battled the boisterous 

 winds as he came, took his place at Ga-oh 's gate and waited the 

 mission of his call. Said Ga-oh, " Ya-o-gah, you are strong, you 

 can freeze the waters with your cold breath; in your broad arms 

 you can carry the wild tempests, and clasp the whole earth when 

 I bid you destroy. I will place you in my far north, there to watch 

 the herd of my winter winds when I loose them in the sky. You 

 shall be North Wind. Enter your home." And the bear lowered 

 his head for the leash with which Ga-oh bound him, and submis- 

 sively took his place in the north sky. 



In a gentler voice Ga-oh called Ne-o-ga, the Fawn, and a soft 

 breeze as of the summer, crept over the sky; the air grew fragrant 

 with the odor of flowers, and there were voices as of babbling 

 brooks telling the secrets of the summer to the tune of birds, as 

 Ne-o-ga came proudly lifting her head. 



Said Ga-oh, " You walk with the summer sun, and know all its 

 paths; you are gentle, and kind as the sunbeam, and will rule my 

 ll' 'ck of the summer winds in peace. You shall be the South Wind. 

 Bend your head while I leash you to the sky, for you are swift, 



