IROQUOIS MYTHS AND LEGENDS 



49 



The days of my glowing are passed. I glare and I burn and I 

 scorch no more. I am lighting my fire from you to kindle my 

 ah-so-qua-ta, the pipe of my sleep. In the haze of my Indian 

 summer I wrap you to silence while Ga-oh holds fast on your pil- 

 lowing hills the flock of his jealous clouds. The smoke of my 

 ah-so-qua-ta must not be driven back. 



Soon I will travel my crooked sky trail. I hurry. I have heard 

 the swift blast of Go-ho-ne's voice, and am flocking the fearing 

 clouds of the Ska-hai-we closer together as they feather the stem 

 of my ah-so-qua-ta. 



See! Ga-oh floats gentle winds to the smoke of my ah-so-qua-ta. 

 The north, east, south and west must smoke my peace pipe. I 

 rule the sky! I summon An-da, and she watches my fields. I 

 call Se-oh and she sends forth her stars to guard my dark paths. 

 When He-no, the Thunderer, pours down his rain, I warn as I paint 

 my O-ga-nyo-da to hang on the falling clouds, and He-no hushes 

 his voice. When He-no is fierce and hurls his fire arrows across 

 my path, I chase, and his arrows pale in my blaze. 



When Ga-oh walks on his freezing way, my watchers hide from 

 his howling blasts which lurk in the north. When I dream in my 

 south land, Go-ho-ne grows strong, but the feet of my sky herd 

 are speedy and free as they race with the winds ; nor can the winds 

 twist the horns of my stars with their fighting breath as they race, 

 nor darken the track of my Moon with their mists; my Moon 

 knows my power, and floats her ga-o-no-uh on my sky sea as her 

 sign when she sets on her journey anew. 



Earth, Great Mother, listen and hear my power! 



Now your broad waters grow ugly and strong, roaming and 

 fighting Ga-oh. Fear not. I look down into the dark where their 

 monsters rage. I know the secrets of their deep places where 

 Darkness is chained and will send it my light, as I go for a time 

 to my sleep where gentler waters obey when my glow cradles on 

 their waves. 



Ga-oh will strike down your battling seas. When they rise and 

 fight, he will hurl back their quarreling mountains. Ga-oh is mighty 

 and will unlock his tempests when He-no lets loose his Thunderers 

 to lash down the seas. 



Great Mother, listen, I speak! Your stately mountains are 

 watching my ah-so-qua-ta. Look at its smoke as Ga-oh craftily 

 wafts it through shades where soft breezes creep in their hurried 

 flight, for Ga-oh is whispering frosts in his wavering breath! 



When I summon An-da, your mountains grow glad and red with 

 my light as I crown them anew with plumes of my glow. Your 



