IROQUOIS MYTHS AND LEGENDS 



69 



hanging the valley he watches and guards. He is free to wander, 

 but the river flows from him, the sky lifts high to the sun, and the 

 earth heeds him not! 



This myth suggests the life lesson of the red man — contentment. 

 He is not ambitionless, but slow to profit by the example of an 

 untried experience. 



GA-DO-JIH AND SA-GO-DA-OH, THE GOLDEN EAGLE AND THE HUNTER 



VULTURE 



Origin of the Bird dance 1 



The Ga-do-jih, the Golden Eagle of the far away heavens, is the 

 Head Chief of all the birds. 



The Ga-do-jih never visits the earth, but employs many assistants 

 upon whom he imposes various duties. To his subchief, Don-yon- 

 do, the Bald Eagle, he has assigned the mountain tops of the earth 

 land. Don-yon-do won this distinction by his strength, acute sight 

 and extraordinary powers of flight. The strong rays of the sun can 

 not blind him. He is proud, and his heart throbs to the skies ; and 

 although he swoops down to the lowlands for his prey, he flies to 

 the highest mountain top to devour it. 



From his retinue of servitors, Ga-do-jih has chosen many of the 

 vulture family, whose obnoxious duties lead them to plunder in 

 offensive places. But they are faithful in his service, for it is the 

 law of Ga-do-jih that the earth must be kept clean. 



Yet these proud ravenous birds have tender hearts, and although 

 their scavenger life leads them into base paths, Ga-do-jih does not 

 deny them the pure air of the sky nor the clear waters of the earth. 



Among these birds of prey, is Sa-go-da-oh, the Hunting Vulture, 

 who ceaselessly searches for spoil. All refuse of the earth beneath 

 and above, is his. Occasionally he passes Don-yon-do on his sky 

 way, but the lofty spirit of Don-yon-do knows not Sa-go-da-oh. In 

 quest of his mountain crest, Don-yon-do swifts through the blue 

 of the heavens like the flying wind, while Sa-go-da-oh slowly soars 

 within the cloud nets and watches to swoop down on his prey. 



One day in the long time ago, Jo-wiis, 2 a young Indian lad, was 



1 The Bird dance seen in the Long House ceremonies at the Indian New Year's ceremony 

 is the public exhibition of the Eagle Society, one of the (once) secret fraternities of the Sen- 

 ecas. The dance is called the ga-ne-gwa-e. This society is one of the most influential, 

 next to the Ga-no-da, Ho-noh-tci-noh-gah (Little Water Society). The sign of member- 

 ship in the Eagle Society is a round spot of red paint on either cheek. 



2 Jo-wiis means" chipping sparrow," and as a name was regarded as one of the preferred. 



