104 



NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



NEH OH-DO-WAS, THE UNDEREARTH MYTHS 



The Little Folk of the Darkness, the underearth dwellers, are 

 most wise and mysterious. Seldom do the eyes of men penetrate 

 the gloom to recognize them. 1 



These Oh-do-was are the wondrous band of elf folk that hold 

 jurisdiction over the sunless domain beneath the earth where 

 dwell the creatures of the darkness and the prisoners that have 

 offended the regions of light. 



In the dim world where the Oh-do-was live are deep forests and 

 broad plains where roam the animals whose proper abode is there 

 and though all that lives there wishes to escape yet both good and 

 bad, native and captive are bidden to be content and dwell where 

 fate has placed them. Among the mysterious underearth denizens 

 are the white buffaloes who are tempted again and again to gain 

 the earth's surface, but the paths to the light are guarded and the 

 white buffalo must not climb to the sunlight to gallop with his 

 brown brothers over the plains. Sometimes they try to rush up 

 and out and then the Oh-do-was rally their hunters and thiri out 

 the unruly herds with their arrows. 'Tis then that a messenger is 

 sent above to tell the sunlight elves that the chase is on and the 

 earth elves hang a red cloud high in the heavens as a sign of the 

 hunt. Ever alert for signals, the Indian reads the symbol of the 

 red cloud and rejoices that the Little People are watchful and 

 brave. 



Always intent on flight the venomous reptiles and creatures of 

 death slink in the deep shadows of the dim underplace, captives 

 of the watchful Oh-do-was. Though they are small it is not often 

 that they fail to fight back the powerful monsters that rush to the 

 door to the light world, but sometimes one escapes and whizzing 

 out in the darkness of earth's night, spreads his poisonous breath 

 over the forests and creates the pestilence that sweeps all before it. 

 Then the monsters, maddened by jealousy, search out the places 

 where the springs spout to the surface and poison the waters, and, 

 where a deep grown root has pushed its way through the wall of the 

 underearth in search of water, they tear it with their fangs and 

 the earth tree above wilts and dies. But such things are rare 

 for the Oh-do-was are vigilant and faithful and strong and will not 

 willingly let death escape to their elves and their human friends. 



and sprites who often wish to be assured of man's gratitude for their favors. The writer 

 has translated the entire ritual and recorded the songs and chants on the phonograph. 

 The Seneca name for the society is Yot-don-dak-goh. 



The editor has questioned a number of Iroquois children regarding the Jo-ga-oh and 

 has been told that these little folk have sometimes been seen running through the woods 



