REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR 1923 51 
betrothal, but due to the embrace of her lover inhaled his breath, 
and was given a child. The attention she gave this child caused 
Ancient One to be moved to jealousy, this emotion being aroused 
in him through the machinations of the Fire Beast, whose invisi- 
bility rendered his work the more subtle. Little is known through 
mythology of Ancient One, since his field is a celestial one, and he 
seldom interferes with the doings of men of our present order. 
Of his unhappy wife, who was cast through the hole made by the 
uprooting of the celestial tree, we learn more.* 
The wife of Ancient One was lage”™’tci‘, also meaning Ancient 
One (Body). We recognize her in the Huron myths as recorded 
or mentioned in the Jesuit Relations at Ataentsic (Ataaentsik). In 
Onondaga this would be Eia’ tage™’tci. Her story is given in all 
versions of the creation myth. 
Fler personal name seldom appears, but Hewitt gives it as 
Aweé™ha1', this referring to her maturity, or ability to bring forth 
seed. In some versions the chief casts his wife into the abyss made 
by uprooting the celestial tree, Gai%ia”tgé’”hei‘; in others her own 
curiosity 1s responsible. The tree in such versions is uprooted as a 
dream demand and her enraged husband pushes her into the hole 
made thereby through the crust of the heaven world. After the 
completion of the earth world the sky mother returned by way of 
an ethereal path that was plainly visible to her, this having been 
made by her daughter, the first born and the first to die of earth 
creatures. | 
Fire Beast (Gaasiondie’ tha’), appears to have been one of the 
important primal beings, and to have exercised a malign influence 
even upon the inhabitants of the celestial world. He is described as 
of “sky color” or invisible, and he is detected only when he emits 
streams and flashes of light from his head. When a meteor flashes 
the Iroquois recognizes the Fire Beast. His appearance is counted 
as a sign of direfui calamity and death. 
Whirlwind (S‘hagodiiw"’gowa or Hadu’’i’), was also a primal 
power of great importance. He is the controller of the violent 
winds, and he takes his name, He-who-defends-us, from his promise 
to help mankind when threatened by calamity. His symbol is the 
crooked-mouthed false face. There is also the concept of the four 
defenders, one for each of the cardinal directions. It was Whirl- 
wind who boasted his power to the Good Mind (Iouskeha) and who 
had the contest with him of mountain moving. The face became 
* Consult Hewitt in Handbook of the American Indians, under his article, 
Teharonhiawagon. We have re-edited our notes in accord with his findings. 
