Post by Okwes on Jun 10, 2008 11:44:40 GMT -5
Legend of the Sky-woman: A Creation Myth - Seneca
Tonawanda Reservation
October 13, 1936
Nya Weh Skennoh (Thankful you are well)
Dear Sah-nee-weh:
You have asked me for the story or rather legend about the origin of the world and the Indian in Seneca version. I am going to tell you in my own way, based from what I have been told or heard from old men who used to visit our home when I was real small. It is as authentic as I can make it, thusly:
According to the Iroquoian Mythology it seems that there was an celestial world above where man-beings dwell, where even animals and all living things today were all man-beings. It also seems that there was no sun, but it were lighted by the white blossoms of the great celestial tree standing in front of the lodge of the presiding chief. This chief had a wife and according to a dream he married this young woman. There was what is known as the Firedragon or Blue Panther who was supposed to have caused the jealousy of the Chief. It is said that in time the young wife was soon to become a mother from inhaling the breath of her husband but unknown to him; that from this he doubted her honesty to him so much that it cause him so much distress in mind that he got another dream which called for the Tree of Light to be uprooted.
It seems that in the olden times dreams were held in high regard in their everyday life, so much that their destiny were controlled by it to a great degree; so accordingly this tree was uprooted. According to the legend, the opening made from the tree being uprooted caused the light of the Sun of today. He managed to deceive his unsuspecting wife to look down through the new opening. In so doing while she was looking down, he pushed her down into the opening. It is said that from his anger, he also cast down through the opening all man-beings, such as Corn, the Beans, Squash, the Sun-flower, the Tobacco, the Deer, the Wolf, the Bear, the Beaver and all animals and growing things. He transformed them into their forms and size as they now appear, and when his anger had cooled down he had the tree of light replaced. Thus the great change was brought about because no one could divine his dream. It was the beginning of the present world and all the living things as they are now.
The Sky-woman, then falling through the hole of the upper world, was seen by the water-animals and water-fowls of the great sea. These beings are likewise like man-beings who at once took up the task of making ready a place for her to live. All the larger Birds flew up to meet her and with their wings interlaced received her and brought her down. While this was being done, the best divers among the water animals tried their best to get some earth from the bottom of the sea, until the Musk-rat succeeded in bringing up a mouthful of wet earth from the bottom, which they placed on the back of the Turtle's Shell. It was the Great Snapping Turtle who volunteered to hold up the earth, who at that time was also a man-being like the rest of them. This wet earth placed on the shell soon expanded in size in all directions, and on it the Sky-woman was gently placed. At once she began to walk about this tiny earth which by her action began to grow in size; she even took handful of earth and cast it all directions, which also caused it to continue to grow until she could not see the boundary. Then the Red Willow, shrubs, grasses, and all kinds of vegetation began to appear.
In time the Sky-woman gave birth to a daughter, who according to all legends attained womanhood and was courted by various man-beings as of fine-looking young men. But her mother advised her to reject all suitors until a young man of the race of the Great Turtle who sought her for his wife. He was accepted and invited to stay in the lodge of her mother. At night he came bringing with him two arrows, one of which was tipped with flint. (Now I am quoting my father's version; some says that it was three arrows, but we will stick to our own regardless, as it seems everyone who knows about this has his own version which differs with the others.) This young woman laid down and the young stranger placed the two arrows in the wall just above her, then went away saying he would return the next day. Next day at about the same time he did return again and took the arrows with him, saying he would not return again. This I think will do for the present; remember where we left off, as my next letter will continue.
Just a few words of explanation of some of the subjects we have mentioned. The story-teller says in Seneca when he tells of this, he says, "Neh nih Che yonh en ja seh," which means, "When the world was new." The Chief is called "Ha sen no wa neh." About dreams they say, "Oh eh sen dah" or dream, which plays a great part in their daily life.
I have included a drawing of the Sky-woman as she fell through the hole, showing her clutching the corn that the Fire-dragon or the Blue Panther gave her; he also has with him a Corn-Pounder and Mortar which he gave her for her to use when on earth. It also show the Birds with locked wings ready to catch her, and the Turtle with the Musk-rat and earth in his mouth. This is to be your illustration to the legend, as I am anxious to have you know our myths and legends of olden days. Dah-neh-hoh, Sah-Nee-Weh, I have spoken, as we say in Seneca.
Your Seneca Brother,
Ha yonh wonh ish
Jesse J. Cornplanter
From: Cornplanter, Jesse J. Legends of the Longhouse. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott, 1938.
Tonawanda Reservation
October 13, 1936
Nya Weh Skennoh (Thankful you are well)
Dear Sah-nee-weh:
You have asked me for the story or rather legend about the origin of the world and the Indian in Seneca version. I am going to tell you in my own way, based from what I have been told or heard from old men who used to visit our home when I was real small. It is as authentic as I can make it, thusly:
According to the Iroquoian Mythology it seems that there was an celestial world above where man-beings dwell, where even animals and all living things today were all man-beings. It also seems that there was no sun, but it were lighted by the white blossoms of the great celestial tree standing in front of the lodge of the presiding chief. This chief had a wife and according to a dream he married this young woman. There was what is known as the Firedragon or Blue Panther who was supposed to have caused the jealousy of the Chief. It is said that in time the young wife was soon to become a mother from inhaling the breath of her husband but unknown to him; that from this he doubted her honesty to him so much that it cause him so much distress in mind that he got another dream which called for the Tree of Light to be uprooted.
It seems that in the olden times dreams were held in high regard in their everyday life, so much that their destiny were controlled by it to a great degree; so accordingly this tree was uprooted. According to the legend, the opening made from the tree being uprooted caused the light of the Sun of today. He managed to deceive his unsuspecting wife to look down through the new opening. In so doing while she was looking down, he pushed her down into the opening. It is said that from his anger, he also cast down through the opening all man-beings, such as Corn, the Beans, Squash, the Sun-flower, the Tobacco, the Deer, the Wolf, the Bear, the Beaver and all animals and growing things. He transformed them into their forms and size as they now appear, and when his anger had cooled down he had the tree of light replaced. Thus the great change was brought about because no one could divine his dream. It was the beginning of the present world and all the living things as they are now.
The Sky-woman, then falling through the hole of the upper world, was seen by the water-animals and water-fowls of the great sea. These beings are likewise like man-beings who at once took up the task of making ready a place for her to live. All the larger Birds flew up to meet her and with their wings interlaced received her and brought her down. While this was being done, the best divers among the water animals tried their best to get some earth from the bottom of the sea, until the Musk-rat succeeded in bringing up a mouthful of wet earth from the bottom, which they placed on the back of the Turtle's Shell. It was the Great Snapping Turtle who volunteered to hold up the earth, who at that time was also a man-being like the rest of them. This wet earth placed on the shell soon expanded in size in all directions, and on it the Sky-woman was gently placed. At once she began to walk about this tiny earth which by her action began to grow in size; she even took handful of earth and cast it all directions, which also caused it to continue to grow until she could not see the boundary. Then the Red Willow, shrubs, grasses, and all kinds of vegetation began to appear.
In time the Sky-woman gave birth to a daughter, who according to all legends attained womanhood and was courted by various man-beings as of fine-looking young men. But her mother advised her to reject all suitors until a young man of the race of the Great Turtle who sought her for his wife. He was accepted and invited to stay in the lodge of her mother. At night he came bringing with him two arrows, one of which was tipped with flint. (Now I am quoting my father's version; some says that it was three arrows, but we will stick to our own regardless, as it seems everyone who knows about this has his own version which differs with the others.) This young woman laid down and the young stranger placed the two arrows in the wall just above her, then went away saying he would return the next day. Next day at about the same time he did return again and took the arrows with him, saying he would not return again. This I think will do for the present; remember where we left off, as my next letter will continue.
Just a few words of explanation of some of the subjects we have mentioned. The story-teller says in Seneca when he tells of this, he says, "Neh nih Che yonh en ja seh," which means, "When the world was new." The Chief is called "Ha sen no wa neh." About dreams they say, "Oh eh sen dah" or dream, which plays a great part in their daily life.
I have included a drawing of the Sky-woman as she fell through the hole, showing her clutching the corn that the Fire-dragon or the Blue Panther gave her; he also has with him a Corn-Pounder and Mortar which he gave her for her to use when on earth. It also show the Birds with locked wings ready to catch her, and the Turtle with the Musk-rat and earth in his mouth. This is to be your illustration to the legend, as I am anxious to have you know our myths and legends of olden days. Dah-neh-hoh, Sah-Nee-Weh, I have spoken, as we say in Seneca.
Your Seneca Brother,
Ha yonh wonh ish
Jesse J. Cornplanter
From: Cornplanter, Jesse J. Legends of the Longhouse. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott, 1938.