Seneca Myths and Folk Tales

Ex ICtbrtfi SEYMOUR DURST When you leave, please leave this book Because it has been said " Ever'thincj comes t' bim wbo waits Except a loaned book." OLD YORK LIBRARY - OLD YORK FOUNDATION Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library Gift of Seymour B. Durst Old York Library Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2014 https://archive.org/details/senecamythsfolktOOpark BUFFALO Historical Society publications VOLUME TWENTY-SEVEN Edited by Frank H. Severance : SENECA MYTHS AND FOLK TALES BY ARTHUR C. PARKER, M.S. Archaeologist, New York State Museum Life Member, The Buffalo Historical Society BUFFALO, NEW YORK Published by the BUFFALO HISTORICAL SOCIETY 1923 THE TRIBUNE PUBLISHING COMPANY PRINTERS AND BINDERS MEADVILLE, PA. TO FRANK H. SEVERANCE, L.H.D., LL.D. Secretary, The Buffalo Historical Society President, The Neu- York State Historical Association WHOSE NUMEROUS ESSAYS AND HISTORI- CAL WRITINGS HAVE BEEN A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION AND ENLIGHTENMENT, AND WHOSE INTEREST IN THE SENECA INDIANS AND THEIR HISTORY HAS NEVER WANED, THIS VOLUME OH SENECA FOLK TALES IS DEDICATED IN TESTIMONY OF THE AUTHOR'S SINCERE ADMIRATION AND ESTEEM. SENECA MYTHS AND FOLK TALES — FOREWORD The author of this collection of Seneca folk-tales can- not remember when he first began to hear the wonder stories of the ancient days. His earliest recollections are of hearing the wise old men relate these tales of the myster- ious past. They were called Ka'kaa, or Ga'kaa, and when this word was uttered, as a signal that the marvels of old were about to be unfolded, all the children grew silent, and listened. In those days, back on the Cattaraugus reservation, it was a part of a child's initial training to learn why the bear lost its tail, why the chipmunk has a striped back and why meteors flash in the sky. Many years later,— it was in 1903,—the writer of this manuscript returned to the Cattaraugus reservation bring- ing with him his friend Mr. Raymond Harrington, for the purpose of making an archaeological survey of the Cattar- augus valley for the Peabody Museum of Archaeology, of Harvard University. Our base camp was on the old Sil- verheels farm, which occupies the site of one of the early Seneca villages of the period after the Erie war of 1654. Here also is the site of the original Lower Cattaraugus of pre-Revolutionary days. To our camp came many Indian friends who sought to in- struct Mr. Harrington and myself in the lore of the ancients. We were regaled with stories of the false-faces, of the whirl-winds, of the creation of man, of the death panther, and of the legends of the great bear, but in particular we were blessed with an ample store of tales of vampire skele- tons, of witches and of folk-beasts, all of whom had a ix ; X FOREWORD special appetite for young men who dug in the ground for the buried relics of the "old-time folks." To us came Tahadondch (whom the Christian people called George Jimerson), Bill Snyder, Gahweh Seneca, a lame man from Tonawanda, Frank Pierce and several others versed in folklore. I filled my note-books with sketches and outlines of folk-fiction, and after our return to New York, I began to transcribe some of the stories. The following winter was spent on the reservation among the non-Christian element in a serious attempt to record folk tales, ceremonial prayers, rituals, songs and customs. A large amount of information and many stories were col- lected. Some of this material was published by the State Museum, the rest perished in the Capitol fire at Albany, in 191 [. Later I was able to go over my original notes with Edward Cornplanter, the local authority on Seneca religion, rites and folk-ways, and to write out the material here presented. Cornplanter's son Jesse assisted by way of making drawings under his father's direction. I also had the help of Skidmore Lay, Ward B. Snow, Delos B. Kittle, Mrs. John Kittle, James Crow and others. My informants from the lower reservation, the Christian district, were Aurelia Jones Miller, Fred Kennedy, George D. Jimerson, Julia Crouse, Moses Shongo, Mrs. Moses Shongo, David George, William Parker, Job King, and Chester C. Lay and Laura Doctor and Otto Parker of the Tonawanda Reservation. In the preparation of these versions of old Seneca tales the writer used no other texts for comparative purposes. It was thought best to rest content with the version given FOREWORD xi by the Indian informant, and to wait until a time of greater leisure came before attempting to annotate the collection. Leisure has never seemed to be the privilege of the writer, and one busy year has crowded upon another, until eighteen have passed since the tales were written down. It may be best, after all, to present the text just as it was prepared, and merely correct the spelling of a name or two. It was not until after this text was in the hands of the Buffalo Historical Society that the Curtin-Hewitt collection of Seneca folk tales appeared, and though differences will be found between our texts and those of Curtin, it must be remembered that variations are bound to occur. All versions of folk tales recorded by different individuals at different or even identical times will vary in certain particulars, as is explained hereinafter. In the preparation of this volume the writer wishes to record his indebtedness to Mr. George Kelley Staples, Senator Henry W. Hill, Mr. George L. Tucker and Dr. Frank H. Severance, all members of the Buffalo Historical Society, for the advice and encouragement given. Arthur C. Parker. Buffalo Consistory, A. A. S. R. Nov. 26, 1922. CONTENTS Page Foreword ix Introduction xvii I. FUNDAMENTAL FACTORS IN SENECA FOLK LORE 1 Basic Premises 3 Gods, Major Spirits and Folk-Beasts 5 Nature Beings 10 Magic Beasts and Birds 16 Magical Man-like Beings 18 II. THEMES AND MATERIALS 23 Stereotyped Objects and Incidents 27 Components of the Cosmological Myth 33 III. THE ATMOSPHERE IN WHICH THE LEGENDS "WERE TOLD 37 IV. WHEN THE WORLD WAS NEW 57 1. How the World Began 59 2. The Brothers who Climbed into the Sky ... 74 3. The Death Panther 78 4. The Great Bear Constellation 81 5. The Seven Brothers of the Star Cluster ... 83 6. The Seven Star Dancers 86 7. The Coming of Spring 88 8. The Coming of Death 92 V. BOYS WHO DEFIED MAGIC AND OVERCAME IT . 95 9. Origin of Folk Stories 97 10. The Forbidden Arrow and the Quilt of Men's Eyes 101 II. Corn Grinder, the Grandson 108 12. He-Goes-to-Listen 116 13. Hahtondas, the Listener, Finds a Wife . 122 14. The Origin of the Chestnut Tree 128 15. Divided Body Rescues a Girl 133 16. The Origin of the Buffalo Society 137 17. The Boy who could not Understand 142 18. The Boy who Lived with the Bears 147 19. The Seventh Son 154 20. The Boy who Overcame all Magic by Laughter . 159 xiii xiv CONTENTS Pack VI. TALES OF LOVE AND MARRIAGE 171 21. Two Feathers and Turkey Brother 173 22. Two Feathers and Woodchuck Leggings .... 184 23. Turkey Boy Squeezed the Hearts of Sorcerers . 200 24. Corn Rains into Empty Barrels 205 25. Twentgowa and the Mischief Maker .... 208 26. The Horned Serpent Runs Away with a Girl . 218 27. The Great Serpent and the Young Wife . 223 28. Bushy Head the Bewitched Warrior .... 228 29. The Flint Chip Thrower 235 VII. HORROR TALES OF CANNIBALS AND SORCER- ERS: 30. The Duel of the Dream Test 241 31. The Vampire Sirens 253 32. Younger Brother Eludes His Sistek-in-Law . 262 33. The Island of the Cannibal 269 34. The Twelve Brothers and the Wraith . 278 35. The Cannibal and His Nephew 284 36. A Youth's Double Abuses His Sister 290 37. Murdered Double Speaks Through Fire .... 293 38. The Vampire Corpse 298 VIII. TALES OF TALKING ANIMALS: 39. The Man who Exhaled Fire 303 40. The Turtle's Wae Party 305 41. The Race of the Turtle and the Beaver . 309 42. The Wolf and the Raccoon 312 43. The Chipmunk's Stripes 314 44. The Rabbit Song 315 45. The Rabbit Gambler 317 46. The Raccoon and the Crabs 319 47. The Crab's Eyes 321 48. How the Squirrel Gave a Blanket, etc 322 49. The Chickadee's Song 325 50. The Bird Woman 326 51. The Partridge's Song 328 IX. TALES OF GIANTS, PYGMIES AND MONSTER BEARS: 52. A Tale of the Djogeon or Pygmies 331 53. Beyond-the-Rapids and the Stone Giant . 334 54. The Animated Finger 337 contents xv Page 55. The Stone Giant's Battle 340 56. The Boy and the False Face 342 57. How a Boy Outwitted a Nia"gwahe 344 58. Nia"gwahe, the Mammoth Beae 349 59. The Boy and the Nia"gwahe 358 X. TRADITIONS: Seneca Belief in Witchcraft 365 60. Contents of a Charm Holder's Bundle .... 368 61. Contents of a Witch Bundle 369 62. Overcoming a Witch 370 63. The Scorned Witch Woman 372 64. Catching a Witch Bundle 376 65. Witch with a Dog Transformation 378 66. Witch Steals Children's Hearts 380 67. Hotciwaho (Hammer in His Belt) 382 68. How America was Discovered 383 69. Origin of the Charm Holder's Medicine Society . 386 70. Origin of the False Face Company 394 71. Origin of the Long House 403 72. Dead Timber, a Tradition of Albany 407 XI.

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