80. Ganon, the Seneca War Chief
Ganon was a Seneca war chief. Having called a council, he said, “We must go to see the Cherokee, and find out whether we can not agree to be friendly and to live in peace hereafter.” The people consenting, the chief continued, “We must purify ourselves thoroughly before we start; this will take ten days.” Thereupon a great many went off into a deep forest. All were men. There was no woman in the company. When they got into the deep forest they took medicine to make them vomit. This they did every morning for ten days, in addition to bathing and swimming and washing their bodies each day. [[429]]
At the end of ten days the chief said, “We shall go now on a high hill and there make a trench the length of a man’s body. Then we will put a man into it, placing boughs across so he can not be seen, and on top of all the whole carcass of a deer.”
Now, they had invited Sʻhadahgeah to come down, and the people staid near the trench. The man under the bush heard a noise, and saw a common eagle come, eat a little, and then go off; then the eagle came back again, ate, and went away in another direction. It seemed as if it notified other birds, for they also came. The man who was lying underneath the brush scared them away, for they did not want common birds to eat the meat. After a while the concealed man heard a tremendous noise, which he knew was made by Sʻhadahgeah, the bird they wanted. Sʻhadahgeah is a very cautious bird; it looked everywhere before beginning to eat the meat. The man got his hand carefully around the bird’s tail, which he held firmly, and when the bird flew away he pulled out one feather. It took two years to get a full tail of feathers; hence they had to entice down a good many birds in this way before they got enough for the purpose. When secured, the party was ready to start for the Cherokee country.
Many days were required to reach the land of the Cherokee, who had built a fort around them so that an enemy could not enter. The Seneca got there early in the morning, when the gate was open. Two of the Seneca dancers, adorned with feathers, made a noise like a whoop. When the Cherokee heard this they came out, whereupon they saw the two men singing and dancing. “These men must have come on some errand,” said the Cherokee chief. When the two men came nearer they said: “We wish to meet in council, as we come to talk about something important.” All turned and went toward the lodge of assembly. All the Seneca had come directly there, but only the two were singing and dancing. The lodge of assembly was crowded. The Seneca sang and danced until tired, when they stopped. The Cherokee did not dance. The Seneca chief said: “Now I will tell you for what purpose we have come to you through the forest. We have thought among ourselves that it is time to stop fighting. You and we are always on the lookout to kill one another. We think it is time to stop this. Here is the proof, if we agree to be friendly. Here is the wampum. If you and your people are willing to be friendly, you will take this.” With these words he held out the string of wampum as their credentials. The Cherokee chief, coming up, met the Seneca chief, saying: “I will take it and hold it in my hand, and tomorrow we will tell you what we have decided to do.” Then turning, he said to his people: “Go home and bring food to this lodge of assembly.” Thereupon all brought from their homes so much food that there was a great pile lying across the lodge [[430]]of assembly. All ate together, but could not consume the whole amount.
The next day they ate together again. “We have decided among ourselves,” said the Cherokee chief to the Seneca, “to accept this wampum, to be friendly with you, and to bury all the weapons of war so no man may reach them again.” In response the Seneca chief said: “I thank you. We are very glad that you have accepted our offer, and now all of us have put our weapons together, and the white wampum shall hang between us, and the belt shall be as long as a man, reaching down to the ground.” The Cherokee said to their people: “Now is the time for any of you who wishes to do so to pick out relatives from among the Seneca to be adopted.”
When the notice was given the Cherokee women picked out one man, saying, “You are to be our uncle, our mother’s brother.” Some other woman took another for a brother; and finally all were taken except Ganon,[365] the chief. Then Ganon, being above a Cherokee, said, “No one has a right to take Ganon away, for a young man is here who will claim him as his father.” At this, the young man, walking up to Ganon, said, “Father, I am glad to see you. Now, father, we will go home.” Speaking thus, he went to his mother’s lodge, taking his father with him, and it was found to be he. He took him to the lodge where Ganon spent the first night, and the young man was really his son. When Ganon came to the lodge he recognized the woman. Everyone was pleased with the place and relationship.
A good many days later a man came to the village from the East—the Great Salt Water. He came from the Seoqgwageonon[366] tribe to challenge them to a ball play, and he told how many days it would be before his people would come. They came at the time appointed. The head man was dressed in skins which were so long that they touched the ground. Next day the Seoqgwageonon began to bet with the Cherokee. The Seneca were there. The bet was two very heavy, costly skins, and other valuables. The Seneca and the Cherokee said, “We can not say that we shall win this game, but we are willing to play.” The play began. The Cherokee lost the game. Then the Seneca said, “We shall try this time,” and they bet again heavily. All were ready. They put their netted clubs to the ground. After a little swift running, the Seneca brought the ball to their goal, making a point. After the game had continued a while, having made all the points agreed on, they won the game. They now doubled the bet, and again the Seneca won. They won the third game also. Now the Seoqgwageonon said, “We will try the race with you.”
The ground was quite level, and the opening was very broad. The Cherokee chose a Seneca runner. They were to run the first time without betting, and to bet on the second running. The men ran to the post, and his people, seeing that the Seneca runner was just the [[431]]thickness of his body behind as they reached the post, asked him whether he had done his best. He replied, “No; I have not.” Now they bet and the second, the real race, began. At the middle of the course the Seneca runner said to the other, “Do your best, for I am going to do mine.” The Seneca left the other far behind, winning the race. Now the Seoqgwageonon said, “There is yet one race, the long race, which we shall try.” The Cherokee said, “We have won everything from these people. I believe it will be best to let them win one game. If they lose all, they may make trouble.” So they selected a Cherokee to run, who was beaten, whereupon the Seoqgwageonon went home.
In two days another man came to say in behalf of the Seoqgwageonon that he had come to challenge them a second time, and that they were to meet halfway and have a fight. The Cherokee said to the Seneca who were with them: “You are so few in number here with us that we do not want to have you killed, so we think you would better go home.” When the time came, the Cherokee met and fought with the Seoqgwageonon and were beaten. Three years later the Seneca went to visit the Cherokee. On this occasion they heard all about the fight, and the Cherokee told them that the Seoqgwageonon had said, “We should like to fight with the Seneca, for I am a double man; I have two virile members.” So the Seneca held a council and decided to fight them, saying, “We shall try and see whether he has two virile members.” The Cherokee volunteered to guide the Seneca. They traveled many days until they came to a place where the Cherokee said, “This is as far as the Seoqgwageonon usually come to hunt.” They came to a path, and finding a footprint, they waited there for the man who had made it. Soon they saw a man carrying meat on his back. “We must take that man,” said the Seneca, “but let us be careful lest he hurt us.” When he came near they ran at him. As soon as he saw them, he whooped and dropped the meat. Then he drew his bow and arrow to shoot, but before he could select his arrow, he was taken captive. They caused him to stand in the middle of the assembly, saying, “Let us see whether he has two virile members. “When they saw he had only one, they said, “Now we want your people to stop saying they have two virile members.” Thereupon the Seneca went back to the Cherokee village.
Soon a runner came from the Seoqgwageonon, who told the Cherokee that they wanted to have war with the Seneca and that he had come to challenge them. The Seneca answered, “We will try to gratify them;” so they started for the Seoqgwageonon village, guided by the Cherokee. They came to an opening, from which it was one day’s journey to the first village. Stopping at a hill in this opening, they were about to send two messengers to the Seoqgwageonon when the Cherokee said, “You must send them so as to arrive at [[432]]the village about sundown.” They did this. When the messengers arrived near the village they saw that the Seoqgwageonon were playing ball. The messengers then went around to the south side and threw sumach darts, so as to deceive the other Indians into thinking them of their own people. The Seoqgwageonon so regarded the messengers, hence they did not take notice of them. The messengers having killed a man, scalped him, and rushed off whooping. On the way home the Seneca kept saying to one another, “Djágon—brace up, take courage.” About dusk they saw dust rising from the ground a good distance behind. The Seoqgwageonon on horses were pursuing them. The Seneca saw that they would be overtaken in the open, so they hurried to a dry creek with overhanging banks, where they hid. Soon the horses and dogs drew near, but the dogs failed to find the Seneca and the pursuers went on. Shortly they returned, but again failed in their search.
The next morning the Seneca went on to Odaiadon, where there was an opening into a forest. The messengers soon saw the dust a second time and knew from this that they were being pursued. In a little while they could see the horses which were coming on them; soon the horses were near. The arrows of the Seoqgwageonon whizzed past them, and now their enemies were almost on them, but the runners were at the opening, where their people were arrayed in the form of a horseshoe. As soon as the pursuers got into this formation the Seneca closed in on them, capturing and killing all but one, who, being in the rear, turned and fled in time. The two Seneca now followed the horseman until they saw that he met a crowd. He talked to his people, and he and they went back together to the country of the Seoqgwageonon.
The Seneca and the Cherokee now went to the Cherokee country, and in a month the Seneca returned to their own place.
After a while the Seneca said, “Let us go again to our friends, the Cherokee.” When they arrived there all were glad and invited them to their lodges. They said to the Seneca: “We hear that the Seoqgwageonon think the Seneca are dangerous and bad people. They themselves are fortune-tellers and can see what other people are going to do, but they can not tell what the Seneca are going to do. They are magically more powerful than the others.” During this visit they merely amused themselves with games and other sports.
81. Hatcinondon:[367] A Historical Tradition
Hatcinondon was a great warrior, the greatest among the warlike Seneca of the Iroquois Confederation.
Once Hatcinondon led a large company of warriors to the Cherokee country on a raid. In time they arrived at a place called Oyada[368] [[433]]Thadinongeh, which was within the Cherokee country. They knew well that the Cherokee were on the lookout for them. Having reached this place, Hatcinondon told his men to remain where they were, and that he would go ahead to spy out the land and to learn what could be done. Then he departed from the camp of his men. Soon it was discovered by the enemy that he was in the Cherokee country, and he was closely pursued by them. He fled into a region covered with a heavy growth of reeds, which was in two great sections, with a narrow strip of comparatively clear land between them. Hatcinondon managed to escape into one of these stretches, unobserved by the enemy, who believed that he had concealed himself in the other part. So they set guards at the narrow strip of land dividing the two sections of reedy land. After they had set fire to the reeds and burned them up they made a careful search for his charred body; but Hatcinondon had fallen asleep from exhaustion in the other stretch of reeds. During the night, however, two men came to him, who seized him by the arms, saying: “We have come for you.” When they had brought him to the place whence they had been sent, they said to him: “We have now brought you to this man who sent for you.” Whereupon the two men pointed out a lodge, with the words: “There is where the Heron lives who sent for you.” Hatcinondon went up to the lodge, but could find no doorway; but after he had searched for some time without success he heard a voice on the inside say, “Come in!” and a door opened of itself, and Hatcinondon entered the lodge. Within he found a man, who said: “I sent for you, and you have now come. Are you not hungry?” At this Hatcinondon thought: “This is a strange way; this is not the way I do. I would give the food at once.” But Ne Hononhsot, knowing the thought of Hatcinondon, laughing, remarked: “I said that only in fun.” Arising, he got half a loaf of bread made of corn meal, half a wild apple, and half a pigeon, which he offered to his guest. Hatcinondon said, laughing: “How little it is that will satisfy me.” To which Ne Hononhsot answered: “If you eat this I shall give you more.” As soon as Hatcinondon began to eat he saw that as he ate everything became whole again, so that he was not able entirely to consume anything. He was finally satisfied with what he had eaten. Then Ne Hononhsot said: “Now that you have finished eating I will speak with you further.”
While Hatcinondon was speaking he heard footsteps of someone approaching on a run, and suddenly the door was thrust open, whereupon the Sun came in so quickly and with such brightness that he had to hold his head down to shield his eyes. The newcomer conversed with Ne Hononhsot but Hatcinondon could not understand a word that was said. In a short time the visitor started off toward [[434]]the east. Then Ne Hononhsot said to Hatcinondon: “This man is the one whom you Seneca call Endekha Gaahgwa.[369] It is night now down on the earth, so he is hurrying toward the east. He told me of a great battle that is now ended.”
Ne Hononhsot was indeed Hawenniyo, and he said: “This is what I expected when I created human beings. I thought they would fight. The man who has just been here is the one who watches on the earth below. I want you to know that when you meet an enemy who shoots at you, you must not run away but must walk straight up to him. He shall not hurt you. An arrow shall not kill you. It is something else that shall kill you. Now you shall eat again.” Ne Hononhsot next gave him the same kind of food, one half of each object. Then he continued: “I am the cause that the Seneca do not now fight with the Cherokee, for I love both tribes. When you return home you will find all your people there, and they will know that you are alive. When you get back to your party of warriors you must tell them that they must leave the warpath at once and cease fighting, returning to their homes and remaining there until they shall find something to satisfy their wants. Now my messengers are ready to lead you back to your camp.”
Going out of the lodge, and directed by the messengers, Hatcinondon passed through an opening and soon found himself in the reeds where he was before he had been called away, and then the messengers departed.
Returning to his party of warriors, Hatcinondon told them what he had seen and heard. All went home, where they held a great council, and it was there agreed that the party should go to the Cherokee country in a couple of days. At the appointed time they started, while Hatcinondon went directly to the Cherokee lands again. He was not afraid, for he knew that an arrow would not kill him. In time the Seneca met the Cherokee, and a fierce fight took place. Remembering what he had been told, Hatcinondon, going straight to the enemy, killed and scalped a Cherokee warrior, whereupon he immediately proclaimed, “I have killed and scalped a warrior. My name is Hatcinondon.” He did this before any of the Cherokee knew that he was there. They had a great battle and many were killed. After the fight the party of Hatcinondon retreated to their homes. The news soon spread that this party had returned home with scalps.
Shortly after this affair another Seneca party started away to fight the Cherokee, and Hatcinondon accompanied it. They soon encountered the Cherokee, and in the ensuing fight Hatcinondon was captured. He was led away, bound, to the Cherokee village, where a great council of war was held. It was a standing rule with the Cherokee that when any person from the Six Nations of the Iroquois [[435]]was captured his or her fate was left to the decision of two women, whose privilege it was to determine how such a person should be tortured. These two women at this council decided that Hatcinondon should be hung up and tortured to death by fire. So he was securely bound to a tree, the war post, and wood was carefully piled up under and around him. He had given himself up as lost. They were about to set fire to the pyre of wood when a violent rainstorm came up, causing the women to defer the execution until the storm should have passed over. All the people sought shelter from the storm, leaving Hatcinondon tied to the war post. While there alone he saw an old woman coming toward him, who said: “My grandson, you think that you are going to die, but you are not. Try to stir yourself.” Thereupon, moving himself about, he found that his bonds were loosened and that he was free. “You see now that you are free,” she said; “I thought that I would come to return your kindness. You remember your people once made a circle of fire and I was in the middle of it. You recall, perhaps, that you saw a toad in the middle, and that you saved the toad, placing it in your bosom. I was that toad. You carried me until you came to water, in which you placed me. This is the reason I am returning your kindness, for I see that you are in trouble now. I brought that rainstorm and now I want you to run in the direction of the next stream, and you must continue down the stream.”
When the rainstorm was over the two women returned to the war post, only to find that Hatcinondon had escaped. They gave the alarm at once, and the warriors assembled, calling the dogs, which forthwith took up the trail. Soon they reached the stream and followed the current. As Hatcinondon fled he came to a tree that leaned over the water. He found that the trunk was hollow and that he could get into it from the water and then crawl farther up. Here the dogs lost the trail and finally the pursuit was abandoned. When the pursuers had departed he heard two people approaching the spot, talking. Presently they sat on the tree at the very place where he was concealed. He overheard them say, “It is wonderful how that man escaped from us.” Hatcinondon was very careful not to cough lest he should be discovered. But at last he heard them depart and there was no further sound of talking. At last, having come out of the hollow in the tree, he went southward, down the stream. When night was approaching, while walking along he heard a blow which sounded like that of an ax on a tree. Being greatly frightened, he became very wary in his movements. While standing listening, he saw three men, who had made a fire where they were going to camp for the night. When darkness had fully set in he crept up stealthily, shielded by a very large tree. Standing behind this tree, he saw that the men were sound asleep and were snoring. [[436]]Without disturbing them he secured their weapons, with which he armed himself, carefully hiding those he did not need. Then with an ax he killed the three men, whom he scalped. Thereupon he said: “The blood is too strong, so I shall go aside from this place.”
Taking their provisions, he went to a neighboring stream, where he made a fire. Having done this, he went back and dressed himself in the best of the garments of the slain men, for he was entirely naked; then he returned to his fire, and, having cooked his meal, he ate it. When he had finished his meal he prepared and painted the three scalps.
The next morning Hatcinondon, taking with him what provisions they had, traveled in a great circle until he had found the path by which he and his party had come to that country. Discovering fresh tracks leading both ways, he learned that his friends were still in the country. As he went along the path he saw smoke ahead, at the sight of which he stopped and listened to see whether he could hear Seneca speech. He was delighted to hear Seneca terms, and displaying the three scalps on a stick he called out, Goʹweh, goʹweh! three times. When his friends heard this, shouting for joy, they ran to meet him. They saw indeed that he had three scalps and brought him to their camp fire. They were glad that he had been found for they had watched day and night for his return, but had about concluded that he had been killed. Setting out for home, they found all their people well. This is the story.
82. Godiont[370] and the Sʻhagodiyoweqgowa
In Genesee Valley is Dedioitgeon—the mouth of a gully. In that place lived the Seneca people. Godiont, the principal woman in the village, had a meeting with a Sʻhagodiyoweqgowa, who said to her, “We think it would benefit your people for us to settle permanently at Dedioitgeon.” Godiont thought it was good and kind in them to do this, and so she was glad. Afterward when anyone was sick she went to that place and called on the Sʻhagodiyoweqgowa for assistance. She invited them to come to her lodge, and got a pot of corn soup ready for them. They came in person, and having asperged the patient with ashes and having blown on him, they ate the corn pudding. The Sʻhagodiyoweqgowa said to Godiont, “Whenever you invite us to come, you must have the pot ready, for we do not wish to wait. After we have arrived we want to do our work quickly.”
Once there was a man who had not much substance, who thought he would fool the Sʻhagodiyoweqgowa. Going to their place, he invited them, saying, “Your help is required at a certain place” (naming it). They went there, but found no one, and nothing was ready. After waiting a while, the chief one said: “We have been trifled [[437]]with. This will not do. Godiont did not do this. Some other person has trifled with us. The one who has done so must die. We are not to be trifled with. The people must understand this. It is best for us to move away from this place.” “I will tell you,” said he to Godiont, “what I want you to do. Make masks as near like our faces as you can, and let men wear them, and we shall work through these masks and thus help the people.” “Soon the man who has trifled with us must come here,” said the oldest Sʻhagodiyoweqgowa, “and you shall see what will happen to him.” Soon the man came on a run. He was in a kind of crazy fit. Coming right to the spot where the Sʻhagodiyoweqgowa were, he fell down and began to vomit blood, and finally died. After that day the people knew it was wrong to make fun of the Sʻhagodiyoweqgowa.