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.