The Iroquois; or, the bright side of Indian characterJohnson, Anna C. (Anna Cummings)
History
The Iroquois; or, the bright side of Indian character
Johnson, Anna C. (Anna Cummings)
Iroquois Indians -- Social life and customs
Three of these monsters were on their way to the Salt Lakes of the
south, when three of the Pigmies, who always warred with giants and
monsters, snakes, lizards and every thing prejudicial to man, set forth
to destroy them. To be one day at the north, and the next far away
thousands of miles to the south, was a trifling feat for them to
perform, so swiftly did they go in their fairy canoes.
One day an Indian maiden was dipping water from a little brook that
flowed into the O-hee-yo, and as she bent over the stream, the water
reflected a strange appearance. On looking up she beheld the three
Pigmies just alighting near where she stood. She knew immediately that
there was danger, for they never at any other time made themselves
visible to mortal eyes.
These monster buffaloes fed only on human flesh, and were therefore a
great terror, as they could suddenly rise up out of the ground and
destroy whole settlements, before there was time for any to flee. The
Pigmies knew where they had gone, and that they would soon return, and
bade the maiden flee to inform her people, that they might be ready for
flight if they should not succeed in their mission; but told her they
would meet her again at the stream and inform her if they were able to
destroy them.
When they had finished their message, with one stroke of their paddles
the canoe soared into the air and sailed along over the tree tops a
great distance, and then descended again to the water, when another
stroke bore it again aloft.
When they reached the place where the buffaloes appeared, they cut down
the largest hickory trees and split them in two parts for their bows,
and made them arrows of the tallest pines of the forest. With these
they pierced them and sent the arrows with such force that they passed
through the monsters, who fell, crushing whole forests beneath them.
From their blood arose the small buffaloes, Do-ge-ya-go, while their
bones have remained undecayed for untold centuries.
The Pigmies having accomplished their purpose, returned to inform the
maiden at the stream, who listened to their story with delight, and ran
to announce the glad tidings to her people, and then departed to their
northern home.
All the little buffaloes from far and near came regularly to dance on
the spot where their progenitors were slain, and the Indian, as he
passes the place, shows a particle from some mammoth bone, to wear as a
charm to procure him whatever he desires—the love of a beautiful
maiden—success on the war path, or plenty of game in his hunting
excursions.
A WAR LEGEND.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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