The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1884-11-14
Myths OF the Iroquois.

The United States Bureau of Eth
nology has recently issued from Wash
ington volume called myths Of the
Iroquoiss" 1t is part of the Bureaus
second annual report. The book is the
work of Mrs. Erminnie A. Smith, the
Indianologist, who is an attache of the
bureau. Mrs. Smith Is resident of
Jersey City. If the origin and history
of the American aborigines is ever to
be known at all, it must be done by
gathering up their ancient folklore
and traditions. These are now fast
fading. Contact with the white race
for centuries has already well-nigh
rubbed out whate -er was essentially
aboriginal among them. This is now
here more clearly seen than in the book
Mrs. Smith has prepared. She has
been devoting herself to Indian studies
for a number of years. learning mean
time the language of the Sioux Nations.
She went among the Indians. spent
months with them, and gathered with
pains-taking care the material for this
publication. 1t was her plan to go to
one and another CHEF and med cine
man and start him talking, interview
ing him in the newspaper way. She
listened and noted down. Thus, one
by one, their Indian superstitions, their
ancient mythology, and the ir-
radicabIe belief in witches that lay
underneath their Christian theology
were unfolaad to her. The result is
unexpected in some ways. In the
Oldest Iroquo;s mythology she found
no trace of belief in Heaven. or in q
separate spiritual world. The ancient
Iioquois were pagan OF the pagans.
Neither does she find in their language
or mythology the shadow Of. faith in
one controlling deity. The 'happy
hunting grounds" and the Great Spirit
of Good that constitute the present In
dian theology were shaped and mould
| ed i'm the red mans mind through The
intiuen of the white mans religion.
So far from believing in one Great
Spirit the primitive Iroquois had many
| gois-no end of them. in fact. The
author found that their most ancient
gods were their remote ancestors. The
powers of nature were divinities, the
| thunder, the wind and whatever was
mysterious or terrible. Most. if not
ali. pagan nations had a thunder god.
like Thor and love. The Iroquois had
theirs, too. Hun by name. a benefi-
cent being. The .sireat Heads were
among their popular beliefs, beings
who seem to have been mostly heads
hair and eyes. Among their good
spirits were trio, three sisters. who
were the goddesses of corn, squashes
and beans In witches and witchcra
their faith was simply bottomless, as j!
| is to-day. for the matter o. that We
find Mrs. Smiths ..good Indians to
be the devoutest of Christians. yet when
it comes to pinch they are, after all.
not unlike Mark Twain's. converted
Sandwich Islanders. 1t has been said
that American history is lacking in tine
element of romance, of poetry and ira
dition. Not so. The researches made
BY this writer uncover q mine as rich in
| quaint imaginative lore as anything the
Scandinavian mythology offers Here
are poetry. romance, tradition and
myth. Here is material for musical
expression, too. That so little is known
of it is because the overcoming white
man has SO nearly e'iaced it. Where
is the American Wagner who can write
the opera of Indian mythoiogy.-N y
/ Truth