Myths and legends of the New York state Iroquois . d was in need of advice,he would visit the lodge to smoke and counsel with the old manabout the next snowfall, before journeying to his home in thenorth sky; and they would sit by the fire which blazed and glowedyet could not warm them. 1 Another version, from the Senecas, makes Ha-to the Spirit of the Winter and O-swi-nS-don, the Spirit of Warmth. The former is described as an old man who skulks aboutin the woods and raps the trees with his war club, (ga-ji-wa). When the weather is thecoldest he is the most active and any one can hear him rap
Myths and legends of the New York state Iroquois . d was in need of advice,he would visit the lodge to smoke and counsel with the old manabout the next snowfall, before journeying to his home in thenorth sky; and they would sit by the fire which blazed and glowedyet could not warm them. 1 Another version, from the Senecas, makes Ha-to the Spirit of the Winter and O-swi-nS-don, the Spirit of Warmth. The former is described as an old man who skulks aboutin the woods and raps the trees with his war club, (ga-ji-wa). When the weather is thecoldest he is the most active and any one can hear him rapping the trees. It is a very evilthing to imitate the acts of any nature spirit. The penalty is to be captured by the spiritand pressed into its service. Ha-to is deathly afraid of blackberries and never visits theearth when they are in blossom. A boy who had mocked Ha-to once vanquished himby throwing a pot of blackberry sauce in his face. Thus the Senecas use blackberries inwinter as a medicine against frost bites. IROQUOIS MYTHS AND LEGENDS 97. QS new YORK STATE MUSEUM The old mans bushy whiskers were heavy with the icicles whichclung to them, and when the blazing fire flared its lights, illuminat-ing them with the warm hues of the summer sunset, he wouldrave as he struck them down,, and glare with rage as they fellsnapping and crackling at his feet. One night, as together they sat smoking and dozing before thefire, a strange feeling of fear came over them, the air seemedgrowing wanner and the ice began to melt. Said North Wind: I wonder what warm thing is coming, the snow seems vanishingand sinking lower in the earth. But the old man cared not,and was silent. He knew his lodge was strong, and he chuckledwith scorn as he bade North Wind abandon his fears and departfor his home. But North Wind went drifting the fast falling snowhigher on the mountain until it groaned under its heavy burden,and scolding and blasting, his voice gradually died away. Stillthe old man remained sil
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectiroquoi, bookyear1908
