Page:Journal of American Folklore vol. 12.djvu/132

 i 20 Journal of American Folk-Lore.

night and day, heat and cold, as on the surface of the earth. These Little People are represented as living precisely like the ancient Wyandots, and that it is their task, duty and pleasure to preserve in all their primeval purity the ancient laws, customs, social organi- zation, and political and religious institutions for the use of the Wyandots after death, for this is the land to which the Wyandots go when they leave this world. It is presided over by the Mud Turtle, who did not go into the sky with the other animals. I have no space here to enumerate the many achievements of the Little People.

10. The Hooli"-keh'.

The Hooh'"-keh' was the " Medicine Man " of the ancient Wyan- dots, and the OOh'"-keh' was the " Medicine Woman." Their office was practically the same in all the Iroquoian tribes, and their func- tions have been so often described that it is unnecessary to repeat them here had we time and space.

The foregoing is the merest outline of the principal gods of the Wyandots. The mythology of the ancient Wyandots was very com- plete, and everything in the whole universe was accounted for. Nothing was left in doubt. In its study I have often believed that I could see that after man had emerged from savagery, he was in- capable of formulating a religious system which would in all respects satisfy the human mind. He that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow, and doubt and uncertainty seem to be inseparable from ad- vancement in knowledge.

I give a few specimens of the myths of the ancient Wyandots which I have preserved. They are not altogether in connected order as given here, and are intended to show the style in which they were related by the " Keepers of the True Traditions " of the Wyandot people. Anciently they were preserved in the form of songs.

The Woman who fell from Heaven.

The people lived in Heaven (Yah-rohn'-ylh-yeh). They were Wyandots. The head man's name was Hooh'-mah'-yooh-wah"-neh', the Big Chief, or the Mighty Ruler. He had a very beautiful daugh- ter. She was the favorite of the people. She became sick. The HoUh'"-keh' came. She could not be cured by his medicine. The Hooh'"-keh' said, "Dig up the wild apple-tree; what will cure her she can pluck from among its roots." This apple-tree stood near the door of the lodge of Hooh-mah'-yGoh-wah/'-neh'.

The Hcoh"-keh' advised that while they were digging up the wild

�� �