Page:Journal of American Folklore vol. 12.djvu/629

 Onondaga Tale of the Pleiades. 281

��ONONDAGA TALE OF THE PLEIADES.

The Huron-Iroquois seem to have taken little note of the stars, though the sun and moon had a prominent place in their mythology and customs. The north star could not well escape their attention, and they called it the star which always stands still. The Great Bear was not entirely overlooked, but the Pleiades formed their favor- ite constellation.

Indeed, the Indians along the Atlantic coast displayed much the same judgment. Roger Williams says they called the Great Bear by its familiar name, and they had another for the belt of Orion. Some called the Pleiades the Seven Stars, and others the Brooding Hen, or literally, " They sit apart from others," or are grouped to- gether. Wassenaer said of the Indians of New York, "The women there are the most experienced star-gazers ; there is scarcely one of them but can name all the stars ; their rising and setting; the posi- tion of the Arctos, that is the wagon, is as well known to them as to us, and they name them by other names."

Among the Onondagas a single star is O-chis-tan-00-kwa, adding i-nune in the plural, "Spotting the sky." I have been promised other star stories, but so far have but one from original sources, not greatly differing from one told by Mrs. E. A. Smith. It is of the Pleiades, or Oot-kwa-tah, "There they dwell in peace."

A long time ago a party of Indians went through the woods toward a good hunting-ground, which they had long known. They travelled several days through a very wild country, going on leisurely and camping by the way. At last they reached Kan-ya-ti-yo, " the beautiful lake," where the gray rocks were crowned with great forest trees. Fish swarmed in the waters, and at every jutting point the deer came down from the hills around to bathe or drink of the lake. On the hills and in the valleys were huge beech and chestnut trees, where squirrels chattered, and bears came to take their morning and evening meals.

The chief of the band was Hah-yah-no, " Tracks in the water," and he halted his party on the lake shore that he might return thanks to the Great Spirit for their safe arrival at this good hunting- ground. " Here will we build our lodges for the winter, and may the Great Spirit, who has prospered us on our way, send us plenty of game, and health and peace." The Indian is always thankful.

The pleasant autumn days passed on. The lodges had been built, and hunting had prospered, when the children took a fancy to dance for their own amusement. They were getting lonesome, having little to do, and so they met daily in a quiet spot by the lake to have

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