HOW STORYTELLING CAME TO THE SENECA

Hi dear friends and followers, welcome to the legends of the Native Americans

To the best of my knowledge, the Native Peoples who lived in the place now called Pennsylvania were the Lenape (Delaware), Susquehannock, Shawnee, Seneca, Erie, Mingo, and Monongahela. Their areas of influence are shown on th emap I have included with today's legend.

It is a sorry thing that no legends or folklore exists for any of these groups other than the Shawnee and the Seneca. Considering that we have already heard legends from the Lenape and that we will hear from the Shawnee later on, I present you with a legend of how storytelling came to the Seneca People.

HOW STORYTELLING CAME TO THE SENECA

In a Seneca village lived a boy whose father and mother died when he was only a few weeks old. The little boy was cared for by a woman, who had known his parents, She gave him the name of Poyeshaon (Orphan).

The boy grew to be a healthy, active little fellow. When he was old enough, his foster mother gave him a bow and arrows, and said "It is time for you to learn to hunt.Tomorrow morning go to the woods and kill all the birds you can find."

Taking cobs of dry corn the woman shelled off the kernels and parched them in hot ashes; and the next morning she gave the boy some of the corn for his breakfast and rolled up some in a piece of buckskin and told him to take it with him, for he would be gone all day and would get hungry.

Poyeshaon started off and was very successful. At noon he sat down and rested and ate some of the parched corn, then he hunted till the middle of the afternoon. When he began to work toward home he had a good string of birds.

The next morning Poyeshaon's foster mother gave him parched corn for breakfast and while he was eating she told him that he must do his best when hunting, for if he became a good hunter he would always be prosperous.

The boy took his bow and arrows and little bundle parched corn and went to the woods; again he found plenty of birds. At midday he ate his corn and thought over what his foster mother had told him. In his mind he said, "I'll do just as my mother tells me, then some time I'll be able to hunt big game."

Poyeshaon hunted till toward evening, then went home with a larger string of birds than he had the previous day. His foster mother thanked him, and said, "Now you have began to help me get food."

Early the next morning the boy's breakfast was ready and as soon as he had eaten it he took his little bundle of parched corn and started off. He went farther into the woods and at night came home with a larger string of birds than he had the second day. His foster mother praised and thanked him.

Each day the boy brought home more birds than the previous day. On the ninth day he killed so many that he brought them home on his back. His foster mother tied the birds in little bundles of three or four and distributed them among her neighbors.

The tenth day the boy started off, as usual, and, as each day he had gone farther for game than on the preceding day, so now he went deeper into the woods than ever. About midday the sinew that held the feathers to his arrow loosened. Looking around for a place where he could sit down while he took the sinew off and wound it on again, he saw a small opening and near the center of the opening a high, smooth, flat-topped, round stone. He went to the stone, sprang up on to it and sat down. He unwound the sinew and put it in his mouth to soften, then he arranged the arrow feathers and was about to fasten them to the arrow when a voice, right there near him, asked, "Shall I tell you stories?"

Poyeshaon looked up expecting to see a man, not seeing any one he looked behind the stone and around it, then he again began to tie the feathers to his arrow.

"Shall I tell you stories?" asked a voice right there by him.

The boy looked in every direction, but saw no one. Then he made up his mind to watch and find out who was trying to fool him. He stopped work and listened and when the voice again asked, "Shall I tell you stories?" he found that it came from the stone, then he asked, "What is that? What does it mean to tell stories?"

"It is telling what happened a long time ago. If you will give me your birds, I'll tell you stories."

"You may have the birds."

As soon as the boy promised to give the birds, the stone began telling what happened long ago. When one story was told, another was begun. The boy sat, with his head down, and listened. Toward night the stone said, "We will rest now. Come againtomorrow. If anyone asks about your birds, say that you have killed so many that they are getting scarce and you have to go a long way to find one."

While going home the boy killed five or six birds. When his foster mother asked why he had so few birds, he said that they were scarce; that he had to go far for them.

The next morning Poyeshaon started off with his bow and arrows and little bundle of parched corn, but he forgot to hunt for birds, he was thinking of the stories the stone had told him. When a bird lighted near him he shot it, but he kept straight on toward the opening in the woods. When he got there he put his birds on the stone, and called out, "I've come! Here are birds. Now tell me stories."

The stone told story after story. Toward night it said "Now we must rest till tomorrow."

On the way home the boy looked for birds, but it was late and he found only a few.

That night the foster mother told her neighbors that when Poyeshaon first began to hunt he had brought home a great many birds, but now he brought only four or five after being in the woods from morning till night. She said there was something strange about it, either he threw the birds away or gave them to some animal, or maybe he idled time away, didn't hunt. She hired a boy to follow Poyeshaon and find out what he was doing.

The next morning the boy took his bow and arrows and followed Poyeshaon, keeping out of his sight and sometimes shooting a bird. Poyeshaon killed a good many birds; then, about the middle of the forenoon, he suddenly started off toward the East, running as fast as he could. The boy followed till he came to an opening in the woods and saw Poyeshaon climb up and sit down on a large round stone; he crept nearer and heard talking. When he couldn't see the person to whom Poyeshaon was talking he went up to the boy, and asked, "What are you doing here?

"Hearing stories."

"What are stories?"

"Telling about things that happened long ago. Put your birds on this stone, and say, 'I've come to hear stories.'"

The boy did as told and straightway the stone began. The boys listened till the sun went down, then the stone said, "We will rest now. Come again tomorrow."

On the way home Poyeshaon killed three or four birds.

When the woman asked the boy she had sent why Poyeshaon killed so few birds, he said, "I followed him for a while, then I spoke to him, and after that we hunted together till it was time to come home. We couldn't find many birds."

The next morning the elder boy said, "I'm going with Poyeshaon to hunt, it's sport." The two started off together. By the middle of the forenoon each boy had a long string of birds. They hurried to the opening, put the birds on the stone, and said, "We have come, Here are the birds! Tell us stories."

They sat on the stone and listened to stories till late in the afternoon, then the stone said, "We'll rest now till tomorrow.

On the way home the boys shot every bird they could find, but it was late and they didn't find many.

Several days went by in this way, then the foster mother said, "Those boys kill more birds than they bring home," and she hired two men to follow them.

The next morning, when Poyeshaon and his friend started for the woods the two men followed. When the boys had a large number of birds they stopped hunting and hurried to the opening. The men followed and, hiding behind trees, saw them put the birds on a large round stone, then jump up and sit there, with their heads down, listening to a man's voice; every little while they said, "Ûn!"

"Let's go there and find out who is talking to those boys," said one man to the other. They walked quickly to the stone, and asked, "What are you doing, boys?"

The boys were startled, but Poyeshaon said, "You must promise not to tell anyone."

They promised, then Poyeshaon said, "Jump up and sit on the stone."

The men seated themselves on the stone, then the boy said, "Go on with the story, we are listening."

The four sat with their heads down and the stone began to tell stories. When it was almost night the Stone said, "Tomorrow all the people in your village must come and listen to my stories. Tell the chief to send every man, and have each man bring something to eat. You must clean the brush away so the people can sit on the ground near me."

That night Poyeshaon told the chief about the story-telling stone, and gave him the stone's message. The chief sent a runner to give the message to each family in the village.

Early the next morning everyone in the village was ready to start. Poyeshaon went ahead and the crowd followed. When they came to the opening each man put what he had brought, meat or bread, on the stone; the brush was cleared away, and every one sat down.

When all was quiet the stone said, "Now I will tell you stories of what happened long ago. There was a world before this. The things that I am going to tell about happened in that world. Some of you will remember every word that I say, some will remember a part of the words, and some will forget them all, I think this will be the way, but each man must do the best he can. Hereafter you must tell these stories to one another, now listen."

Each man bent his head and listened to every word the stone said. Once in a while the boys said "Ûn!" When the sun was almost down the stone said, "We'll rest now. Cometomorrow and bring meat and bread."

The next morning when the people gathered around the stone they found that the meat and bread they had left there the day before was gone. They put the food they had brought on the. stone, then sat in a circle and waited. When all was quiet the stone began. Again it told stories till the sun was almost down, then it said, "Come tomorrow.Tomorrow I will finish the stories of what happened long ago.

Early in the morning the people of the village gathered around the stone and, when all was quiet, the stone began to tell stories, and it told till late in the afternoon, then it said, "I have finished! You must keep these stories as long as the world lasts; tell them to your children and grandchildren, generation after generation. One person will remember them better than another. When you go to a man or a woman to ask for one of these stories, carry something to pay for it, bread or meat, or whatever you have. I know all that happened in the world before this; I have told it to you. When you visit one another, you must tell these things, and keep them up always. I have finished."

And so it has been. From the Stone came all the knowledge the Senecas have of the world before this.

Thank you for taking the time  to this Native Americanlegend, hope you have enjoyed. I would appreciate knowing what your thought. Thank you and have a wonderful week.

✿ڰۣ❤In Loving Light from the Fairy Lady❤ڰۣ✿

Lenape Legends

Lenape Legends

Hi dear friends and welcome again to the Native American legends

Today's legends come to us from the Lenape (Delaware) People, the original inhabitants of what is now the State of New Jersey. There are two legends.

The first is the legend of how the Pleiades came to be, as the Lenape saw it. You can compare it to Onondaga legend or those of the Abenaki on the same subject and see that they had quite a divergent view.

There is also a Vermont Abenaki legend that talks about the maple tree. You might want to have a look at it to learn how they saw the maple tree.

Both legends presented here have been told by the same man. I have included the legend of the maple tree in the Lenape language with English translation.
I am thankful that you share your time with me and these myths and legends. Please tell me what you think about them. Ask me what you will. I might not be able to answer your questions but I sure would love hearing from you!

The Seven Wise Men

Told by Chief Bob Red Hawk

Edited by Louise St. Amour

At one time there were seven wise men who lived among the people. They were so wise that the people would constantly come to them, day and night. It got so bad that the seven men decided, “We have to get away. We need to have some peace. We can’t have people coming to our wikewams everyday and asking us myriads of questions."

So what they did was they decided, "We’ll go away from the village a little up into the mountain and turn ourselves into boulders, big rocks. "

And everything was fine but one day this one young man was out hunting and he happened to see these seven boulders that were a little different than any rocks he had ever seen before. So he started coming back to them every day and eventually he found that if he whispered to the rocks, the rocks would talk back to him. He was shocked. But, the rocks were answering his questions.

Well, it wasn’t long before he went back to thestarted  village and told the people about these seven wonderful stones that they could ask questions to. So the people leaving the village and coming up the mountain to the seven rocks. So soon the seven wise men said, “We’ve got to change. We’ve got to get away. We’ve had no peace here now.

So they went up on top of the mountain and turned themselves into seven beautiful cedar trees. And there they stood and they felt the winds blowing through their needles and just felt at peace. But it wasn’t long before the people started noticing that these seven beautiful trees had beautiful songs coming from them. And it wasn’t long before the people realized that these were the seven wise men that they could go to for their answers. So then the seven wise men said “What do we do? We need some time away from everybody. We need some time in the stillness and peace."

And then they looked up and they thought “Let’s turn into seven stars, so that we can still look down on the people, but the people can’t come and bother us too much.” So they turned themselves into the seven stars that some people call the Pleiades and from there they stand today and look out over our people.

The Story of the Maple Tree

Told by Bob Red Hawk

Transcribed and Translated into Lenape by Amira Silver-Swartz

Edited by Louise St. Amour

Many, many moons ago one of the most beautiful trees around was the maple. And its roots reached deep into the earth and its branches reached high in the heavens. But at one time, a large group of bugs crawled into the maple’s bark. And it was itching the maple. It was driving the maple tree crazy. 'Cause even though the maple tree had many branches and shoots and roots it could not bend down and reach all parts of itself.

So it called out to all its friends in the animal kingdom. It called out and said “Can someone please give me some relief from all this itching?”

So the beaver said “Well, maple tree, I can probably do it, but if I start chewing on your bark it’ll probably kill you. So that would not help you that much.”

And then the little mouse said “Maple tree, I can dig down into your roots and get my brothers the voles and the moles and the gophers but we’ll end up starting to kill your roots and that will kill you.”

So then the bear said “Well, maple tree I have these nice big claws I could start clawing at your bark but that will probably shred you up.”
So then they are all trying to think. Finally one of the birds was flying by and it was a flicker. And the flicker said “Well, maple tree, I have a cousin. How about I get all these cousins to come and their beaks are sharp, and they can dig in you but they won’t hurt you.”

So he called all of his woodpecker friends and they flew over and started pecking at the tree and got all the bugs out of him. The tree was so happy. And everything was going along nicely and all of a sudden for a couple of years

there was very little rain. It got very dry and all of the animals were getting very thirsty. The creeks and rivers had all dried up and they did not know where to go.

They were all bemoaning the fact and the maple tree heard them. And the maple tree said “You know, the animals helped me the time I was suffering from all those bugs biting 

Thank you again for dropping in to read the Native American legends. I hope you have enjoyed. I would appreciate knowing what your thought. Thank you and have a wonderful week.

✿ڰۣ❤In Loving Light from the Fairy Lady❤ڰۣ✿

Lenape language with English translation continued next.

The Calm After the Storm

Hi dear friends and followers, thank you very much for making it here today. Today is Sunday and that means it's poetry day.

I would like to invite you take few minutes to relax and enjoy reading 

The Calm After the Storm

Great flashes of lightning interlacing

with dark, roiling, churning clouds;

mushrooming deep into the heavens,

Like a giant beast eating the starlit sky!

Another blinding flash was followed

by a huge, earth-shaking rumble.

It seemed as though earth and sky,

and the very stars themselves

were in the act of waging war!

Explosions of light rent the very air

Through which they traveled so sharp and swift.

Then came immense flame, shaped like a great bird;

Red and orange fire floated up,

then swallowed all, into the heavy, churning

dust-laden clouds above.

More blinding light issued forth from above;

A mountain shifted as its boulders danced around.

A stream of majestic, multifarious colors of light,

illuminated the dingy, dark, and grimy surface below.

Everywhere was chaos, light and darkness;

and from the stream of colored light

the darkness withdrew

and new life was born

from this light.

Like two hearts drawn together,

among the stars of the constellations they joined.

The power of light and darkness entwined as one;

and so it was also in the elements of the earth,

One heart of light and one heart of darkness.

All is in balance in darkness and light,

to dance upon the nebulae clouds,

shoot through the stars on a comets' tail,

make sparks, like jubilant children at play,

with their hopscotch and baseball bats!

In the stands do the the spectators watch;

they weave the fabric of a new reality,

upon which the essence of new life will arise.

Cosmic ashes to cosmic dust, and then the rebirth.

Sparks fly, hurricanes die, and all is calm

as the heart of light and the heart of darkness,

converge as one, one mind one heart.

The dust from the battle of rebirth settles,

and the stars in the heavens once again shine.

The moon arises on the eastern horizon,

shining down upon the Earth, with a silver glow;

ripples on the mirror-like water sparkle and dance

where new life has once again begun.

Two hearts are sewn,

mano y mano,

by the great constellation.

Eons have passed and the moon still rises.

By a trickling brook

sat two delicate and beautiful beings,glowing;

and lighting the grove of trees where they sat.

In such delight they were;

they sat on a rock embracing,

while their feet dangled idly

in the cool water of the gentle brook.

Under the moon's glow they sat,

connecting the dots

in the starry sky above,

in awe at it's grandeur,

its magnificence, and beauty.

They sat under the twinkling sparks of light,

that glittered as diamonds on a dark velvet veil.

Their eyes met that night,

atwinkle as the stars,

in the silence of the moonlight.

“Listen! Listen!” one of them said.

and from all around them could be heard,

a melodious sound, like the harp and the flute.

It was the Earth Spirit, singing her love song.

A love song it was, for all of her children,

of every species who nourished from her.

In a distant past this melody was called

the great whisper of the all of the gods.

What is this life force, so delicate and gentle,

whose ethereal essence is made of pure love,

and is able to defeat the darkness,

just by illuminating it from the inside?

The darkness lies in the mind, not the heart.

But when the heart and mind join,

the darkness fades,

like the early morning ground mist at dawn.

Gaze upon infinity, creator and created!

Beneath the peaceful splendor of the stars,

the tiny beings spread

their sparkling gossamer wings.

And off they go, dancing playfully

over the water of the pond.

The evening star arises, "the Star of Love,"

its glitter dust falls upon the Earth.

Composed by Cynthia ©

Thank you for dropping in to read my poem, hope you have enjoyed. I would appreciate knowing what your thought. Thank you and have a wonderful week.

✿ڰۣ❤In Loving Light from the Fairy Lady❤ڰۣ✿

Frizzy Lizzy time

Hi dear friends and followers, thank you very much for making it here today. It is Saturday and I would like to invite you take five and enjoy reading Frizzy Lizzy 

Frizzy Lizzy is at the kitchen table when her neighbor walks in.

“Hi, there! Sorry I didn't hear you come in. I was pretty deep in thought. Sure, the coffee's ready, and so is a chair, so pour one and sit down for a bit.

“I just got a letter from my friend, Diane. We've been friends since we were five years old. No, I won't tell you how long ago that was! What I will tell you is that it's a lot of other friendships ago!”

“It's such a shame that everyone seems normal until you get to know them. Then you find out that they're crazier than you, and you know how that works: never give your car keys to anyone crazier than yourself!

“Friends may come and friends may go, but enemies accumulate.”

“There are several different kinds of friends, to be sure, but I usually get just a few of them in my life, and none of them are rich and generous with their money.

“I've had some strong friendships. They were so strong that they lasted right up to the time that one of us needed help moving!

“I have some friends that I call every day. They're the ones who owe me money.

“For me to celebrate Friendship day is like a lumberjack celebrating Arbor day.”

“It's hard for me to make new friends at my age. That's one good thing about being older.

“A friend will always tell you exactly what she thinks. I guess that makes me friends with just about everyone!

“I have no problem with my friends asking to borrow money. I like a good laugh as much as the next person.”

“When you come right down to it, life is all about ass. You are either covering it, losing it, laughing it off, kicking it, kissing it, busting it, trying to get a piece of it, acting like one, or living with one.”

“And on that cheery note, remember: An optimist is someone who believes that we live in the best of all possible worlds. A pessimist is afraid that this is correct.

Thanks for letting me vent myself. I know, I did all the talking. I'm sorry. Thank you for being such a true friend.”

Thank you for dropping in to visit Frizzy Lizzy, hope you have enjoyed. I would appreciate knowing what your thought Thank you and have a wonderful week.

✿ڰۣ❤In Loving Light from the Fairy Lady❤ڰۣ✿