nouHOed them an emHHatjon of some mysterious
influence, and it remained with the priests alone
to exorcise them by their arts. Drum, and rattle*
and incantation, were deemed more effective
than arrow Or club. One evening, after they
had been plagued a long time with this, fearful
visitation, the flying head came to the door of
a lodge occupied by a single female and her dog.
She was sitting composedlyhefore the fire roast*
ing aeems, which, as they became done, she deliberately
took from the fire and eat. Amazement
seized the flying head, who putfj out two huge
black paws from beneath his. streaming beard.
Supposing the woman to be eating liw> coals he
withdrew, and from that time He came no more
among them.*- |
The withdrawal of the>Koneatauhehneh, was
followed by the'appearanee ofthe great On-yar-héf
or lake serpent, which traversed the; country,
and by coiling himself in leading positions, near
the paths, interrupted the communication be*
tween the towns. He created terror wherever
he went, and diffused a poisonous breath.
While this enemy yet remained in the land,
and they were counselling about the best, means
of killing him, or driving him away, the country
was invaded by a still more fearful enemy*
namely, the OUne-yar-heh, or Stonish Giants.
* For a poétiç üsé of this tradition of tie Heads and Stonish
GriantSj see Hoffmali’s Wild, Scenes, vol, -1, page 88». JNëW,
York edition, of 1843..
t Mohawk.
Thëy,Were a powerful' tribe from the wilderness,
tall, 'fierce and hostile, and resistance to
them was vain. They defeated and overwhelmed
an aïmy which waaksent out against them,
and put the whole^counflyin fear. These.giants
were not only of prodigious strength, but they
were cannibals, i devouring mem* t Women and
children in their inroads; I
It iS'said by th^iphaWnees,/that they were de*
scended from a certain family, which journeyed
on thC^éasf sidC^f the Mississippi, after^the vine
broke*, and tàbÿ'went towards the northwèstv
Abandoned fp wandering'andr the hardships of
the forest^th^ylfofgOtthe rulep; ofMatnanity, and
began at 'first*to eat. raw ffeéh, and next men.
They practised rolling themselvCS in the sand,
and by this means their bodies^were covered
with hard skin, so thafthe arrows of the Iroquois
only rattled against their rough bodies, and fell
at theirs feet. And the oohSequence was, that
they were obliged to hide in caves, and glens,
and Were brought into subjection by thèse fierce
mvadetstbr many winters, -(or years;) At length
the Holder of the Heavèhs*“ visited his people,
and finding that they wéte in great distress, he
determined? to grant them relief, and rid them
entirely of these barbarous invaders. To accomplish
this, he Changed himself into one1 of these
giants, and brandishing his heavy club, led them
on, under the pretènefebf finding the Akonoshi-
oni. When they had gbt near to their strong
hold at Onondaga, night coming on, he hid