Seneca Indians Belief in Witchcraft and Demons

Seneca Indians are Warned by a Demon

    The Seneca Iroquois shared fully in the superstitions common to their race. Belief in witchcraft prevailed, and omens had no little influence in shaping their action both in peace and war. On the gravest occasion a dream 'would secure listeners 'and its teachings seldom went unheeded. At a New Year's festival in Squakie Hill, after the sacrificial dog was killed, an old Indian who lived on the flats below told the following dream at the council-house, the whole village giving their undivided attention : "I had got ready with my two sons the previous evening," said he, "to attend the festival, but before starting I fell asleep and dreamed that we had set out. Everything appeared strange along the path. Squakie Hill seemed thrice its usual height and looked as if covered with a deep snow, although there was very little. I stopped a moment when two winged men flew by us, one of whom landed on a tree nearby. I was frightened and asked ' what means this? We are devils,' said they, and have come because Indians are bad men and get drunk.' "They told me that unless I stopped whiskey and became good, they would have me. The figure in the changed to a great negro, and taking his seat upon a limb, turned toward me with a horrible grin, thrusting at me a pole six feet long, on which was hung a dead Indian by the feet. The face of the corpse was very ghastly, and its mouth widely stretched. The devil remarked that all who quarreled or got drunk would be treated in the like horrid manner. The body of the dead Indian was then whirled at me. The shock awoke me." Instead of a lecture on in temperance, a vice to which the tribe were greatly addicted, the old Indian wisely chose to enforce the moral by availing himself of the regard held by his race for the supernatural. The dream seemed strongly to impress his audience.

Gigantic Remains Of Iroquois Chief Red Jacket's Mother is Uncovered in New York

Gigantic Remains Of Iroquois Chief  Red Jacket's Mother is Uncovered in New York

The Sun, Dec 08 1893     
     The mother of Red Jacket was a woman of a gigantic frame being between six and seven feet tall.  On Monday last, workman employed in excavating for the foundation of a building the Lake Keuka Navigation Company is about to erect on the lake shore near Branenport on the spot where it is alleged that Red Jacket was born and where his mother died and buried, unearthed a human skeleton of giant size and in a remarkably well-preserved state.  Investigation trevealed that the remains were those of an Indiana and a female.  The believers in the Lake Keuka theory of the Red Jacket birthplace and burial place of his mother are convinced that the skeleton of the giant Indian woman uncovered at Branchpoty is that of Red Jacket's mother, and have arranged to re-inter it in that locality and place a mon ument over it inscribed in accordance with that belief.

Ancient Burial Mounds of the Iroquois Indians of New York

Ancient Burial Mounds of the Iroquois Indians of New York

The Proto-Iroquois Indians were the northern contingent of the Adena Hopewell empire that stretched from New York to Florida. The "Hopewell" were a confederation of Iroquois in the Great Lakes, Sioux in the Ohio Valley and Cherokee in the Southeast. Burials in a sitting position are found most commonly in the Great Lakes region. 


     According to Mr. Lewis H. Morgan, different customs have prevailed among the Iroquois in relation to the mode of burial. At one period they buried the dead in a sitting posture, with the face to the east. Skeletons are still found in this position, in various parts of the State of New York, with a gun-barrel resting against the shoulder, thus fixing the period of their sepulture subsequently to the first intercourse of this people with the whites. Another and more extraordinary mode of burial prevailed among them. The body of the deceased was exposed upon a bark scaffolding, erected upon poles or secured upon the limbs of trees, where it was left 'to waste to a skeleton. After this had been affected by the process of decomposition in the open air, the bones were removed either to the former home of the deceased or to a small bark house by its side prepared for their reception. In this manner, the skeletons of the whole family were preserved from generation to generation by the affection of the living. After the lapse of a number of years, or in a season of ' public insecurity, or on the eve of abandoning a settlement, it was customary to collect these skeletons from the whole community around, and to consign them to a common resting-place. To this custom, which was not confined to the Iroquois, are, doubtless, to be ascribed the barrows and bone mounds which have been found in such numbers in various parts of the country. On opening these mounds the skeletons are usually found arranged in horizontal layers constituting a conical pyramid, those in each layer radiating from a common center. 

This type of "Spoked Burial" is most predominant in the Great Lakes region, but is also found in southern Ohio, associated with the Adena Hopewell.  

     In other cases, they are found placed promiscuously. There were Senecas residing at Tonawanda and Cattaraugus, in 1851, who remember having seen, about sixty years before, at the latter place, these bark scaffoldings on which bodies were exposed. The custom still prevails among the Sioux upon the Upper Mississippi, and among some of the tribes in the far west. The notions entertained by the Iroquois as to the state of the soul when disembodied were vague and diversified; but they all agree that, on the journey, it required the same things as were of use while it dwelt in the body. They, therefore, deposited beside the deceased his bow and arrows, tobacco and pipe, and necessary food for the journey. They also painted his face and dressed his body in its best apparel. A fire was built upon the grave at night to enable the spirit to prepare its food.’

What "Ohio" Really Means

What "Ohio" Really Means

The Word "Ohio"
  The word "Ohio," which comes directly from the Iroquoian language, does not mean beautiful, as is widely believed, but means great. True, the French called the Ohio "Le Belle Riviere" or "Beautiful River," but they borrowed no such name from the Indians; it was their own name for the stream.  In Wyandot and Seneca it is O-HE-ZHU; In Mohawk and Cayuga it is O-HE-YO, and in Oneida, it is O-HE - all of which means great, not beautiful

1200 B.C. Meadowood Iroquois Eel Weir Photographed on the Eel River in Indiana

1200 B.C. Meadowood Iroquois Eel Weir Photographed on the Eel River in Indiana

In 1986, R. Ferguson wrote a paper called “Archaeological Sites In the Kejimkujik National Park, Nova Scotia. Ms.,” in which he identified what he called the “Eel Weir complex,” a group of triangular-shaped, stone fish weirs along the Mersey River that included Meadowood (Iroquois) type points

Large Iroquois Remains With "Primitive" Skull Types Link them to the Maritime Archaic 7000 B.C. - 2000 B.C.

Large Iroquois Remains With "Primitive" Skull Types Link them to the Maritime Archaic  7000 B.C. - 2000 B.C.

This is a series of skulls associated with the Maritime Archaic 7000 B.C. - 2000 B.C. A sloping forehead, a prominent brow ridge, and enhanced occipital region are characteristic of Maritime Archaic skulls.  The Maritime Archaic also were known for their large size with skeletons exceeding 7 foot, not uncommon. 

A New Hochelagan Burying-ground Discovered at Westmount on the Western Spur of Mount Royal, Montreal, July-September, 1898

    Mr. Beauchamp, the New-York authority, writes concerning the Mohawks; "Burial customs varied greatly among the same people, but usually the knees are drawn up. The face might be turned either way in contiguous graves. I have seen many opened with no articles in them." By the kindness of Dr. Wyatt Johnston, Pathologist to the Provincial Board of Health, the three skeletons have been preserved and are now in the Chateau de Ramezay Historical Museum where they will doubtless be regarded with interest by scholars. The skulls have been fully identified as of the Indian type and found to be those of two powerful males in the prime of life and one young woman. The skull in possession of Mr. Earl is doubtless of the same race. Some large stones were found placed above the bodies, and also a number of naturally flat stones which appear to have been used as scoops to excavate. The plateau where the remains were found is about halfway up the side of the "Mountain" or hill, as it more properly is, the total height is only about 700 feet. The plateau slopes somewhat and looks towards the south-east, and is protected by the hill behind it from prevailing winds, and having a good light soil, constitutes a very favorable situation for the growth of the Indian crops of corn and beans. The Mountain is an isolated rise in the great plain of the St. Lawrence, the plateau was also most favorably ]placed for look-out and defense. A hundred yards or so to the west is a fine perennial spring, and a short distance further is another which has always been known as "the old Indian Well," having been a resort of Indians at a later period

A Brachycephalic Man

This skeleton is that of a large and powerfully built man, the bones being very heavy and strong with marked impressions and prominences for muscular attachment. The skeleton, with the exception of some of the small bones of the hands and feet, is complete.

The skull is large and massive, and the lower jaw very strong and heavy. The teeth are well preserved but much ground down at the crown. The superciliary ridges are very prominent. The forehead is narrow (102 c.m.) receding.

Judging from the size and strength of the bones and their impressions for muscular attachment, this man must have been very powerful and calculate from the length of the femur, at least six feet tall. With this skeleton, we found a small humerus of some mammal possibly a squirrel.

The Tallest Man

This skeleton is also that of a large powerfully built man, even taller man the last. The skull is larger, though not quite so massive. It is longer and narrower and dolicephalus, the occipital region very prominent. The height index is low (70.5).

The face is broad as compared with the length 124-112 and the cheekbones are prominent, lower jaw is heavy and strong.

The bones of this skeleton are well preserved and it is almost entire, there being only a few of the bones of the hands and feet missing. The pelvis is masculine. The bones are long, large and heavy with marked impressions and processes.

The femur measures 17-7/8 inches so that this man must have been six feet or more and of a muscular frame.

Among the bones of No III skeleton were 2 small rib bones of a bird.

Judging from the general conformation of the three skulls, it would appear that No. I, was that of the most intelligent person of the three and No. III of the least No. II being intermediate.

It is difficult to estimate the height of No. I as the femur is so decayed at both ends, but allowing for this, the height would not be more than 5 feet and probably less than that. The skeletons undoubtedly belong to the Mongoloid type and are distinctive of the North American Indian.

An Iroquois Indian Ghost Story

An Iroquois Indian Ghost Story

Sayadio in Spirit-land

A legend of the Wyandot tribe of the Iroquois relates how Sayadio, a young Indian, mourned greatly for a beautiful sister who had died young. So deeply did he grieve for her that at length he resolved to seek her in the Land of Spirits. Long he sought the maiden, and many adventures did he meet with. Years passed in the search, which he was about to abandon as wholly tin vain, when he encountered an old man, who gave him some good advice. This venerable person also bestowed upon him a magic calabash in which he might catch and retain the spirit of his sister should he succeed in finding her. He afterward discovered that this old man was the keeper of that part of the Spirit-land which he sought.

Delighted to have achieved so much, Sayadio pursued his way, and in due time reached the Land of Souls. But to his dismay he perceived that the spirits, instead of advancing to meet him as he had expected, fled from him in terror. Greatly dejected, he approached Tarenyawago, the spirit master of ceremonies, who took compassion upon him and informed him that the dead had gathered together for a great dance festival, just such as the Indians themselves celebrate at certain seasons of the year. Soon the dancing commenced, and Sayadio saw the spirits floating round in a mazy measure like wreaths of mist. Among them he perceived his sister, and sprang forward to embrace her, but she eluded his grasp and dissolved into air.

Much cast down, the youth once more appealed to the sympathetic master of ceremonies, who gave him a magic rattle of great power, by the sound of which he might bring her back. Again the spirit-music sounded for the dance, and the dead folk thronged into the circle. Once more Sayadio saw his sister, and observed that she was so wholly entranced with the music that she took no heed of his presence. Quick as thought the young Indian dipped up the ghost with his calabash as one nets a fish, and secured the cover, in spite of all the efforts of the captured soul to regain its liberty.

Retracing his steps earthward, he had no difficulty in making his way back to his native village, where he summoned his friends to come and behold his sister's resuscitation. The girl's corpse was brought from its resting-place to be reanimated with its spirit, and all was prepared for the ceremony when a witless Indian maiden must need peep into the calabash in her curiosity to see how a disembodied spirit looked. Instantly, as a bird rises when its cage bars are opened and flies forth to freedom, the spirit of Sayadio's sister flew from the calabash before the startled youth could dash forward and shut down the cover. For a while, Sayadio could not realize his loss, but at length his straining eyes revealed to him that the spirit of his sister was not within sight. In a flash, he saw the ruin of his hopes, and with a broken heart he sank senseless to the earth.

Iroquois Legend of a Bridge Spanning the Ohio River Constructed by the Adena. Portsmouth?

Iroquois Legend of a Bridge Spanning the Ohio River Constructed by the Adena. Portsmouth?

Iroquois Book of Rites, 1883
    "In Iroquois hydrography, the Ohio--the great river of the ancient Alligewi domain--is the central stream to which all the rivers of the mighty West converge. This stream the emigrants now attempted to cross. They found, according to the native annalist, a rude bridge in a huge grape-vine which trailed its length across the stream. Over this a part of the company passed, and then, unfortunately, the vine broke. The residue, unable to cross, remained on the hither side, and became afterwards the enemies of those who had passed over."