The Iroquois Book Of Rites Part 13

_Shatekariwalf_, "two equal statements," or "two things equal." This name is derived-from _sate_ or _shate_, equal, and _kariwa_, or _karihwa_, for which see the Glossary.

_Etho natejonhne_, "this was your number," or, this was the extent of your cla.s.s. These words, or the similar form, _etho natehadinhne_, "this was their number," indicate apparently that the roll of chiefs belonging to a particular cla.s.s or clan is completed. They are followed by three other words which have been already explained (_ante_, pages 33 and 80), _sewater-ihwakhaonghkwe, sewarihwisaanonghkwe, kayanerenhkowa_. In the written litany these three words are omitted toward the close,--probably to save the penman the labor of transcription; but in the actual ceremony it is understood that they are chanted wherever the formula _etho natejonhne_, or _etho natchadinhne_, occurs. In the modern Canienga speech this verb is thus conjugated in the plural,--_etho_ being contracted to _eh_:--

_ehnatetionhne_, we were that number; _ehnatejionhne_, ye were that number; _ehnatehadinhne_, they were that number.

The three Canienga councillors of the first cla.s.s all belong to the Tortoise clan.

31. _Sharenhowane_; in Onondaga, _Showenhona_. This name was translated by the interpreters, "he is the loftiest tree." It seems properly to mean "he is a great tree-top," from _karenha_, or _garenha_, which Bruyas renders _cime d'arbre_, and _kowane_, great.

_Deyonnhehgonh_, or _Teyonhehkwen_, "double life," from _onnhe_, life.

My friend, Chief George Johnson, who bears this t.i.tular appellation, tells me that it is properly the name of a certain shrub, which has a great tenacity of life.

_Ohrenregowah_; in Onondaga, _Owenhegona_. The interpreters differed much in opinion as to the meaning of this name. Some said "wide branches;" another, "a high hill." The root-word, _ohrenre_, is obsolete, and its meaning is apparently lost.

The three chiefs of the second cla.s.s or division of the Caniengas belong to the Wolf clan.

32. _Dehennakarine_; in Onondaga, _Tehennakaihne_; "going with two horns." The root is _onakara_, horn; the termination _ine_, or _ihne_, gives the sense of going; _de_ or _te_ is the duplicative prefix.

_Aghstawenserontha_ (Onon. _Hastawensenwa_), "he puts on the rattles."

Mr. Bearfoot writes, "_Ohstawensera_ seems to have been a general name for anything denuded of flesh, but is now confined to the rattles of the rattlesnake."

_Shosgoharowane_ (Onon. _Shosgohaehna_), "he is a great wood-drift."

"_Yohskoharo_, writes Mr. Bearfoot, means an obstruction by driftwood in creeks or small rivers."

The councillors of the third Canienga cla.s.s are of the Bear clan.

33. _Ise seniyatagweniyohkwe_, "ye two were the princ.i.p.als."

_Atagweniyo_, or _adakweniyu_ (see _ante_, note to Sec. 28) here becomes a verb in the imperfect tense and the dual number. The reference is either to Dekanawidah and Odatsehte, the chiefs of the Caniengas and Oneidas, who worked together in founding the confederacy, or, rather, perhaps, to their two nations, each regarded as an individual, and, in a manner, personified.

_Jatatawhak_, or, more properly _jatatahwak_, means, literally, "son of each other." It is from the root-word _kaha-wak_ (or _gahawak_), which is defined by Bruyas, _avoir pour enfant_, and is in the reciprocal form. Here, however, it is understood to mean "father and son," in reference to the political relations.h.i.+p between the Canienga and Oneida nations.

_Odatsehte_ (Onon., Tatshehte), "bearing a quiver,"--or the pouch in which the arrows are carried. According to the tradition, when Dekanawidah's brother and amba.s.sador formally adopted _Odatsehte_ as the political son of the Canienga chief, he took the quiver off his own shoulder, and hung it upon that of the Oneida chieftain.

_Kanonhgwenyodon_, "setting up ears of corn in a row." From _ononhkwenha_, an ear of corn.

_Deyohhagwente_ (Onon., _Tyohagwente_), "open voice" (?) This is another obsolete, or semi-obsolete word, about which the interpreters differ widely in opinion. "Hollow tube," "windpipe," "opening in the woods,"

"open voice," were the various renderings suggested. The latter would be derived from _ohakwa_ or _ohagwa_, voice, and the termination _wente_ or _gwente_, which gives the sense of "open."

The three chiefs of the first Oneida cla.s.s belong to the Wolf clan.

34. _Shononhsese_ (Onon., Shononses), "his long house." or, "he has a long house." From _kanonsa_, house, with the adjective termination _es_, long.

_Daonahrokenagh_ (Onon., Tonaohgena), "two branches." This is another doubtful word. In modern Canienga, "two branches" would be _Tonenroken_.

_Atyatonentha_ (Onon., Hatyatonnentha), "he lowers himself," or, literally, "he slides himself down," from _oyata_, body, self, and _tonnenta_, to slide.

The councillors of the second Oneida cla.s.s are of the Tortoise clan.

35. _Dewatahonhtenyonk_ (Onon., _Tehatahonhtenyonk_), "two hanging ears," from _ohonta_, ear.

_Kaniyatahshayonk_ (Onon., _Kanenyatakshayen_). This name was rendered "easy throat," as if derived from _oniata_, throat; but the Oneida form of the word seems to point to a derivation from _onenya_ (or _onenhia_), stone. This word must be regarded as another obsolete compound.

_Onwatsatonhonk_ (Onon., _Onwasjatenwi_), "he is buried."

The three chiefs of the third Oneida cla.s.s are of the Bear clan.

36. _Eghyesaotonnihsen_, lit., "this was his uncle,"--or, as the words would be understood by the hearers, "the next are his uncles." The Onondaga nation, being the brother of the Canienga, was, of course, the uncle of the Oneida. In John Buck's MS. the Onondagas are introduced with more ceremony, in the following lines:

_Etho yeshodonnih_; These are the uncles; _Rodihsennakeghde_, They, the name-bearers-- _Tehhotiyena_, They took hold here; _Rodihnonsyonnihton_. They made the League.

That is, they helped, or joined, in making the League.

_Thatotarho, Wathatotarho_ (Onon., _Thatotarho_). _Thatotarho_ is the pa.s.sive voice and cislocative form of _otarho_, which is defined "to grasp," or "catch" (_accrocher_) but in the pa.s.sive signifies "entangled." This great chief, whose name is better known as Atotarho (without the cislocative prefix), is of the Bear clan.

_Etho ronaraschsen_, "these were cousins," or rather, "the next were cousins." This cousinhood, like all the relations.h.i.+ps throughout the book, is political, and indicates some close relations.h.i.+p in public affairs. The announcement applies to the following chiefs, Enneserarenh and Dehatkahthos, who were the special aids and counselors of Atotarho.

_Enneserarenh_ (Onon. _Hanesehen_). One Onondata chief said that he knew no meaning for this word. Another thought it might mean "the best soil uppermost." It is apparently from some obsolete root.

_Dehatkahthos_ (Onon. _Tchatkahtons_), "he is two-sighted," or, "he looks both ways." Another rendering made it "on the watch." This and the preceding chief belong now to the Beaver clan. In one of the Onondaga lists which I received, these two, with their princ.i.p.al, Atotarho, formed a "cla.s.s" by themselves, and were doubtless originally of the same clan.

_Waghontenhnonterontye_, "they were as brothers thenceforth;" or, more fully rendered, "the next continued to be brothers." This declaration refers to the three next following chiefs, who were connected by some special political tie. The first who bore the name were, probably, like the two preceding chiefs, leading partisans and favorites of the first Atotarho.

_Onyatajiwak_, or _Skanyadajiwak_ (Onon., _Oyatajiwak_). One authority makes this "a fowl's crop;" another, "the throat alone," from _oniata_, throat, and _jiwak_, alone; another defined it, "bitter throat." Mr.

Morgan renders it "bitter body,"--his informant probably seeing in it the word _oyata_, body. This chief belongs now to the Snipe clan.

_Awekenyade_. "the end of its journey,"--from awe, going, and _akonhiate_(Can.) "at the end." This chief is of the Ball tribe, both in Canada, and at Onondaga Castle. In the list furnished to Mr. Morgan by the Senecas, he is of the Tortoise clan.

_Dehadkwarayen_ (Onon., _Tchatkwayen_). This word is obsolete. One interpreter guessed it to mean "on his body;" another made it "red wings." He is of the Tortoise clan.

In the Book of Rites the first six chiefs of the Onondagas make but one cla.s.s, as is shown by the fact that their names are followed by the formula, _etho natejonhne_, "this was the number of you." It may be presumed that they were originally of one clan,--probably that of the Bear, to which their leader, Atotarho, belonged.

37. _Yeshohawak_, _rakwahhokowah_, "then his next son, he the great Wolf." The chief who follows, _Ronenghwireghtonh_, was evidently a personage of great importance,--probably the leading chief of the Wolf cla.s.s. He forms a "clan" by himself,--the only instance of the kind in the list. The expression, "there (or, in him) were combined the minds,"

indicates--as Mr. Bearfoot suggests--his superior intellect. It may also refer to the fact that he was the hereditary keeper of the wampum records. The t.i.tle was borne in Canada by the late chief George Buck, but the duties of record-keeper were usually performed by his more eminent brother, John (_Skanawati_).

_Rononghwireghtonh_ (Onon., _Honanwiehti_), "he is sunk out of sight."

This chief, who, as has been stated, alone const.i.tutes the second Onondaga cla.s.s, is of the Wolf clan.

38. _Etho yeshotonnyh tekadarakehne_, "then his uncles of the two clans." The five chiefs who follow probably bore some peculiar political relation to Rononghwireghton. The first two in modern times are of the Deer clan; the last three are of the Eel clan. It is probable that they all belonged originally, with him, to one clan, that of the Wolf, and consequently to one cla.s.s, which was afterwards divided into three.

_Kawenenseronton_ (Onon., _Kawenensenton_). A word of doubtful meaning; one interpreter thought it meant "her voice suspended." _Haghriron_ (Onon., _Hahihon_), "spilled," or "scattered."

39. _Wahhondennonterontye_. This word has already occurred, with a different orthography, and is explained in the Note to Section 36.

_Ronyennyennih_ (Onon., _Honyennyenni_). No satisfactory explanation could be obtained of this word. Chief John Buck did not know its meaning. _Shodakwarashonh_ (Onon., _Shotegwashen_), "he is bruised."

_Shakokenghne_ (Onon. _Shahkohkenneh_), "he saw them." As stated above, the three chiefs in this cla.s.s are of the Eel clan.

40. _s.h.i.+honadewiraralye_, "they had children," or, rather, "they continued to get children." Mr. Bearfoot writes in regard to this word: "Yodewirare, a fowl hatching, referring to the time when they were forming the league, when they were said to be hatching, or producing, the children mentioned--i.e., the other tribes who were taken into the confederacy." _Tehhodidarakeh_, "these the two clans." Taken in connection with the preceding lines of the chant, it seems probable that this expression refers to the introduction of other clans into the Council besides the original three, the Bear, Wolf and Tortoise, which existed when the confederacy was formed. _Raserhaghrhonh_ (Onon., _Sherhakwi_), "wearing a hatchet in his belt," from _asera_, hatchet.

This chief is of the Tortoise clan. _Etho wahhoronghyaronnyon_, "this put away the clouds." These "clouds," it is said, were the clouds of war, which were dispelled by the great chief whose name is thus introduced, _Skanawadyh_, or as now spelt, _Skanawati_. He had the peculiar distinction of holding two offices, which were rarely combined.

He was both a high chief, or "Lord of the Council," and a "Great Warrior." In former times the members of the Great Council seldom a.s.sumed executive duties. They were rarely sent out as amba.s.sadors or as leaders of war-parties. These duties were usually entrusted to the ablest chiefs of the second rank, who were known as "Great Warriors,"

_rohskenrakehte-kowa_. Skanawati was an exception to this rule. It would seem that the chief who first bore this t.i.tle had special apt.i.tudes, which have come down in his family. A striking instance, given in the "_Relations_" of the Jesuit missionaries among the Hurons, has been admirably reproduced by Mr. Parkman in the twenty-third chapter of his "Jesuits in North America," and cannot be better told than in his words.

In the year 1648, during the desperate war between the Kanonsionni and the Hurons, the Onondagas determined to respond to the pacific overtures which they had received from their northern foes.