Seneca Indian Myths

In 1883 a Smithsonian Institution ethnologist traveled to western New York State to record the traditional tales of the Iroquois tribe known as the Seneca. These myths—picturesque, archaic, even grotesque—appear here in their original form, exactly as spoken. Many focus on seasons or weather; others concern creation myths, animals ("How Chipmunks Got Their Stripes"), how people learned to sing and tell stories, and much more.