Iroquois Creation Myth: a Review
The Iroquois creation myth has been around since at least 1142 A.D. in the Iroquois nation in North America, in what is now known as New York, Quebec, and Ontario. While the minor details may change depending on who tells you the story, the main premise remains the same.
Each story describes the planet pre-dating humans as an unlimited expanse of water with no land in sight, with the humans inhabited a place in the high-reaches of the sky where the forests were forests were full of game, rivers full of fish, and fields producing vegetables. The inhabitants of this place were unfamiliar with death, sickness, pain, and the thoughts of hate, jealously, malice, and revenge. (Wonderley 2004, 62) The story tells of a wife – who is usually pregnant - that is pushed down a hole by her husband and falls to what was to become earth. As she falls, the Loon swimming in the water below is alerted to her presence and alerts the other animals that she is approaching. Knowing that earth was needed for the humans accommodation, the animals chose the turtle to bear the weight of the world on his shell, and animals set off into the depths in order to retrieve the earth for the turtles back. Eventually, the woman had an island that was continually growing where she could live. She eventually gave birth to twins named Tau-lon-ghy-au-wan-goon and Than-wisk-a-law who represented good and evil, respectively. (Wonderley 2004, 65) As the twins grew, they filled the earth with their creations, while using this as competition. The good twin is often told as giving us plant species and animals that are beneficial, with the bad twin created thorns around the bushes and dangerous animals. (Wonderley 2004, 72) As the competition between the twins grew, the evil twin was killed and thrown off the edge of the earth, where he was to preside over the night and the lower world, while the good twin presided over day and the upper world.
One of the more recurring themes in this creation myth is that
Each story describes the planet pre-dating humans as an unlimited expanse of water with no land in sight, with the humans inhabited a place in the high-reaches of the sky where the forests were forests were full of game, rivers full of fish, and fields producing vegetables. The inhabitants of this place were unfamiliar with death, sickness, pain, and the thoughts of hate, jealously, malice, and revenge. (Wonderley 2004, 62) The story tells of a wife – who is usually pregnant - that is pushed down a hole by her husband and falls to what was to become earth. As she falls, the Loon swimming in the water below is alerted to her presence and alerts the other animals that she is approaching. Knowing that earth was needed for the humans accommodation, the animals chose the turtle to bear the weight of the world on his shell, and animals set off into the depths in order to retrieve the earth for the turtles back. Eventually, the woman had an island that was continually growing where she could live. She eventually gave birth to twins named Tau-lon-ghy-au-wan-goon and Than-wisk-a-law who represented good and evil, respectively. (Wonderley 2004, 65) As the twins grew, they filled the earth with their creations, while using this as competition. The good twin is often told as giving us plant species and animals that are beneficial, with the bad twin created thorns around the bushes and dangerous animals. (Wonderley 2004, 72) As the competition between the twins grew, the evil twin was killed and thrown off the edge of the earth, where he was to preside over the night and the lower world, while the good twin presided over day and the upper world.
One of the more recurring themes in this creation myth is that
Bibliography: Wonderley, Anthony. 2004. Oneida Iroquois Folklore, Myth, and History. Syracuse, New York. Syracuse University Press.