False Face Society - Origin Myth From Six Nations

Origin Myth From Six Nations

As described in, for example, Fenton (1987), the Creator (Shǫgway⁷adíhs⁷ǫh in Cayuga, lit. 'he has completed our bodies'), having just completed forming the earth and what was on it, was walking around admiring his handiwork when he noticed what appeared to be another man in the distance, walking toward him. They soon met, and Shǫgway⁷adíhs⁷ǫh asked the stranger where he had come from. The stranger replied, "I believe that I am the creator of this land, and I am walking around now admiring what I have done." Surprised, Shǫgway⁷adíhs⁷ǫh said, "No, you are wrong. It was I who created this land." They bickered back and forth like this for a little while, until finally Shǫgway⁷adíhs⁷ǫh said, "Fine then, let us have a test to see who actually did create this land." He pointed to a mountain in the distance. "See that mountain?" he said. "We will use our power to move it. The one who moves it the farthest must have the most power, and must therefore also be the creator of this land." The stranger agreed to this challenge, and added his own rule: "We will turn our backs," he said, "and when one's turn is up we will turn back around to see how far the mountain has moved." Shǫgway⁷adíhs⁷ǫh agreed to this, and so they turned.

The stranger went first. When he was satisfied that he had moved the mountain, they turned back around. Shǫgway⁷adíhs⁷ǫh was surprised to see that the mountain had indeed moved, although only a little bit. "Now it's my turn," Shǫgway⁷adíhs⁷ǫh said, and they turned their backs on the mountain once more. There was a commotion and noise behind them, and, out of curiosity, the stranger turned back around before they had agreed to it. Little did he know that Shǫgway⁷adíhs⁷ǫh had moved the mountain so close to the stranger's back that when he turned to look he struck his face on it. The force of the impact bent his nose and left one side of his face crooked. At this, the stranger conceded that Shǫgway⁷adíhs⁷ǫh was the more powerful of the two, and that he must also be the creator of the land and everything on it.

Shǫgway⁷adíhs⁷ǫh then had to decide what to do about the stranger. Because he had moved the mountain (if only a little bit), the stranger indeed was possessed of a certain degree of power, and Shǫgway⁷adíhs⁷ǫh thought that it would not do to let such a being remain on the earth; he was about to populate the earth with people, and to let this stranger coexist with them might not be a good thing. He told the stranger so, and proposed that he would have to remove him from the land. The stranger pleaded with Shǫgway⁷adíhs⁷ǫh, and said that, if he was allowed to stay, he would help the people who Shǫgway⁷adíhs⁷ǫh was about to make.

"This is what I will do," the stranger said. "I have the power to control the wind, and I can protect the people in this way. If ever a strong wind or storm threatens them, I will use my cane and block it from destroying their settlements, and I can lift it and send it over their settlements so that it does not blow through. In addition to this, I have the power to heal sickness. If ever the people are struck down with illness they can call on me, and I will help them to get better. This is how they will do it. When they need aid of me in this way, they will create a mask whose face is in my image, and I will hand-pick the men who will create these masks. The very second that they lay the first strike in creating a mask, that fast will it have my power. When they use the mask they will prepare a certain kind of corn mush, and burn tobacco. The tobacco will form their words which I will hear, and I will come. They will refer to me as their grandfather, and I will help them as long as the earth remains." Shǫgway⁷adíhs⁷ǫh agreed to this, and allowed the stranger to stay on the earth.