Note 410 — SENECA FICTION, LEGENDS, AND MYTHS

Then the old man, Oñgweʻ Hañgesʹʻhäʼ, said to her and his nephew, “Come now, let us start for home”; and after making suitable preparations, they departed. They stopped to camp many places on the way, but in due time they arrived at their home, whereupon the old man said to his nephew: “We have now returned to our home. You have now also grown to manhood, and it is a custom that when one attains to manhood, he marries. Marriage must take place in your case now. You must start on a 10-days’ journey. There are on the way 10 camping places with fireplaces, which are visible. That is the distance which you must go. To reach this place you must go eastward, and there you will find a valley. You must go along the path leading thither. You must summon all your courage and resolution in undertaking this journey, for along this path there are found all manner of difficulties and dangers. Along this path you will find one who is called Sʻhodieʹoⁿskoⁿʼ (the Abuseful Trickster), who continually haunts this pathway. Come, now! I will dress you for the occasion.” So he anointed him abundantly with sunflower oil over his entire body. He said to him: “You must take along with you this pouch of human skin, in which there is a smoking pipe which was the skull of a human being; and for a lighter there are a flint and a piece of tinder, or punk; and also an awl and a knife. These are the things this pouch contains, and with these you will provide for your needs on the way. You must now start. The trees along the way have been blazed, and you will find the camping places, although it is not certain that they are still easily discovered. But you must find them, and there you must spend the night. This you must do for 10 nights, and then your pathway will lead you to the valley. There you shall find assembled a large concourse of people, and you shall see there also the home of a woman who has a tall tree, on the top of which are perched mysterious Hawks (?), three in number, which are her servants and which obey her thaumaturgic commands; but these are three of her daughters. He who will hit one of these mysterious birds shall be privileged to marry her youngest daughter, who is a “down-fended”410 virgin; that is to say, a noble virgin. So the fortunate one shall marry her. And so you shall go thither. It is known that in the days that have gone by no one has hit one of these mysterious birds, although those who shoot at them daily are very numerous. You it is who will be able to hit the bird. Come, then, now depart. But perhaps it might be better that another day should break on us together; that you and I should again eat together, for we know that it is very doubtful whether you shall return in health and peace. All manner of difficulties and dangers fill the way which you must follow.