A Seneca Legend
Once, when the Senecas were at war with the Cherokees, they became very hungry. They spotted a bear and chased it until it ran into a den. One of the men followed the bear into the den. After going some distance inside, he no longer saw the bear but instead saw a fire surrounded by several men. An old man looked up and asked, “Why did you try to shoot one of my men? I sent him out to entice you to us. I want you to send word to the oldest man in your camp. Tell him that his friend is here and in need of tobacco. Tomorrow, as many of your people as care to can come to us.”
The young man returned to camp and the next day, five of his companions, each with a pouch of tobacco, went to the den. When they gave the tobacco to the old man, he was glad and said, “This will last me a long time.”
One of the men in the den said, “I am tired.”
“Lie down,” said the old man.
The man lay down. The old man got up, went to him, and rubbed his body from the feet to the top of the head. Then, putting down a vessel he had been holding, he unjointed every joint in the man’s body and cut the body into pieces. He put each piece into a mortar and, taking a pestle, pounded the flesh and bones to jelly and poured the mass into a bowl. Then he took the bowl and the other vessel to another part of the den. After a while, he came back, sat down, and began to smoke.
Soon he called, “Come out, Nephew, you have slept long enough.”
When the man came out, he looked as light and fresh as a young boy.
One of the Senecas asked, “Can you do this for me?”
“I can,” said the old man, “if you want me to.”
The Seneca lay down and the old man did with him exactly as he had with the other man. After he had carried the two vessels to another part of the den, he came back and began to smoke. Soon he called, “Come out, Nephew, you have slept long enough.”
The man rose up and came out fresh and young. He felt no weight in his body.
Another Seneca asked to be treated in the same way. The old man consented, and he too came out light and young.
A third Seneca asked the old man to change him, but he refused, saying, “I have done enough. Now I will tell you why I did this. There is a wide opening extending from one end of the world to the other. In this opening, there is a great rock, and in the rock is a person with enormous horns. He is our enemy, and we have tried to kill him but cannot. I want the men whom I have made young and strong to try and crush the rock and destroy this person. But first, you two must test your strength.”
The two went outside and shot at a rock; it crumbled to pieces. They shot at a large tree; it fell to the ground, leaving only a stump.
“Now,” said the old man, “you may go to the opening and see what you can do. You will never die, for we never die. Your companions can stay here. I always help my grandchildren. I cover their trail whenever they need to hide it. It is I who makes rain come.”
The two went to the opening and, seeing the rock, shot at it. Then they went back to the old man.
He asked, “Did you use all of your strength?”
“We could have struck harder,” said one of the men.
“Go back,” said the old man, “and use all of your strength.”
This time they struck the rock with all their strength. After listening for a while, they heard someone coming and soon saw a man with the head of an enormous horned snake strapped to his back—they had killed the snake.
The two men said, “Our work is done. Old Rain Man’s enemy, the great horned snake, is dead.”
And they went back to their camp.
