The Wife Of The Thunderer

Many years ago in the village of Gaugwa, near the great falls of Neahga, a young woman named Ahweyoh, meaning Water Lily, lived with her father’s sister. Despite her beauty, kindness, and hard work, Ahweyoh was not treated well. She wore the oldest clothes and did the most arduous tasks, yet her grace shone through. Many men wished to marry her, but her aunt refused to allow any of them to visit their lodge. As time passed, Ahweyoh grew increasingly certain she would never marry. Then, one day, during the moon of ripening raspberries, her aunt unexpectedly announced that Ahweyoh would carry marriage bread to her future husband the next day. Her heart soared with hope, but the aunt revealed she was to marry Sweaty Hands, a detested man known for his cruelty and cowardice.

Devastated by the prospect of marrying Sweaty Hands, Ahweyoh resolved to escape. That night, while the village slept, she paddled a small canoe into the rushing waters of the Niagara River, intending to surrender herself to the Thunderers, whose voices echoed from the great falls. As the current swept her toward the falls, she threw away her paddle and awaited her fate. However, instead of crashing onto rocks, she found herself gently caught by a blanket held by three men, the Thunderers. The tallest among them, He-noh, assured her that her life would not end this way, as they had watched her and admired her gratitude for the earth’s gifts.

Thankful for her life, Ahweyoh joined the Thunderers. Over time, she and He-noh fell in love and married. They had a son, and He-noh advised her to return to her people so their son could understand the human world. He warned her of a monstrous snake under the village that poisoned the waters, causing sickness, and urged her to move the people to Buffalo Creek. Ahweyoh returned with this warning, and the village heeded her message, relocating just before the serpent awoke. Enraged to find the village deserted, the serpent pursued them but was ultimately defeated by He-noh and his Thunderers. The fallen stones of the defeated serpent formed the Horseshoe Falls, and the Thunderers relocated their earthly dwelling.

Ahweyoh was honored by her people, but her aunt and Sweaty Hands spread rumors about her mysterious child. Despite their persistence, most villagers refused to listen. Eventually, the aunt and Sweaty Hands confronted Ahweyoh, intending to force her into marriage. But when they threatened her, Ahweyoh’s son, whose eyes turned stormy with anger, hurled flint chips at them, striking them down with lightning. In that moment, He-noh and his warriors descended from the sky, welcoming Ahweyoh and their son back to the Thunderers. From then on, their son joined them, becoming the fourth Thunderer. At times, he walks the earth, recalling his brief human life, and when storms rage, his voice can be heard speaking with his father from below.

This retelling respects the living tradition of the Iroquois people, to whom this story belongs.

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