Iroquois Mythology Research Paper

A culture comes to life when its unique stories are told. However unique a culture may be, there are always certain aspects of it which are similar to other cultures. These similarities connect a culture to all of humanity. All cultures share qualities illustrated through religion. These religions share certain traits; myths, rituals, and deities. These traits see no borders, they are embedded in all cultures whether it be one god or many. All of these things help humans explain the world around them and how they got there. Myths and deities give people a purpose in life. Having a purpose creates a meaningful existence. In the Iroquois culture, myth and deities are represented throughout its history, these not only give the people a meaningful

If only we were left alone, we could redevelop our society… which was old in democracy when Europe knew only monarchs.” Ernest Benedict, Mohawk, 1941. The Confederacy was said to be formed around 1500, after a period of fighting between the tribes (“the Iroquois tribes” 1). The five nations of the Iroquois Confederacy; Mohawk, Seneca, Oneida, Onondaga, and Cayuga, were known as the Haudenosaunee. The five nations grew off of a dependency for each other, each nation giving something to the other's. The Mohawks were very skilled hunters and fighters, so they were the protectors of the Confederacy. The other's were planters or speakers. The Iroquois were a planting culture; they depended on plants for their food. They were also a matriarchal society and the women were in charge of food distribution. The Iroquois constitution was the basis for modern governments. It was created while Europe was still under monarchs rule. Before creating the American Constitution, Benjamin Franklin heard Canasatego, a spokesperson from the nations, speak in 1774. He spoke of the union that the nations formed. A quote from the book Stolen Continents

Their stories all have important meanings in their lives. Their creation story shows a sky woman creating the world, which is most likely why their society is a matriarchal one. The gods and myths connect the Iroquois to all of humanity with their myths of how the earth came to be and how their society came to be.

The Iroquois Creation story of the sky woman was used to explain the unexplainable, to show right and wrong and to show the Iroquois people how to live the most meaningful lives. There was a skyworld above the world in which we live now, and in that world lived superior beings referred to as skypeople. The Great Spirit lived in skyworld and he had a daughter, who had become pregnant illegitimately. In this sky world there was a great tree which the Great Spirit ripped up, he then threw his daughter down the hole as her punishment. Not wanting her to be killed upon arrival in our world, he told the great turtle to dive down in the water and bring up mud and slime. He was to catch the girl on his back. When she arrived, she grew earth out of the mud and slime. By the time she had her baby, she had created a little island. As her daughter grew, so did the earth (“Iroquois