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Iroquois Mythology Research Paper

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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 …show more content…

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 …show more content…

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

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The Iroquois picture that it was women that initiated the beginnings of the Earth. In their myth, it was a woman who walked around the dirt to make it develop into the Earth, and it was her daughter that gave birth to the right and left handed twins. Also, the Iroquois explain that women were largely involved with the crops. For example, the grandmother raised the first plants in the dirt pile that became Earth, and, when the mother died, the myth describes that “from her head grew the corn, the beans, and the squash-‘our supporters, the three sisters.’ And from her heart grew the sacred tobacco. . .”

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The Iroquois Confederacy is similar to the United States government because of the following. Firstly, both governments having the choice to vote for their leader. Secondly, each tribe/town had its own government. Lastly, and the Iroquois and the United States government both have a similar way of passing laws. To begin with both governments having the choice to vote for their leader.

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The Iroquois are a group of native americans. The Iroquois are divided into 5 dans. The Mohawk, Seneca, Oneida, Onondaga, and Cayuga tribes. Later a sixth nation, the Tuscarora tribe, joined the confederation. Agriculture provided most of the Iroquois diet.

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The third function of myth is referred to as the sociological function and it’s about local culture and laws changing depending on who’s in charge. This function ties with the Iroquois Constitution because when they elect a new chief to discuss matters at the nation’s meetings they change the way things are run compared to how things worked when someone else had his position. Finally, the fourth function of myth is called the psychological function of myth or the pedagogical function because it’s the teaching function. Its relation to the Iroquois Constitution is that the constitution itself is a way for young members of the five tribes that made up the Iroquois Confederacy to learn how to act, behave and

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The Three Sisters (Corn, Beans, Squash) were some foods that the Iroquois ate. Also the Iroquois hunted and fished for their food. They hunted Deer, Beaver, Geese, and other

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The haudenosaunee or people of the longhouse known as the Six nations or the Iroquois, they are members of the confederacy of Aboriginal nations known as the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. When the tuscarora joined the confederacy early in the 18th century, it mostly known as the Six nations. The Haudenosaunee speak Iroquoian languages, The Iroquoian language group comprises over ten languages (comprises means they made it up.) including Cayuga, Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Tuscarora and Seneca.

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The Mohawk Indians were part of the Iroquois confederacy. They spoke similar languages to other tribes part of the confederacy. Their economy was based on trading goods between tribes and to the Europeans. They were settled near the Mohawk river and the Hudson. After coming in contact with the Europeans, they became one of the wealthiest tribes in the confederacy.

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Iroquois Confederacy was an association of five tribes named Mohawk, Oneida, Onandaga, Cayuga, Seneca. The conference was characterized by a peaceful pact between the tribes. In 1700, the Tuscarora tribe joined to the confederacy making the Six Nations Iroquois. Each tribe was compound by two moieties, and each moiety was compound by one or more exogamous clans. The Iroquois Confederacy had a huge importance in America History because they were the immense native American political group that fought with French and England settlement of the America.

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Some differences in the stories Iroquois and the Judeo Christian is having an almighty god. In the Judeo Christian story they believe that god created the heavens and the earth. Unlike in the Iroquois story where they believe that there is no almighty god and that the earth was made on a turtle's back. In the Iroquois story animals play a huge part starting with the two birds breaking Sky Womens fall. Also in a way they are viewed as a god or a power source.

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In various cultures, traditional stories of a universal beginning relate to the beliefs and rituals that are prevalent within that society. Although these creation stories differ among cultures, all display similar characteristics which constitute archetypal settings of creation myths, such as a great tree, the landmass from a watery chaos, and the fall of man. In the Iroquois’ creation myth, “The World on the Turtle’s Back”, the display of archetypal settings parallels the creation depicted in the book of Genesis, but underlying each similarity are differing interpretations which allow for the stories to relate to its specific culture. In both “The World on the Turtle’s Back” and the Genesis creation story, a prominent characteristic is the great tree connecting heaven and earth.

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In the World on the Turtle´s Back the Iroquois wanted to emphasize how there was a Sky World, with people that had extravagant beliefs that explained how good and evil balanced everything in their life. This peculiar place had different gods, like Iroquois. They believed in weird thing for example they believed that a Great tree was the center of their universe. The Great Tree wasn’t a habitual tree, it was huge and had been in that place forever. In this Sky World, there was this woman that seemed to break the rules and desire things that are off limit.

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Mythical Origins The Iroquois people are one of the earliest cultures in American history, Their culture remains filled with an abundance of myths and legends that explain the nature of life itself. Their creation story, The World On Turtle 's Back, outlines not only the creation of Earth, but also the complex nature of people. The legend states that the Earth resided on the back of a great sea turtle, constituted first by a pregnant woman. The daughter of whom would birth the twins who would become the duality of deceit and order in every living being. This legend has been passed down through the generations, first through oral tradition and later translated to writing.

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