Hahgwehdiyu
Hahgwehdiyu (also called Ha-Wen-Neyu, Rawenniyo, or Hawenniyo)[1] is the Iroquois god of goodness and light, as well as a creator god. He and his twin brother Hahgwehdaetgah, the god of evil, were children of Atahensic (or in some versions her daughter, the Earth Mother), whom Hahgwehdaetgah killed in childbirth.
Hahgwehdiyu created the world from his own body and that of his mother's. His outstretched palm became the sky, his mother's head the sun, and her breasts became the moon and stars. He made her body the earth, into which he planted a seed, which grew into the maize plant.[2]
Creation of The Earth
This version of the creation story is taken from Converse[3][page needed]
The Earth was a thought in the mind of the ruler of a great island floating above the clouds. This ruler was called by various names, among them Ha-wen-ni-yu, meaning He who governs or The Ruler.[4] The island is a place of calm where all needs are provided and there is no pain or death. On this island grew a great apple[note 1] tree where the inhabitants held council. The Ruler said "let us make a new place where another people can grow. Under our council tree is a great sea of clouds which calls out for light." He ordered the council tree to be uprooted and he looked down into the depths. He had Ata-en-sic,[note 2] Sky Woman, look down. He heard the voice of the sea calling; he told Ata-en-sic, who was pregnant, to bring it life. He wrapped her in light and dropped her down through the hole.
References
- ^ "Raweno (Ha-Wen-Neyu), the Iroquois Creator". www.native-languages.org. Retrieved 2020-04-28.
- ^ Cotterell, Arthur. (1989). The illustrated encyclopedia of myths & legends. Sydney: Collins Australia. p. 204. ISBN 0-7322-0099-7. OCLC 27581076.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Converse
was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Morgan, Lewis Henry (1995). The League of the Iroquois. J G Press. pp. 141–174. ISBN 1-57215-124-2.
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