the older sister (Myth 97)

Family: the Seneca · Role: older sister · First appears: Myth 97 · Origin of the Yontoñwisas Dance

In Myth 97, the older sister was captured by a Cherokee war party along with the younger sister and her own baby, the baby boy. That night, she cut the sisters free; when the baby began to cry, she took him with them, saying, “Let us die together,” and they escaped.

About noon, the sisters reached home and reunited with their uncle, who called the people together as the Sky People had instructed. At the long house, she and her sister performed the ceremony and sang the Yontoñwisas song for women, which the account says is still sung by women.

Relationship record

Life events

• A Cherokee war party captured the two sisters and the baby boy.(Myth 97 · Origin of the Yontoñwisas Dance · 📍 a sugar grove)
  • With: the younger sister (Myth 97) the baby boy (Myth 97)
  • “Two Seneca women who were sisters, with the baby boy of the older one, were in a sugar grove near their home when a war party of Cherokee came upon them and carried them off.”
• The older sister cut the sisters free, and they escaped with the baby boy.(Myth 97 · Origin of the Yontoñwisas Dance)
  • With: the younger sister (Myth 97) the baby boy (Myth 97)
  • “Taking out her knife, she cut the rope without waking the men, and then rousing her sister quietly she whispered to her to come. They were going to leave the little boy, but he started to cry, so she said, ‘Let us die together,’ and took him up on her back, and the two women hurried away.”
• The sisters reached home and reunited with their uncle, who called the people together as instructed.(Myth 97 · Origin of the Yontoñwisas Dance)
  • With: the younger sister (Myth 97) their uncle (Myth 97)
  • “About noon they heard the sound of chopping, and when they went to the place they found it was their uncle cutting blocks to make spoons. He did not see them until they spoke, and at first could hardly believe that they were living women, because he knew that they had been taken by the Cherokee. He was very glad to see them, and as they walked on to the town they told him all they had been commanded to do by the Sky People. When they arrived at the town, he called all the people together, and they went to the long house.”
• The sisters performed the instructed ceremony and established the Yontoñwisas song for women.(Myth 97 · Origin of the Yontoñwisas Dance · 📍 the long house)
  • With: the younger sister (Myth 97)
  • “There the two women sang their song and did everything exactly as they had been told to do, and when it was over they said, ‘This is all,’ and sat down. This is the same Yontoñwisas song that is still sung by the women.”

Myth 97 · Origin of the Yontoñwisas Dance

• siblings with the younger sister (Myth 97) “Two Seneca women who were sisters, with the baby boy of the older one, were in a sugar grove near their home when a war party of Cherokee came upon them and carried them off.”
• child: the baby boy (Myth 97) “Two Seneca women who were sisters, with the baby boy of the older one, were in a sugar grove near their home when a war party of Cherokee came upon them and carried them off.”
• elder kin: their uncle (Myth 97) “About noon they heard the sound of chopping, and when they went to the place they found it was their uncle cutting blocks to make spoons.”
• benefactor: the voice (Myth 97) “Know now that we are the Hadionyageonoñ, the Sky People, who have watched over you all this time.”

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Extracted from the original text of Myths of the Cherokee. Made with Rho MD.