Oneida Iroquois Folklore, Myth, And History

by Wonderley, Anthony

• ISBN13: 9780815608301
• ISBN10: 0815608306
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2005-01-09
• Publisher: Syracuse Univ Pr

Summary

This is the first major book to explore uniquely Iroquois components in the Native American oral narrative as it existed around 1900. Drawn largely from early twentieth-century journals by non-Indian scholar Hope Emily Allen, much of it has never before been published. Even as he studies time-honored themes and such stories as the Iroquois myth of the beginning. Anthony Wonderley breaks new ground examining links between legend, history, and everyday life. He pointedly questions how oral traditions are born and develop. Uncovering traditional tales told over the course of 400 years. Wonderley further defines--and considers--endurance and sequence in mythic content. Finally, possible links between Oneida folklore and material culture are explored in discussions of craftworks and archaeological artifacts of cultural and symbolic importance. Arguably the most complete study of its kind, the book will appeal to a wide range of professional disciplines--from anthropology, history, and folklore to religion and Native American studies.

Author Biography

Anthony Wonderley, who earned a Ph.D. in anthropology from Cornell University, has conducted archaeological research in several areas of the United States and (on a Fulbright Fellowship) in Honduras

Table of Contents

Illustrations	ix
Acknowledgments	xi
Introduction	xiii
1. A People Undone	1	(31)
2. Where the Earth Opened	32	(25)
SIDEBAR: The Oneida Longhouse	53	(4)
3. The Creation	57	(30)
SIDEBAR: Twins in Oneida Art	84	(3)
4. Old Ones of the Forest	87	(25)
SIDEBAR: Human Figures on Oneida Pottery	107	(5)
5. Thunders	112	(26)
SIDEBAR: Dan Webster's Wampum String	133	(5)
6. Something New and Some Things Very Old	138	(23)
SIDEBAR: Reified Narrative?	156	(5)
7. The Fabric of Daily Life	161	(31)
SIDEBAR: Oneida Basket Making	188	(4)
8. A People Resurgent	192	(29)
Epilogue: Studying Iroquois Folklore	221	(12)
References	233	(22)
Index	255