Legends of the Longhouse

216 pp. 8vo. "With an introduction by Carl Carmer and illustrations by the author written in the form of letters to Sah-Nee-Wah, these legends of the longhouse are racy tales, and richly imaginative, told in a language as bare, direct and beautifully expressive as the speech of the Indians themselves. They are the ancient legends of the Seneca people, legends that have been passed down by word of mouth for centuries, from generation to generation. Here are the stories of the origin of the world; the ancient Seneca marriage customs; the first attempts at establishing peace. Here is a very old legend, until now known only to a few, that of the origin of the Dark Dance or the Dance of the Little People. Here also are Legends of the Little Water Society, of the Stone Giants, a Seneca Just-So Story, a Legend of the Horned Spirit, The Flying Head, The Giant Leech, a Legend for Hunters, a Legend of Love, and so on. Most of the legends are based on fact, and a pungent moral is drawn. In these letters, which are written with a charming naivete, and yet reveal shrewd observation, Jesse Cornplanter also comments on the life of the Indians on the reservation today. His black and white pen drawings, which are entirely authentic in detail, lend considerable interest to the book."