The Prophecies Of Handsome Lake taken from Seneca Legend by Cecil Abbott

The Prophecies Of Handsome Lake taken from Seneca Legend by Cecil Abbott


In the late 1700's in an area that is now part of the Allegheny National Forest, the Seneca Indians resided. Halfway between where we now find Jamestown, New York and Warren, Pennsylvania near the New York Pennsylvania state lines was the town of Cornplanter named after the Seneca Chief, Cornplanter.

Chronic alcoholism had long been known among the Delaware who had lost their lands two generations earlier, but until now it had been rare among the Iroquois. The Iroquois often referred to as the Six Nations are: Onondaga, Onieda, Mohawk, Seneca, Cayuga and the Tuscaroras. Many of the most honored men among the Six Nations became known as drunkards. Among those was Cornplanter's brother, Handsome Lake.

Following the American Revolution Handsome Lake saw the defeat of his people and the loss of their lands. In spring of 1799 he and several other men returned from a hunting trip of some six months. Having sold their furs at Pittsburgh and purchased supplies that included several barrels of whiskey they lashed their four canoes together and headed upstream back home to Cornplanter town. The men began to partake freely of the whiskey and arrived in Cornplanter in a drunken state not knowing the turmoil of their town. The Quaker missionaries had the town divided over the teaching of English to their children. When the men arrived and ran thru the town wrecking havoc, tearing doors off of hinges, beating their wives and abusing their children, the residents of the town fled for fear of their lives and camped in the bushlands.
Part of the time in the days that followed, Handsome Lake was depressed and melancholy and knew he was evil and loathsome in the eyes of the Creator. Other times when he had whiskey and got drunk, he would sing sacred songs and resolve to never touch alcohol again. He was brooding over the loss of his niece, Cornplanter's daughter, who was thought to have been killed by a witch. This old woman had the reputation of poisoning the families of her enemies and now she was threatening the life of a newborn baby in the Cornplanter household. Belief in and practice of witchcraft, love potions and abortion/sterility medicines were common among the people.

On the morning of June 15, Handsome Lake had his first vision. He had taken to his bed sick and dying. He was in this state when his daughter heard him exclaim "Niio!" (So be it) and come out of the cabin as "yellow skin and dried bones." She caught him as he stumbled and fell into her arms. When his nephew, Blacksnake, and Cornp1anter, Handsome Lake's closest male relatives arrived, they asked, "Is he dead?" There was no breathing or heartbeat, the body was cool to the touch. Upon examination, Blacksnake discovered a "warm spot" on Handsome Lake's chest. After about half an hour his breathing began again and the warm spot spread and after two hours he opened his eyes and began to speak. He described his vision.

Handsome Lake had heard his name called and left the house. Outside he saw three middle-aged men dressed in fine ceremonial clothes with red paint on their faces and feathers in their bonnets, carrying bows and arrows in one hand and huckleberry bushes
in the other. Handsome Lake collapsed from weakness, but the angelic messengers caught him and told him they were sent by the Creator. He was told to join his kinfolk the next day at the Strawberry Festival and tell them how things should be on earth. He was told the Strawberry Festival should always be held. The message to his people was "four words" concerning the evil practices of men about whom the Creator was sad and angry. The words are Whiskey, Witchcraft, Love magic and Medicine that kills unborn babies. People were told to repent and never sin again. Handsome Lake was charged with getting drunk and told to never drink again. The messengers left but promised to return.

Handsome Lake continued to be in poor health. He told Cornplanter the three angelic messengers mentioned a fourth that would visit him. During the night of August 7 he dreamed the fourth angel was coming to take him on a .journey. The next morning he put on his best clothes and told his brother not to prepare him for burial even if he appeared to be dead. That evening he fell into a sleep that lasted about seven hours. His body was again cool and his breathing slight. This second vision, called the sky journey, was led by a guide in sky blue clothes. He and the three angels were standing on earth with Handsome Lake viewing a series of scenes while the guide made moral comments. When they met Jesus bearing the nail scars on his hands and feet, Jesus said that his people had slain him in their pride and that he would not return to help them "until the earth passes away." On the second part of the journey they saw human souls being directed onto the narrow road to heaven and the wide road to hell. It was mostly children that went to heaven. The third part was a tour of hell where they saw the nature and punishment of evil with its sadistic torments to fit the crimes of the prisoners. They then visited the lands of Gaiwiio and Handsome Lake saw his niece and his son and grandson. The guide then admonished him to help his people because the Great Spirit sees all things and , they needed to mend their ways.

The third vision took place six months later on February 5, 1800. Handsome Lake's health was much improved and he had been able to share this "new religion" with his people. The three angels advised that the Great Spirit was troubled over the condition of the Indians and that the revelations should be written in a book. Handsome Lake was told the children should be taught about Gaiwiio and the people should keep up their Old form of worship and never quit it, particularly the Midwinter Ceremony. Handsome Lake was advised to devote half his life to his family and half to the new religion. This third vision was to prepare his people for salvation.

By the 1840's the dreams and visions had been retold many times. Preachers who knew the material and could recite the teachings were called upon at the two great annual festivals. Blacksnake, now an old man organized the moral teachings in "twelve commandments" that prohibited: whiskey, witchcraft, love magic, abortion, divorce, adultery, premarital sex, refusal of the wife to live with her husband's parents, failure of parent to discipline unruly children, unwillingness to love all mankind, feelings of hostility and gossip.

Many of the Seneca now practice the religions of the modern world but if they return to their reservation they will observe the ways of the Gaiwiio, the teachings of the Great Spirit. They still keep the festivals because of the visions of the three angelic messengers.