Atahensic, also known asSky Woman, is anIroquoissky goddess. Atahensic is associated with marriage, childbirth, and feminine affairs in general.[1]
According to legend, at the time ofcreation, Atahensic lived in the Upper World, but when digging up a tree, it left a hole in the ground that led to a great sky, under which was water. Atahensic fell through this hole. After her fall, birds carried her down the hole onto the water. Agiant turtle then emerged from the underground waters for her to rest on. She then gave birth to hertwin sons:Hahgwehdiyu (transl. Sapling) and Hahgwehdaetgah (transl. Flint). Hahgwehdiyu wasborn normally; Hahgwehdaetgah, theevil twin,killed Atahensic by bursting out of her sideduring birth. When Atahensic died, Hahgwehdiyu created the sky and, with her head, theSun. Hahgwehdaetgah, however, created darkness to drive down the sun. Hahgwehdiyu then created theMoon andStars from his mother's breasts, and tasked them, his sisters, to guard the night sky. He gave the rest of his mother's body to the earth, the Great Mother from whom all life came. Hahgwehdiyu then planted a seed into his mother's corpse. From this seed grewcorn, as a gift to mankind.
This Atahensic is theHuron name for the first mother, and not that of the (confederated)Iroquois. TheSeneca generally give this character no name other than Eagentci, literallyold woman orancient bodied.[2]
There is another version of the myth of Atahensic in which she is Hahgwehdiyu and Hahgwehdaetgah's maternal grandmother instead. According to this variant, Atahensic had a daughter named Tekawerahkwa (transl. Earth Woman),[3] whom the west wind impregnated with Hahgwehdiyu and Hahgwehdaetgah. As Tekawerahkwa died by childbirth, either she wished for her body to sustain the people[4] or Atahensic sowed on her grave the seeds she had brought when she fell to Earth, but never planted before.[5] Out of Tekawerahkwa's remains grew various plants: thesister spirits of the corn,beans, andsquash came from her breasts, hands, and navel respectively;sunflowers from her legs;strawberries from her heart;tobacco from her head; andpurple potatoes orsunchokes from her feet.
 | This article relating to amyth or legend from North America is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
