Gendenwitha
Encyclopedia
Gendenwitha is a mythological character represented by the Morning Star
in Iroquois mythology
. Her name means "It Brings the Day." Gendenwitha was originally a beautiful maiden who was loved by Sosondowah
, a great hunter held captive as a guard by Dawn. Dawn transformed Gendenwitha into the Morning Star after Sosondowah attempted to make her his bride.
in order to visit his beloved. Gendenwitha, not knowing the true identity of the bluebird, welcomed Sosondowah as a sign of Spring. Sosondowah escaped from Dawn again during Summer, and entered the heart of a blackbird
. Again he visited Gendenwitha at the river, and was greeted as a sign of Summer. During Autumn, Sosondowah escaped once more, this time in the body of a giant nighthawk
. He swooped down to the river and took Gendenwitha up to the lodge in the sky to make her his bride. Dawn, angry at the defiance of Sosondowah, transformed Gendenwitha into a star and put her on Sosondowah's forehead so he "must long for her throughout all time without attaining her."
Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days. The planet is named after Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty. After the Moon, it is the brightest natural object in the night sky, reaching an apparent magnitude of −4.6, bright enough to cast shadows...
in Iroquois mythology
Iroquois mythology
Much of the mythology of the Iroquois has been lost. Some of their religious stories have been preserved, including creation stories and some folktales....
. Her name means "It Brings the Day." Gendenwitha was originally a beautiful maiden who was loved by Sosondowah
Sosondowah
The Iroquois god Sosondowah was a great hunter known for stalking a supernatural elk, who was captured by Dawn, a goddess who needed him as a watchman. Sosondowah fell in love with Gendenwitha , a human woman...
, a great hunter held captive as a guard by Dawn. Dawn transformed Gendenwitha into the Morning Star after Sosondowah attempted to make her his bride.
Sosondowah and The Legend of Gendenwitha
Sosondowah was a greatly skilled hunter who was captured by Dawn when he pursued a Sky-Elk up into the heavens. Dawn commanded him to spend eternity guarding the door of her lodge in the sky. From his post, Sosondowah caught sight of Gendenwitha as she stood by a river, and fell in love. During Spring, Sosondowah escaped from Dawn while she was sleeping and entered the heart of a bluebirdBluebird
The bluebirds are a group of medium-sized, mostly insectivorous or omnivorous birds in the genus Sialia of the thrush family . Bluebirds are one of the few thrush genera in the Americas. They have blue, or blue and red, plumage...
in order to visit his beloved. Gendenwitha, not knowing the true identity of the bluebird, welcomed Sosondowah as a sign of Spring. Sosondowah escaped from Dawn again during Summer, and entered the heart of a blackbird
New World blackbird
The New World blackbirds consist of 26 species of icterid birds that share the name blackbird but do not correspond with a formal taxon...
. Again he visited Gendenwitha at the river, and was greeted as a sign of Summer. During Autumn, Sosondowah escaped once more, this time in the body of a giant nighthawk
Nighthawk
A nighthawk is a nocturnal bird of the subfamily Chordeilinae, within the nightjar family, Caprimulgidae. Nighthawks are medium-sized New World birds, with long wings, short legs, and very short bills. They usually nest on the ground. They feed on flying insects. The Least Nighthawk, at and ,...
. He swooped down to the river and took Gendenwitha up to the lodge in the sky to make her his bride. Dawn, angry at the defiance of Sosondowah, transformed Gendenwitha into a star and put her on Sosondowah's forehead so he "must long for her throughout all time without attaining her."