| HAHGWEHDAETGAH:
A North American myth of the Iroquois describes Hahgwehdaetgah, the creator
of evil and ruler of the underworld. The Iroquois believe that the
kingdom of Hahgwehdaetgah lies at the bottom of an abyss below the earth.
It is filled with the broken bodies of enemy warriors slain in battle.
The realm is one of despair, regret, and an overwhelming sense of failure,
but not of physical suffering.
Hahgwehdaetgah and his twin brother
Hahgwehdiyu, a good god, were born of the creator goddess.
Hahgwehdaetgah killed his mother during childbirth and then went on to
create all things vile: horrible monsters, fierce beasts, and all manner of
plagues and disasters. He was despised by all other creatures and by
his virtuous twin.
Eventually the two brothers fought a
battle to determine who would rule the earth. Hahgwehdaetgah tried to
use trickery, but the good god knew his brother's evil ways and was able to
defeat him with an enchanted arrow. Hahgwehdiyu exiled his brother to
the underworld, where he oversaw a kingdom of half-man, half-monster
spirits. They are shape-shifters who can return to earth to terrorize
the living. Hahgwehdaetgah also became overlord of the dead.
(o)
Resource List - all entries are taken verbatim from the
original source:
(o) "The Encyclopedia of Hell."
Miriam Van Scott. St. Martin's Press. ©1998
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