Book

The legend, myth and Code of Deganawidah and their significance to Iroquois cultural history

University Microfilms InternationalAnn Arbor, Mich.Published In 1994 • Pages:

By: Selden, Sherman Ward.

AbstractBrief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document
The material under study in this dissertation involves the legend of the 'culture hero' Deganaweda, the code of laws he is said to have formulated, and the myth that has grown up around him in the last century (p. 2). Selden believes that the combination of legend and laws have not only united the Iroquois tribes into a powerful league, but also have guided their behavior in both war and peace by specifically stating which actions are allowed and which are forbidden. This work is divided into three parts: the legend of Deganaweda and its many variants; the Code of Deganaweda which establishes the rules and regulations that have been transmitted orally for centuries but were not written down until the late nineteenth century; and the contemporary lore that clusters about Deganaweda and which was recorded by the author during his field work in 1963-1965.
SubjectsDocument-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF
Traditional history
Form and rules of government
Legal norms
Mythology
Ethnosociology
cultureCulture name from the Outline of World Cultures (OWC)
Iroquois
HRAF PubDateThe date HRAF published the document
1996
RegionThe area the document pertains to
North America
Sub RegionThe more specific area the document pertains to, which is located within the Region
Eastern Woodlands
Document TypeMay include journal articles, essays, collections of essays, monographs, or chapters/parts of monographs
Book
Evaluation
Creator TypeThe type of person writing the document, e.g. Ethnographer, Missionary, Archaeologist, Folklorist, Linguist, Indigenous Person, and so on.
Folklorist
Document Rating A ranking done by HRAF anthropologists based on the strength of the source material on a scale of 1 to 5, as follows: 1 - poor; 2 - fair; 3 - good, useful data, but not uniformly excellent; 4 - excellent secondary data; 5 - excellent primary data.
4: Excellent Secondary Data
5: Excellent Primary Data
AnalystThe HRAF anthropologist who subject indexed the document and prepared other materials for the eHRAF culture/tradition collection
John Beierle ; 1994
Field DateThe date the researcher conducted the fieldwork or archival research that produced the document
1963-1965
Coverage DateThe date or dates that the information in the document pertains to
variable
Coverage PlaceLocation of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)
various locations in New York State, United States and Ontario and Quebec, Canada
NotesAdditional notes
by Sherman W. Selden
Thesis (Ph.D.) -- Indiana University, 1966
UM: 66-14,884
Includes bibliographical references (p. 233-241)
LCSHLibrary of Congress Subject Headings
Iroquois Indians