Handsome Lake

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Handsome Lake (* 1735 - August 10, 1815 ) or Ganioda'yo ( Θkanyatararí • yau • in the language of the Tuscarora ) was an Indian prophet from the Seneca tribe and religious leader of the Iroquois .

Military background

Handsome Lake fought the British during the Pontiac Uprising and was involved in the Seneca ambush at the Battle of Devil's Hole that nearly wiped out two British divisions. In 1765 he was involved in an attack by the Seneca against the Cherokee and the Choctaw . During the American War of Independence he fought against the rebelling American colonists, presumably he also took part in the Battle of Oriskany . As a common warrior, he fought in the Battle of Wyoming, Pennsylvania and the Cherry Valley Massacre, New York. In 1780 he was involved in an attack on Canajoharie. He then joined another group that marched , pillaged, and killed against Susquehanna .

Religious teaching

(see also: The longhouse religion among the Seneca )

Handsome Lake has shaped the life of the Iroquois very much in their recent history. He was one of the eight chiefs who represented the Seneca on the Iroquois council. He was not averse to alcohol and went so far with drinking that he collapsed in 1799. His health was very poor. He later told of a vision that had appeared to him during his illness: Four angels came as messengers of the “Great Spirit” (an equation of the Christian God with the Iroquois life force Orenda ) and brought him the new teaching of the “Good News”. From the impressions of the vision, Handsome Lake formulated a new religious doctrine which he spread among the Iroquois. His new religion fell on fertile ground, especially among the Seneca, Onondaga and Cayuga . The teachings of the Prophet subsequently had a profound effect on their lives. The Mohawk and Oneida , who were already strongly Christianized at this time , remained critical of the new message.

The syncretistic religion of Handsome Lake built a bridge between the traditional beliefs of the Iroquois and Christianity (especially shaped by Quakerism ). Many people, torn between the two cultures, gratefully accepted the new religion. Among other things, Handsome Lake banned medicine fraternity ceremonies that were held at night.

The Handsome Lakes teachings became known as The Code of Handsome Lake . Traditionalists reject the teachings because of Christian influences and pacifist transformation, as well as adopting the principles of the Great Law of Peace .

Individual evidence

  1. ^ B. Rudes: Tuscarora English Dictionary. University of Toronto Press, 1999.
  2. ^ Anthony Wallace: The Death and Rebirth of the Seneca. Vintage, 1972, pages 137 to 145, ISBN 0-394-71699-X .
  3. ↑ Christian F. Feest : Animated Worlds - The religions of the Indians of North America. In: Small Library of Religions , Vol. 9, Herder, Freiburg / Basel / Vienna 1998, ISBN 3-451-23849-7 . Pp. 195-196.
  4. ↑ Handsome Lake cult . In: Encyclopædia Britannica online, accessed December 26, 2015.

literature

  • Anthony Wallace: The Death and Rebirth of the Seneca. Vintage, April, 1972, ISBN 0-394-71699-X .
  • Alf H. Walle: The Path of Handsome Lake: A Model of Recovery for Native People. Information Age Pub. Inc., 2004, ISBN 1593111290 .

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Handsome Lake
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Ganioda'yo; Θkanyatararí • yau •
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Indian prophet of Seneca
DATE OF BIRTH 1735
DATE OF DEATH August 10, 1815