Jogah
| Creature information | |
|---|---|
| Other name(s) | Oneida: tehotikalá·luheˀ
Cayuga: Jigáhęh |
| Grouping | Legendary beings |
| Sub grouping | Gahongas, Gandayah, Ohdows |
| Folklore | Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) |
| Origin | |
| Region | Northeastern United States |
| Habitat | Forests, streams, subterranean areas |
Jogah (Drum Dancers) are the "little people" in Haudenosaunee mythology. Usually invisible, there are ways of telling if they are around. For example, drumming with no visible drummers around. They also leave rings of bare earth and "bowls" in stones or mud; offerings like tobacco and fingernails can be offered at these "bowls." The hollows are said to bring drought-relieving rain when scooped up, dried, and placed in the home. They are also used to explain disembodied lights and bad luck. When people, usually children, elders, and spiritual healers, see the Jogah, they are described as "knee-high" to around 4 ft 0 in (1.22 m) tall.
Behaviorally, the Jogah love games and playing tricks, which can be dangerous if they are disrespected. They have been claimed to cause illness in homes and neighborhoods that are built on sites to which they are attracted. Feather-decorated squirrel pelts are worn as vests and pants by the Jogah.
The Jogah are divided into multiple groups.
- Gahongas "stone throwers or rollers" live in rocky areas like streams. Their favorite game is to play "catch" with people using stones, often the size of boulders. Though small of stature, they are said to be of great strength.
- Gandayah care for the plant life of an area, telling it when to grow and how good its yield will be. They are known to help respectful Haudenosaunee farmers. They are also known to love strawberries and take the forms of American robins, if their news is good, or owls, if it is bad.
- Ohdows are the subterranean guardians of the world. They protect it from creatures of the underworld which would spread disease and, in the case of the "White Buffalo," chaos. The Ohdow come out of the underground at night to dance and hunt any underworld creatures that have escaped. To help with this task, fingernails were left as offerings as the animals knew what Ohdow smelled like and would hide from them.
Further reading
- Bastine, Michael; Winfield, Mason (2011). Iroquois Supernatural: Talking Animals and Medicine People. Bear & Company. ISBN 978-1591431275.
- Winfield, Mason (1997). Shadows of the Western Door: Haunted Sites and Ancient Mysteries of Upstate New York. Western New York Wares. ISBN 978-1879201224.
- Winfield, Mason (2001). Spirits of the Great Hill: More Haunted Sites and Ancient Mysteries of Upstate New York. Western New York Wares. ISBN 978-1879201354.
Notes
References
- 1 2 "tehotikalá·luheˀ". Oneida Language Dictionary. University of Wisconsin Green Bay. Retrieved 2 October 2026.
- 1 2 Dyck, Carrie, Froman, Frances, Keye, Alfred & Keye, Lottie. 2024. A grammar and dictionary of Gayogo̱hó:nǫˀ (Cayuga). (Studies of Amerindian Linguistics). Berlin: Language Science Press. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.10473483. Pg 1096
- 1 2 Chafe, Wallace. "English-Seneca Dictionary" (PDF). p. 141. Retrieved July 20, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Jogah (Gahongas, Drum Dancers, or Stone Throwers)". www.native-languages.org. Retrieved 2026-04-06.
- 1 2 Connolly, Dominic (2024-05-15). Fairies: A celebration of pixies, sprites, mermaids and brownies. Amber Books Ltd. ISBN 978-1-83886-540-5.
- 1 2 Beauchamp, W. M. (1922). Iroquois Folk Lore: Gathered from the Six Nations of New York. Syracuse, New York: Dehler Press. p. 46.
- ↑ Bane, Theresa (2016-05-26). Encyclopedia of Giants and Humanoids in Myth, Legend and Folklore. McFarland. ISBN 978-1-4766-6351-7.
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