Hi-nun and the Niagara Legend
The Seneca tell of Hi-nun, the Thunderer, who fought a great battle with a monstrous serpent living in the Niagara River. The serpent had grown so large that it blocked the flow of the river, causing devastating floods. Hi-nun descended from the sky with his thunderbolt and struck the serpent, whose thrashing body carved out the shape of Niagara Falls as it died. The mist that rises from the falls is said to be the serpent's dying breath. The Spirit of the West Wind was honored thereafter by the Seneca for his role in the battle, and the thunder of the falls is Hi-nun's voice warning away othe