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Virginia Big-eared Bat

Corynorhinus townsendii virginianus

Status: Endangered. Human spelunking disturbs the caves inhabited by bats, also deforestation, and fungal infection has greatly impacted their population.

In Iroquois lore, the pygmies are tribes of tiny people, who live in rocky places. They live in houses and dress just as other people, only they are small. They are particularly fond of nail pairings and tobacco, and when their singing or the rhythmic beat of their drumming is heard echoing from a gulch, it is a sign to offer up bundles of such. The Djogeon gather up these gifts to use as "hunting medicine". Their gratitude is expressed in granted favors, good fortune, hunting charms, or growth of fruit and plants.

There are many different tribes of Djogeon. One subset, the Gandayah, tend to flora, protecting against disease and pests. If given offerings, they assist respectful Iroquois farmers with the benefit of flourishing crops. Among the Iroquois, wild strawberries are symbols of life, thanksgiving, and blessing: ripened sweetness of springtime sunlight kissed within a lush red fruit. The little people have a special affinity for the fruit. They guide the runners along the ground and arrange the leaves to benefit the most from the life-giving sun. The Gandayah occasionally reveal themselves in the different animal form as an omen: a robin to indicate good news, an owl for warning, and a bat for a mortal struggle.

 

References:
Parker, Arthur C. Seneca Myths and Folk Tales. University of Nebraska Press, 1989.

Kenny, M. (1985). Wild Strawberry. Wicazo Sa Review, 1(1), 40-44.

Emerick, Carolyn. "The Jogah: Little People of the Iroquois". Hubpages, 2014.