The Lady of the Mist: An Indian Legend

The Maid of the Mist is the name of the amazing ship that everyone wants to ride when they visit Niagara Falls. Beyond that fact there is an American Indian tale. A story of a proud and loving people committed to their own, to the land around them, and to the gods they served to keep them safe.

One of the gods that inhabited the lands was Hinum, the God of Thunder. He resided in a cave behind the great falls. To appease this God, the tribes living along the Niagara River regularly sent canoes loaded with fruits, vegetables, and flowers over the falls as a gift of thanks to Hinum and her children. This practice was carried on for a long time until it seemed that the God of Thunder was no longer satisfied with these sacrifices.

Many of the Indians from several different villages were getting sick and even dying without explanation. The Indians discovered that after burials tombs were desecrated and the body and soul of their loved ones devoured during the night. They wondered what else they could do to please Hinum. It was decided to sacrifice once a year the most beautiful maiden of the tribe along with the traditional gifts they had been sending.

It happened that the most beautiful maiden in the Indian tribe one year was Lelawala, the daughter and only daughter of Chief Eagle Eye. The Indian chief allowed the preparations to take place but was unable to participate. On the day of the sacrifice, Lelawala was decked out in a white deerskin robe and a beautiful wreath of wildflowers around her head. He bravely stood in the white birch canoe filled with fruits, flowers, vegetables, and game and headed for the mighty falls. When she reached the top of the fall, her father, Chief Eagle Eye, caught up with her in his own canoe and they launched themselves over the falls simultaneously.

Hinum’s two sons stretched through a dense fog directly in front of the falls and took Lelawala in their arms. They both wanted her very much and took her to the shelter of the cave. Lelawala never forgot why he had fallen down the falls, which was to find a way to save his people from dying. One of the brothers was promised that he would tell him what was happening to the tribe and how he could stop it.

The younger brother was forced to divulge that a large evil snake appeared from the bottom of the river once a year and poisoned the village’s water. After the death of the Indians, the snake reappeared at night and ate the remains.

Hinum allowed the maiden to be carried in spirit by her two sons to her village to explain the deaths and illnesses and what to do to prevent her from continuing. Lelawala told the tribe to only drink spring water and when the great evil serpent returned, they were to kill her with all their weapons.

During the next visit to the Indian village, the snake was attacked and tried to return to its hiding place. He was almost on the other side of the river when his head got stuck in the rocks on the other side and his tail got caught on the other side. In his pain and anguish, he twisted in a horseshoe shape from end to end and died there.

Lelawala returned to the cave and lives there with the God of Thunder and his two sons protecting his people.