The Creator gave two responsibilities to the thunder beings (the grandparents). The first is to clean and refresh the soil each spring with rain. The other is to keep the monstrous beasts and serpents that inhabit the earth underground; they do this by throwing lightning bolts.
The thunder ceremony is celebrated when the grandparents raise their voices with the first thunder of spring. They come from the west with a roar, they bring the water that renews life.
It takes place over four days, during which greetings, love and gratitude are sent to the Grandparents, the Thunder Beings. This is a male ceremony, which usually includes an invocation to tobacco, a war dance and a game of lacrosse. It is a ceremony which replaced the old ones for the sun and the moon.
The Crosse
Iroquois playing lacrosse, their favorite sport.
A player jumps to catch the dissected deerskin ball, then attempts to throw it behind the opposing team's goal line. You can carry the ball in the racket, but you must not touch it with your hands.
Illustration by W. Langdon Khin.
National Geographic. November 1937.
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