Iroquois Mythology

The Gods and Spirits of the Iroquois

FLYING HEAD

Iroquois Demon

Also known as Big Head, Great Head, Kanontsistóntie's, Konearaunehneh, Kunenhrayenhnenh

Picture of the Iroquois Demon Flying Head from our Iroquois mythology image library. Illustration by Chas Saunders.

Beware the low-flying ravenous head

Not a nice thing to be heading in your direction. A flying head with flaming eyes, hair streaming in the slipstream — and huge fangs for munching up livestock. Worst of all, the head was forever hungry as he had no body to fill.

An old woman roasting chestnuts caused his downfall. “Aha — hot chestnuts,” said the Flying Head to itself, “they smell delicious.” And being so gapingly greedy he bypassed the tiddly little things the woman was baking and gulped down the great big ones — along with the fire they were roasting in.

Big mistake. They were not large chestnuts, or even baked potatoes. They were hearthstones — containing all the heat of the fire. It was all too much — the Flying Head internally combusted and was never seen again. And that’s an old Iroquois chestnut.

Flying Head Facts and Figures

Name: Flying Head
Pronunciation: Coming soon
Alternative names: Big Head, Great Head, Kanontsistóntie's, Konearaunehneh, Kunenhrayenhnenh

Gender: Male
Type: Demon
Area or people: Iroquois aka Haudenosaunee
Celebration or Feast Day: Unknown at present

Role: Unknown at present

Good/Evil Rating: Unknown at present
Popularity index: 9563

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Article last revised on May 19, 2019 by Rowan Allen.
Editors: Peter J. Allen, Chas Saunders

References: Coming soon.

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