What is Oniate? – The Native American Ghostly Legend “Dry Fingers” That Haunt Upstate New York

Have you ever heard of Oniate? A Native American Legend of the "Dry Hand," A disembodied hand that is said to haunt much of Upstate New York.

The frightening legend comes from the Iroquois tradition, particularly the Seneca and Cayuga tribes of Upstate New York, with the Dry Fingers haunting the of the Genesee River and Finger Lakes. Oniate is described

In some stories Dry Fingers is purely a bogeyman, appearing in deserted areas to terrorize people passing by. But in other stories Dry Fingers is a vengeful apparition that only punishes badly behaved people, especially those who speak evil of the dead, sow discord, or pry into other people's business. The arm can fly, and any person touched by its withered, dried finger is killed, afflicted with a disease, or struck blind.

[Native-Languages.org]

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