CHAPTER III.

PAGAN RITES AND CEREMONIES.

RELIGIOUS BELIEF-ANNUAL FEASTS SACRIFICES-DANCES-REMARKS.

It is not at all surprising, that a people as wise, warlike, and sagacious, as were the Iroquois, should be marked by peculiar religious institutions. From time immemorial, having been shut out from the lights of civilization and the influences of pure religion, with the traditionary faith of their forefathers always orally transmitted; it is not to be wondered at, that their religious opinions are implicitly believed, most scrupously adhered to, and practiced with a zeal and fidelity worthy of all commendation. Among the Pagan portion, there is no difference of opinion in religions matters. They are agreed in sentiment; their aim is the public good. Individual virtues are cultivated, and these are explained and illustrated in their Pagan ceremonies.

They believe in one Great and Good Spirit, styled in the language of the Onondagas, Ha-wah-ne-u, who is the Creator of the World; the Holder of the Heavens; the Master of Breath; the maker of men and useful animals. He is the controller of events; He rules the destinies of men; supplies them with the comforts and conveniences of life; makes abundance of game in the hunting grounds, and supplies the streams with fish and the air with birds. He is believed to be the peculiar Deity of the red man, and they are his peculiar people.

To this Great and Good Being they address their prayers, render thanks for success in hunting, and for victories in war.

To him they offer sacrifices, and chaunt their songs of praise. These things they do with a regularity, devotion and reverence, in the midst of a Christian people, within the influences. of the Gospel; and adhere to them with a tenacity that should make their Christian neighbors ashamed.

In each year, they hold five stated festivals, for a general assembling of their clans. Upon these occasions, all join in thanksgiving, to the Great and Good Spirit, for blessings received at his beneficent hand; and the old men converse upon the best means of meriting his favors, and of continuing them in future.

The first of these festivals is held in spring, directly after the season for making sugar is past. They give thanks for the abundance of sap, and for the quantity of sugar they have been permitted to make. The aged chiefs harangue the people in expressions of thankfulness, urging the necessity of national gratitude, describing the course which the young men ought to pursue, in order to merit a continuance of the favors of Ha-wah-ne-u. A straight line is pointed out, upon which all good people are directed to walk, by placing one foot directly before the other, and so proceed until they come to the end. They are admonished that there should be no deviation, to the right hand or to the left, into the paths of vice, but keep straight forward in the ways of rectitude and virtue, which in the end leads to the mansions of Ha-wahne-u. This festival is usually closed with dances, singing and games.

The second festival is immediately after corn-planting, at which time they return thanks for the fair weather they have had during the preparation of the ground, for the good seedtime, and are instructed by the aged men, in the means to be used to secure an abundant harvest, and invoke the Great Spirit to promote a rapid and luxuriant growth, and that the green corn may come early to maturity.

When the green corn becomes fit for use, and directly after the first ears are broken off, they hold the third festival, called the green corn feast.

At this festival thanks are rendered for the peculiar gift of this inestimable blessing. Large quantities of corn are provided, both boiled and roasted, upon which all partake with unscrupulous relish. Songs and dances enter largely into the ceremonies on this occasion, and the famous succotash dance concludes the whole. The pipe of peace is usually smoked on these festival days by the head men of the nation, from the eldest to the younger, in succession to the last. This is one of the most joyous and merry-making festivals in the Indian calendar. The women are engaged, days beforehand, in making preparation, and have the principal management of the feast. The aged matron and the coy maiden are alike active and busy in procuring materials, and in distributing the contents of the kettles in which the corn has been boiled, and it is truly amusing to see with what cunning, archness and address they will palm off an ear of hot corn upon an unsuspecting youth.

Their fourth festival is celebrated immediately after corn harvest; usually about the first of November. At this time, they return thanks for the harvest, and the usual festivities are gone through with, of music, singing and dancing. The whole concluding with the peace dance.

The four preceding festivals occupy but one day each. In former times, three days were allotted to each.

The fifth or last festival, the crowning one of the year, and the one to which most importance is attached, is celebrated late in the month of January, or early in the month of February, according to the phasis of the moon. The Indian year is reckoned by moons, and this great national festival is held in the old moon nearest to the first of our month February.

The hunters having all returned from the chase, and having brought in their venison and skins that have been taken, and a portion of these trophies having been deposited in the council-house, two sets of managers are appointed, numbering from ten to twenty young men on a side. These are chosen to superintend all the concerns relative to the grand festival, thansgiving and sacrifice, which is immediately to take place.

Arrangements are made at the council-house for the reception and accommodation of the whole nation. This being done, the managers are ready to commence their appropriate duties, during the whole of which they act with great formality, order and decorum.

On the first day a select number from each party of the managers, some four or five, start from the council-house, and run with all possible speed to every cabin in the nation, knocking on the doors and sides of the houses, informing the people that all things are now ready, and that they must immediately repair to the council-house and partake of the festivities of the occasion. At this time, this portion of the committee of arrangements, are nearly naked, covered only by a waistcloth girded about the loins reaching down nearly to the knee, with moccasins on their feet, their faces and bodies painted, and plumes upon their heads. The fire is now extinguished in every cabin, the committee enter the dwellings (the inmates expecting them,) and with a small wooden shovel scatter the ashes about in every direction. The hearths are made clean; new fire is struck from the flint and rekindled; thus they proceed from house to house till every one is visited and purified. During these proceedings, the remaining part of the managers are engaged at the council-house, in firing guns, hallooing, shouting &c., to inform the people, that the ceremonies have commenced. They meet all those who come to the festival, greet them most cordially and conduct them into the council-house.

This is the course pursued on the first day. The second day, the managers assemble early at the council-house, and receive from the master of ceremonies, instructions for the day. When ready to depart, several guns are usually fired accompanied by shouting and hallooing. On this day the managers are fantastically dressed, and proceed from house to house with baskets, collecting the gifts of the people with which to grace the festival. These gifts consist of pork, beef, bread, beans, peas, ears of corn, tobacco, savory herbs, small handfuls of straw nicely bound, and every article is received,

that is useful for food, for incense or for sacrifice. Every one is bound to give something, or he is not to be included in the general absolution. Each manager in his round of alms-gathering, carries a large rattle made of dried tortoiseshell, in which are small stones, peas or beans. These they rattle violently in the several cabins, earnestly inviting the people to bestow their gifts. These proccedings are continued for several days, according to the time allotted for the continuance of the festival. During all this time, the people who are assembled at the council-house, are engaged in leaping, running, dancing and their native sports.

On the first of the last three days, the committee cover their faces with masks, dress themselves in old blankets, fragments of old buffalo robes, &c., bedaubing themselves with soot and grease, in which frightful and ludicrous appearance they run from house to house with baskets, crying, "give, give." Every individual who refuses to comply with this reasonable request, is saluted with a rub from these solicitors, which leaves a mark of disgrace not easily effaced.

While these things are going on, it is supposed they are collecting the sins of the people, and concentrating all the evils of the nation within themselves, which are to be expiated by the approaching sacrifice. On the evening of this day, they hold a most ludicrous dance, called by the white people "the devil's dance," in which they "dance off the witches." Nothing can appear more loathsome and abhorrent than do the participators in this dance. Covered with grease, coal-dust and soot, dressed in old worn out rags of blankets, tattered buffalo robes, hair side out, with masks of paper, bark, and husks of corn; add to this the yells and rude music of the savage, and indeed it may well be styled "a dance of devils."

On the day preceding the last, the managers having gathered all the ills of the nation to themselves, and made a full report of all their proceedings to the person who officiates as high priest or master of ceremonies, the day is spent in preparation for the great day of sacrifice which is to take place on