A Narrative of the Life of Mrs. Mary JemisonSeaver, James E. (James Everett)
History
A Narrative of the Life of Mrs. Mary Jemison
Seaver, James E. (James Everett)
Jemison, Mary, 1743-1833; Seneca Indians
This being done, the frolic is commenced by those who are present, while
the committee run through the tribe or town, and hurry the people to
assemble, by knocking on their houses. At this time the committee are
naked, (wearing only a breech-clout,) and each carries a paddle, with
which he takes up ashes and scatters them about the house in every
direction. In the course of the ceremonies, all the fire is extinguished
in every hut throughout the tribe, and new fire, struck from the flint
on each hearth, is kindled, after having removed the whole of the ashes,
old coals, &c. Having done this, and discharged one or two guns, they go
on, and in this manner they proceed till they have visited every house
in the tribe. This finishes the business of the first day.
On the second day the committee dance, go through the town with
bear-skin on their legs, and at every time they start they fire a gun.
They also beg through the tribe, each carrying a basket in which to
receive whatever may be bestowed. The alms consist of Indian tobacco,
and other articles that are used for incense at the sacrifice.
Each manager at this time carries a dried tortoise or turtle shell,
containing a few beans, which he frequently rubs on the walls of the
houses, both inside and out. This kind of manoeuvering by the committee
continues two or three days, during which time the people at the
council-house recreate themselves by dancing.
On the fourth or fifth day the committee make false faces of husks, in
which they run about, making a frightful but ludicrous appearance.
In this dress, (still wearing the bear-skin,) they run to the
council-house, smearing themselves with dirt, and bedaub every one who
refuses to contribute something towards filling the baskets of incense,
which they continue to carry, soliciting alms. During all this time they
collect the evil spirit, or drive it off entirely, for the present, and
also concentrate within themselves all the sins of their tribe, however
numerous or heinous.
On the eighth or ninth day, the committee having received all the sin,
as before observed, into their own bodies, they take down the dogs, and
after having transfused the whole of it into one of their own number,
he, by a peculiar slight of hand, or kind of magic, works it all out of
himself into the dogs. The dogs, thus loaded with all the sins of the
people, are placed upon a pile of wood that is directly set on fire.
Here they are burnt, together with the sins with which they were loaded,
surrounded by the multitude, who throw incense of tobacco or the like
into the fire, the scent of which they say, goes up to Nauwaneu, to whom
it is pleasant and acceptable.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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