FIRE AS AN AGENT IN HUMAN CULTURE 1S9 



was from to 8 inches in diameter and from 8 to 10 feet long; the 

 other was from 10 to 12 inches in diameter and about 10 feet long. 

 About midway across the larger log a cuneiform notch or cut about 

 6 inches deep was made, and in the wedge-shaped notch punk was 

 placed. The other log was drawn rapidly to and fro in the cut by 

 four strong men chosen for the purpose until the punk was ignited 

 by the friction thus produced. 



"Before and during the progress of the work of igniting the fire the 

 shaman votively sprinkled tcar-hu-en-we, 'real tobacco/ tlu'ee several 

 times into the cuneiform notch and offered earnest prayers to the 

 fire god, beseeching him 'to aid, to bless, and to redeem the people 

 from their calamities.' 



"The ignited punk was used to light a large bonfire, and then the 

 head of every family was required to take home 'new fire' to rekindle 

 a fire in his or her fireplace." ^- 



"At the sacrifice of the white dog, which was the New Year's fes- 

 tival and gi'eat jubilee of the Iroquois, the proceedings extended over 

 six days. * * * The fire was kindled by swiftly revolving, by 

 means of a bow and cord, an upright shaft of wood with a perforated 

 stone attached to it as a fly wheel. The lower point rested on a 

 block of dry wood, surrounded by tinder, which was speedily ignited. 

 This is the ordinaiy process still in use among many of the Indian 

 tribes." »3 



The Cherokee (Iroquoian) at the annual corn dance obtained new 

 fire from one freshly kindled in the town house.^^ 



Once a year, about July, the Creeks put out all the fires through- 

 out the nation; they fast the next two days, then the fire is lighted 

 again according to their old fashion by drilling with a hard piece of 

 wood on a soft one till it catches, which soon happens; thus all the 

 fires are again lighted and universal feasting ensues.'^ 



In the Minitaree Green Corn Dance, a ceremony of rejoicing in 

 the maturing of crops practiced by many North American tribes, 

 corn is boiled on the fire, which is then put out by removing it with 

 the ashes and burying them. New fire is made by desperate and 

 painful exertion by three men seated on the ground facing each 

 other and violently drilling the end of a stick into a hard block of 

 wood by rolling it between the hands, each one catching the stick in 

 turn from the other without allowing the motion to stop, until 

 smoke and at last a spark of fire is seen and caught in a piece of 

 punk when there is great rejoicing in the crowd."® 



9«J. N. B. Hewitt. Amer. Anthrop., vol. 2, January, 1889, p. 319. 



"Sir Daniel Wilson. Pre-Historic Man, vol. 1, London, 186fi, p. 128. 



•* James Mooney. Amer. Anthrop., vol. 2, 1889, p. 107. 



* Benard Romans. A Concise Natural History of East and West Florida, etc., vol. 1, 1775, p. 08. 



»• George Catlin. Ropt. U. S. Nat. Mas., 1885, p. 315. 



