Tooker] ETHNOGRAPHY OF THE HURON 57 



their children so much was that the children would commit suicide if 

 they were treated with some severity by their parents (JR 14: 37). 

 In one case a man poisoned himself "from the grief he felt because 

 his wife had been taken away from him" (JR 8: 121). In another 

 case, after he had lost a beaver robe and a collar of four hundred 

 wampum beads at a game of straws, a man hanged himself from a 

 tree rather than face his relative-s. He had attempted suicide before, 

 but a little girl had caught him in the act. Wlien asked why he did 

 it, he replied, "I do not know, but someone within me seems always 

 to be saying, 'Hang yourself, hang yourself " (JR 10: 81).®^ 



ETIQUETTE 



Certain behavior was expected of individuals, for otherwise they 

 would be criticized on the spot. If an individual made too many 

 blunders, he would be talked about in the village and lose all his 

 influence. When two Hurons met, the only greeting tliey gave was 

 to call each other by name or to say "my friend, my comrade" or, if 

 it was an old man, "my uncle." If a Huron came into a house when 

 the occupants were eating, they gave him something to eat. If he 

 was given one of their dishes, he would taste it and give it back. 

 But, if he was given a dish for himself, he would not eat it until he 

 had shared it with his companions who usually took only a spoonful 

 ( JR 10 : 213-215) . It was a serious breach of etiquette to set one's foot 

 in a house while a feast for a sick person was going on ( JR 13 : 193), 

 but it was proper to feed and lodge travelers (S 88). When they 

 visited one another, they made mutual presents. To show politeness, 

 they did not bargain and were satisfied to take what was honestly and 

 reasonably offered. They despised the proceeding of the French mer- 

 chants who bargained for an hour to lessen the cost of a beaver skin 

 (S 140) . When the Indians wished to entertain someone and demon- 

 strate their friendship for him, they presented him with a lighted pipe 

 after having smoked it themselves (S 88) . 



The Huron paid each other no compliments [probably in the 

 sense that they did not indulge in the polite formalities of "civilized" 

 society]. If their hands were dirty, they wiped them on their hair 

 or on the coats of their dogs. They never washed them unless they 

 were extremely dirty (S 140) . They belched before everybody during 

 meals (S 141). Wlien one Huron sneezed, the others responded with 

 imprecations, abuse, and even invoked death upon the Iroquois and 

 all their enemies (S 85). 



^ The motives and methods of Iroquois suicide are discussed in detail in Fenton's 

 (1941 b) study (see also below "Birth and Childhood" and note 27, p. 124, for further 

 material on Iroquolan child-training practices). 



