ITooker] ETHNOGRAPHY OF THE HURON 9^ 



Similarly, the French priests who were thought able to cure ill- 

 nesses were also thought to be able to control the weather and to see 

 where the enemies were and how many they numbered ( JR 8 : 97; 10 : 

 95,109; 17: 119; Sirs). 



One summer, a famous medicine man was consulted about the expec- 

 tation of a good harvest of corn. He said that to insure a good crop, 

 each person should go each day to his field and, throwing some tobacco 

 on the fire, say "Listen, O Sky ! Taste my tobacco ; have pity on us" 

 and that no one should gather the hemp from which nets were made 

 (JR23:55). 



During a drought, one medicine man promised rain, and he w^as 

 given a number of feasts and a present worth 10 hatchets. But this 

 dreaming, feasting, and dancing did not bring rain. The arendhoane 

 then said that the crops would not ripen, that he was prevented from 

 making rain by a cross which was beside the Jesuits' door. The 

 Jesuits were told to take down their cross, or they would be killed as 

 sorcerers. Some said they would pull down the cross and some young 

 people made a cross which they placed on top of a house and shot 

 arrows at it. Then the Jesuits assembled the people of the village and 

 explained to them their method of praying for rain. Fortimately for 

 the Jesuits, it did rain ( JR 10 : 37-43) . 



A similar incident occurred during a drought in 1628. The arendi- 

 luane mentioned above said he could not make rain because the 

 Thunder was afraid of the red cross in front of the Frencliman's 

 house. Prayers were said and it did rain (JR 10: 43-49). In an- 

 other instance, at the request of an Indian, Sagard prayed for the rain 

 to stop so he could build a house. The rain did stop only to begin 

 again after the house had been finished (S 78) . The Indians also once 

 asked the priests to pray for the cessation of rain that threatened their 

 crops. They did and the rain ceased (S 178-182) . 



•A medicine man in 1636 said that the corn would grow and the 

 green ears would be roasted, but then there would be a white frost 

 which would kill the crop and cause famine. He said, "The people 

 are crying every day to the Sky, aronhiate onne aonstaancwas [cf. 

 above — aronhiate onne aonstaniwas taitenr^ 'O Sky, here is what I 

 offer thee in sacrifice; have pity on me; assist one' (JR 10 : 159)] ; and 

 yet nothing is given to it. This irritates the Sky and it will not fail to 

 take revenge; when the com shall begin to mature, it will without 

 doubt vent upon it the effects of its wrath" (JR 10: 161-163). The 

 prophecy, that a white frost would ruin the hai-vest, turned out to be 

 false (JR 13: 85). 



One man announced throughout the country that in order to insure 

 a large catch of fish, the villages should give him certain little presents 

 and, at the beginning of the fishing season and from time to time while 

 it lasted, they should meet together and throw some cakes of tobacco 



