96 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 190 



into the fire in honor of his spirit. If they did not do this, they would 

 not have a good catch. Some villages sent the gifts he had requested 

 and they caught many fish. Only one village did not follow his ad- 

 vice. Several months later, returning from their fisher}'-, two of the 

 principal chiefs of this village and two of their relatives were drowned 

 during' a thunderstorm on the lake ( JE. 19 : 87) . 



Some arendiwane were able to predict whether or not there would 

 be success in war and were able to see what was at a distance, as 

 whether the enemy was approaching the village, how many were 

 coming and the places where they were hidden (JE, 10: 197; 19: 83; 

 33 : 221).^'' One old woman saw those who had gone to war and who 

 were bringing back prisoners. Her method was to outline in her hut 

 the Lake of the Iroquois [Lake Ontario] and on one side to make as 

 many fires as those who went on the expedition and on the other side 

 as many fires as they had enemies to fight. If the fires on the Huron 

 side "ran over," it indicated that the warriors had crossed the lake; 

 one fire extinguishing another meant that an enemy had been defeated ; 

 a fire only attracting another to itself without extinguishing it meant 

 that a prisoner had been taken ( JE 8 : 125) . 



After having been asked about the enemy and after having per- 

 formed many ceremonies, one individual said that he saw so many 

 enemies in a particular guise and that they would arrive in the country 

 in a certain number of days. But the people did not believe him. 

 Then, one evening he followed liis wife to the woods and killed her. 

 He ran back to the village, uttering the cry of one who had discovered 

 the enemy. The young men prepared for battle. The people went 

 through the houses and ascertained that the woman was missing, but 

 fright and the darkness of the night prevented them from pursuing 

 the enemy and seeking the woman. The next morning they found 

 her corpse, but finding no trail of an enemy, they soon suspected what 

 had happened. The villagers did not say anything, however, for if it 

 were known to be murder, then the relatives of the deceased, who was 

 from another village, would have to be given satisfaction. Twenty 

 days later, while the murderer was going through the village to raise 

 the cry of another attack, committed in fact by the enemies, a man 

 accused him of being a witch and killed him ( JE 19 : 83-87) . 



On another occasion, before setting out for war, a medicine man 

 was consulted. A bark sweat house 3 or 4 feet high and wide was 

 built for him and inside were placed hot stones. The medicine man 

 shut himself inside the sweat house and sang while the warriors danced 

 outside. Finally, his spirit gave him the answer and he yelled out, 



^ At least among the Iroquois, a war chief might go Into seclusion and fast. If he had 

 a dream or vision, he returned to the village and struck the war post. Then the warriors 

 were summoned to a feast of dog flesh, a ceremony Including dancing and striking the war 

 post. Bach warrior who struck the post pledged himself to join the war party which was 

 to set out the next morning (Fenton 1953 : 104-106). 



