122 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 190 



Some charms were obtained in trade from neighboring tribes, espe- 

 cially from the Algonquin, who had powerful ones : the most costly 

 and precious merchandise of the country ( JK 17 : 211) . 



A particularly powerful Algonquin charm {onniont) was a kind 

 of serpent, almost in the shape of the armored fish, which pierced 

 everything it met on its way, trees, bears, and rocks, without deviating 

 from its course or stopping. If a person could kill the onniont or 

 obtain a piece of it, he would have good luck. The onniont, however, 

 did not live in Huronia and Huron knowledge of this creature 

 was obtained from the Algonquin, who sold them a small piece of it 

 for a high price ( JE 33 : 213-215) .^o 



LIFE CYCLE 



BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD 



Other Huron ritual was associated with the life cycle : birth, mar- 

 riage, and death. 



In many different situations, a pregnant woman could give good or 

 bad luck (JR 17: 213). Her condition could prevent her husband 

 from taking game; if she looked at an animal that was being pur- 

 sued, it could not be taken. If she entered the house of a sick person, 

 he became worse. If people ate with her, they became ill ( JR 15 : 

 181).^^ (See above under "Cure of Natural Illnesses" — the presence 

 of a pregnant woman was necessary for the successful extraction of 

 an arrow.) 



Girls were preferred: the Huron rejoiced more in the birth of a 

 daughter than a son, in order that the country's inhabitants increase 

 ( JR 15 : 181-183) . They desired many children both to help support 

 them in old age and to defend them against their enemies (S 127) .^^ 



Women gave birth "by themselves, and for the most part do not 

 lie up." Some came from the woods, laden with a big bundle of 



20 See note 14, p. 117. The behavior of this being resembles that of certain Iroquois 

 mythological creatures (see, for example. Converse 1908: 76). The buying and selling 

 of charms is, of course, to be expected when such a high value is placed on them. It still 

 occurs : the Iroquois of the Six Nations Reserve buy their supply of Little Water Med- 

 icine from the Indians of the Cattaraugus Reservation in New York (Shimony 1961 a : 

 284). 



^ Based on the idea that her condition could cause others harm, a pregnant woman 

 is still subject to taboos which are similar to those mentioned by the Jesuits. Paralleling 

 the Jesuit statement that a pregnant woman should not look at an animal is the current 

 idea that a pregnant woman should not "associate with hunters or with medicine men 

 or watch the making of medicine, since the animals would be scared by the contaminated 

 hunter and the medicine would be spoiled" (Shimony 1961 a: 208) and paralleling the 

 Jesuit statement that a pregnant woman should not eat with others is the current prohi- 

 bition against using the common drinking cup at the Longhouse (Shimony 1961 a: 159, 

 161, 208, 216-217), 



*" Apparently now boys and girls are equally desired by the Iroquois (Randle 1951 : 177). 



