Tooker] ETHNOGRAPHY OF THE HURON 125 



pound com. When somewhat grown, they and their companions 

 played various games in the course of which they were trained quietly 

 to perform small household duties (S 133 ).2^ 



The girls vied with one another as to which should have the most 

 lovers. If the mother found none for herself she freely offered her 

 daughter and the daughter offered herself. The husband sometimes 

 offered his wife, if she were willing, for some small present. There 

 were also procurers in the villages who had no other occupation except 

 bringing some of these women to the men who desired them (S 133- 

 134) ,3° 



Huron women did not leave the house or village during their men- 

 strual periods as did women of the "wandering peoples," but they did 

 cook their food separately in little pots during their periods and did not 

 allow others to eat their meats and soups (S 67) .^^ 



MARRIAGE 



The Huron were monogamous, but divorce was frequent (JR 8: 

 119-121, 151; 15: 79; 17: 143; 23: 187; 27: 69; 28: 51-53). ^^ Qften 

 a young woman might have 12 or 15 husbands, not including other 

 men, for after nightfall the young women and girls and the young 

 men went about from one house to another, regardless of whether or 

 not they were married (C 137-139; S 124). Marriage was "nothing 

 more than a conditional promise to live together so long as each shall 

 continue to render the services that they mutually expect from each 

 other" ( JH 28 : 51 ; cf. JR 21 : 135) . If the couple wished to separate, 

 they were free to do so. It was sufficient for the man to say to his 

 wife and her relatives that she was no good and might provide else- 

 where for herself. Wives left their husbands with equal ease (S 124) . 

 If the couple had children, they rarely separated and then only for 

 some important reason. If they did divorce, they did not remain un- 

 married for long, notwithstanding their children.^^ In some in- 

 stances, the children remained with the father ; in one instance, a baby 

 son remained with the mother. (The daughters should go to the 



^' Iroquois children still help with household chores at an early age and older children 

 care for the younger ones (Handle 1951: 170, 178; Shimony 1961 a: 215). 



'" Sagard's statement is probably a little extreme, although the attitudes of the Indians 

 are different from those of Europeans. 



^ Menstrual taboos still include similar prohibitions : taboos against cooking for a man, 

 drinking from the same glass, or biting the same bread as a man, as well as others, although 

 they are not always observed (Shimony 1961 a : 216-217). 



^ Many writers on the Iroquois have made similar statements : that they are monogamous 

 but that divorce is common (Jackson 1830 a : 55 ; 1830 b : 29 ; Morgan 1901(1) : 315-316 ; 

 1901(2): 271; Shimony 1961 a : 227-228 ; Morgan's (1901(1) : 315-316) statement that 

 divorce was infrequent In ancient times is probably an exaggeration). The Wyandot ap- 

 parently permitted polygyny (Finley 1840 : 69-70 ; Powell 1881 : 63) and Mary Jemison 

 said that polygyny was occasionally practiced by the Iroquois (Seaver 1824: 180). 



^■'Children, legitimate or illegitimate, are still not an impediment to marriage (Shimony 

 1961 a : 228 ; Randle 1951 : 178-179). 



671-292—64 9 



