looker] ETHNOGRAPHY OF THE HURON 143 



hand, one man, after his return from the land of the souls, reported 

 that they had all gone to heaven (JR 8: 147). A woman imparted 

 that the French there had welcomed her as an Iroquois captive was 

 welcomed at the villages, with firebrands and torches; that all the 

 French wanted were converts so that they would have captives to 

 torture (JE 30: 29). One man thought that the Jesuits should not 

 baptize Iroquois prisoners, as they would drive them from Heaven 

 when the Huron arrived (JR 13: 177-179), After he had returned 

 from the land of the dead, another man said that he had met two 

 Englishwomen. They told him that he would not die yet, but on his 

 return should burn his robe to cure his disease. They also told him 

 that the Jesuits had resolved not to return to France mitil they had 

 killed all the Indians ( JR 15 : 51) . One did not wish to go to Heaven 

 because the French would not give him anything to eat (JR 13 : 127). 

 Others did not want to go as there were no fields, trading, fishing, or 

 marriage ( JR 13 : 179) . 



Others gave different reasons. Some said that they could not 

 make the long journey to Heaven as they had such weak legs. Some 

 said that they were afraid that they might fall from so great a height. 

 Some wanted to know if there was tobacco in Heaven because they said 

 they could not do without it ( JR 17 : 127) . 



MYTHOLOGY 



LAND OF THE DEAD 



There were myths about the land of the dead. Two examples will 

 illustrate this type of knowledge ( JR 10 : 147-149) . 



All Indian, having lost his favorite sister, decided to look for her. 

 He traveled 12 days, without eating or drinking, toward the setting 

 Sim where he had heard the village of the souls was located. At the 

 end of this time, his sister appeared to him at night, gave him a dish 

 of meal cooked in water, and then, when he wished to put his hand 

 on her and stop her, disappeared. He traveled for 3 months and each 

 day she showed herself and gave him a little food. At the end of this 

 time, he came to a very swift river that did not appear fordable. 

 There were some fallen trees thrown across it, but this bridge was so 

 shaky he did not trust it. On the other side was a piece of cleared 

 land that indicated to him that there were some people nearby. 

 Looking more closely, he saw a little house at the edge of the woods. 

 He shouted several times and a man appeared, only to shut himself 

 up again in his house. Seeing the man, he resolved to cross, the river 

 and did. He went to the house and, finding the door closed, beat on 

 the door. The person inside told him to wait and, if he wanted to 

 enter, to first pass in his arm. The keeper was astonished to see a 

 living body. Opening the door, he asked what his purpose was, for 



