174 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 43 



One time Dn Pratz called attention to the fact that a dead king- 

 fisher Avhen suspended from the ceiling by a thread, faced up into the 

 wind as in life, whereupon the natives who accompanied him said 

 " that its soul must still govern its body."' " Portents were undoubt- 

 edly as confidently looked for as by other of the lower races, since 

 they could not be persuaded that a particularly gorgeous sunset did 

 not menace the red men with some misfortune, " because," said they, 

 '* the sky appeared red and as if angry." '^ 



When a tree in the neighborhood of the Natchez houses in the 

 Cherokee nation was struck by lightning the Avriter was informed 

 that the Indians would insist on burning every chip of wood belong- 

 ing to it. 



It seems clear from these statements that, as in the case of other 

 American tribes, the Natchez believed the universe to be filled with 

 spirits in human forms, and that there were differences in power 

 among these, the most powerful of all being a sky deity resident in 

 or connected with the' Sun. The Sun clan or caste was considered to 

 be descended from him, and hence had a divine right to the un- 

 usual honors and regard lavished upon it, while, as head of the Sun 

 people, the great chief was the representative of the deity on earth and 

 was to be treated accordingly. This view is suj)ported by Charlevoix 

 and Le Petit in the following words: 



Every moi'iiing as soon as the Sun appears, the great chief conies to the door 

 of his cabin, turns liinisclf to the east, and ho\Ais three times, bowing down to 

 the earth. Then they bring him a calumet, which serves only for this puri)ose. 

 He smokes, and blows the smoke of his tobacco toward the Sun ; then he does 

 the same thing toward the other three parts of the world. He acknowledges 

 no superior but the Sun, from which he pretends to derive his origin. He exer- 

 cises an unlimited power over his subjects, can dispose of their goods and 

 lives, and for whatever labors he requires of them they can not demand any 

 recompense." c 



The sun is the principal object of veneration to these people; as they can not 

 conceive of anything which can be above this heavenly body, nothing else appears 

 to them more worthy of their homage. It is for the same reason that the great 

 chief of this nation, who knows nothing on the earth moi-e dignified than him- 

 self, takes the title of brother of the Sun, and the credulity of the people main- 

 tains him in the despotic authority which he claims. To enable them better to 

 converse together they raise a mound of artirtcial soil on which they build his 

 cabin, which is of the same construction as the temple. The. door fronts the 

 east, and every morning the great chief honors by his presence the rising of 

 his elder brother, and salutes him with many howliugs as soon as he appears 

 above the horizon. Then he gives orders that they shall light his calumet ; 

 he makes him an offering of the first three puffs which he draws; afterwards 

 raising his hand above his head and turning from the east to the west, he 

 shows him the direction which he must take in his course.^ 



" Du Pratz, Hist, de La Louisiane, ii, 118. 

 »Ibid., Ill, 225. 



<• Charlevoix in French Hist. Coll. La., le."?, 1851. 

 "Le Petit in Jcs. Rel., lxviii, 126-127. 



