454 



FAX FEASTS 



[ B. A. E. 



tbe great ceremonies all the principal ac- 

 tors were obliged to fast prior to taking 

 part. The length of these fasts varied 

 with the ceremony and the tribe, and 

 ranged from midnight to sunset, or con- 

 tinned 4 days and nights. Fasting gen- 

 erally included abstinence from water 

 as well as food. The reason for fasting 

 has been explained by a Cherokee priest 

 as "a means to spiritualize the human 

 nature and quicken the spiritual vision 

 by abstinence from earthly f ood. ' ' Other 

 tribes have regarded it as a method by 

 which to remove "the smell" of the 

 common world. Occasionally chiefs or 

 leaders have appointed a trilial fast in 

 order to avert threatening disaster. See 

 Feasts. 



Consult Dorsey and Voth in Field Co- 

 lumbian Mus. Publ., Anthroji. ser., in, 

 1900-03; Fewkes ( 1) in Jour. Am. Ethnol. 

 and Archfeol., iv, 1894, (2) in 19th Rep. 

 B. A. E., 1900; Matthews in Mem. Am. 

 Mus. Nat. Hi.st., vi, 1902; Mooney in 

 19th Rep. B. A. E., 1900. (a. c. f.) 



Fax. A former Chumashan village near 

 Purisima mission, Santa Barbara co., 

 Cal.— Taylor in Cal. Farmer, Oct. 18, 

 1861. 



Feasts. Among all tribes there were 

 feasts, ranging in importance from that of 

 the little child toils playmate up to those 

 which were a part of the great sacred 

 ceremonies. These so-called feasts were 

 never elaborate and were simply served, 

 each portion being ladled from the kettle 

 by the hostess, or by one appointed for 

 the task. 



Feasts were held at stated times. On 

 the N. Pacific coast the coming of the 

 salmon w^as celebrated in a feast of thanks- 

 giving by all the tribes able to secure 

 the fish from inlets or rivers. Farther s. 

 the ripening of acorns and other fruits 

 was similarly observed. The maturing of 

 the maize was the occasion for tribal fes- 

 tivities; at that time the Creeks held 

 their 8-days' ceremony known as the 

 Busk (q. v.), when the new corn was 

 eaten, the new fire kindled, new garments 

 worn, and all past enmities forgiven. In 

 November, when the Eskimo had gath- 

 ered their winter store, they held a feast, 

 at which time gifts were exchanged; 

 by this a temporary relationship was 

 formed between the giver and taker, 

 which tended to good feeling and fellow- 

 ship. During the full moon of Decem- 

 ber the Eskimo held a feast to which 

 the bladders of animals killed during the 

 year were brought. These were "sup- 

 posed to contain the inuas, or shades of 

 the animals." On the sixth and last day 

 the bladders were taken out to a hole 

 made in the ice, and thrust into the water 

 under the ice. They "were supposed 

 to swim far out to sea and then enter 



the Ijodies of unborn animals of their 

 kind, thus becoming reincarnated and 

 rendering game more plentiful ' ' ( Nelson ) . 

 Among the Iroquois a feast was held to 

 keep the medicine alive. Religious cere- 

 monies to insure fruitfulness took place 

 at the planting of the maize, at which 

 time a feast was held. 



Feasts were given on the completion of 

 a house, at a marriage, and when a child 

 was named. Feasts in honor of the dead 

 were widely observed. The time which 

 must elapse after a death before the feast 

 could be given varied among the tribes. 

 Among some of the Plains Indians it oc- 

 curred after 4 days, with the Iroquois after 

 10 days, and with other tribes after nearly 

 a year. The Eskimo held their memo- 

 rial feast late in November. The near 

 relatives were the hosts, and the dead 

 were supposed to be present beneath the 

 fioor of the dwelling where they enjoyed 

 the festivities in their honor, partaking 

 of the food and Avater cast there for them, 

 and receiving the clothing put as a gift 

 upon their namesakes. At the feast for 

 the dead held by the tribes on the n. 

 Pacific coast, the spirits of the departed 

 were also supposed to be present, but the 

 portions of food intended for them were 

 passed through the fire and reached them 

 in this manner. The Huron held their 

 ceremonial feast in the fall, when all who 

 had died during the year were disinterred 

 by their kindred, the flesh strij^pecl from 

 the bones, and these wrapped in new 

 robes and laid in the clan burial pit. 

 The feast was one of tribal importance and 

 was accompanied with religious rites. 



It was incumbent on an aspirant to 

 tribal honor to give feasts to the chiefs, 

 and one who desired initiation into a so- 

 ciety must provide feasts for the society. 

 Respect to chiefs and leading men was 

 expressed by a feast. On such an occa- 

 sion the host and his family did not eat 

 with their guests; they provided the food 

 and the dishes, but the head chief ap- 

 pointed one of the guests to act as server. 

 At all feasts the host was careful not to 

 include in the food or the dishes used 

 anything that would be tabu to any of 

 his guests; a failure to observe this im- 

 portant point would be considered an 

 insult. 



The meetings of secular societies 

 among the Plains tribes, whether the 

 membership was of one or both sexes, 

 were always accompanied with a feast. 

 There was no public invitation, but the 

 herald of the society went to each lodge 

 and gave notice of the meeting. The 

 food was provided by the family at 

 whose lodge the society met, or by cer- 

 tain other duly appointed persons. The 

 preparation for the feast varied in differ- 

 ent societies within the same tribe. In 



