NOTES 811 



412. It was believed, and so reported tnidilioiiall.v, that usually the arrow of 

 a sorcerer could not be removed from a wtiund except by its owner without 

 injuring the arrow. 



413. This is the literal meaniug of the uative term, aiul was the name of a 

 ceremonhtl feast, the virtues of which were l>elieved to be rooted in the fact 

 of the complete consinnption of the food offered by those who had Ijeen invited 

 to eat up what was set before them. It was permissible for such a guest, 

 however, to pay another to eat up what he himself or herself was not able to 

 devour, foi' if anything of the feast should be left over the purpose of the 

 feast would be defeated — by the malign influence of hostile sorcerers. 



414. See note 409. 



414a. This is one form of what is commonly called Iciniiilciiiic, a term which 

 signifies " a mixture," althougli it is also applied to the several plants which 

 commonly form the ingredients in the mixture. 



415. The native term here rendereil " anmlet " has a number of meanings, 

 another being the dried .spike of a plant — that of the mullein, f(a- example. 

 So this might be translated " The Spike-Hitter." It also is applied to any black 

 object or toy. 



416. Tliis feature of the shrinking path is interesting. 



417. The rendering of the native term by " owls " is literal, but the word 

 " owl " is taken in the sen.se of any nondescript bird of ill omen. 



418. The Seneca for this name is lliitl:irr"'(lii(l(!/('"''('r. i. e., "He. the Burnt 

 Belly, Small." Otherwl.se, " Small Mr. Burnt Belly." 



419. It was a common belief among the Seneca and the other Iroquoian peo- 

 ple that a sorcerer was usually aware of what another was doing, even though 

 they might dwell far apart. 



420. This returning of human life to the body of a simulated animal is also 

 quite common m stories recounting the fanciful exploits of sorcerers. 



421. Tins is the name of a woman who belonged to a class of ferocious women 

 who gained notoriety by seeking to destroy their sons-in-law on their wedding 

 nights. This name denotes the habit of these women of casting themselves 

 into the fire as a challenge. The name signifies, " She who is burned in many 

 places." 



422. See note 410. This is the masculine form of the .Seneca expression. 



423. This is the indefiiute form of the expression cited in the preceding note. 



424. This is the Seneca form of the name for a human skin, flayed off whole, 

 which was made to serve as a warder for some noted sorcerer or sorceress. 

 See note 409. 



425. This method of heating and hardening wooden instruments was employed 

 by Ulysses. See Hiuner's Odys.-^ey. 



426. This expression is the nearest approximatiim in sen.se to the native term 

 which signifies, literally, " He who has achieved or perfected our faculties." 



■ 427. This description recalls the Homeric contests for prizes between the 

 Greek warriors before Troy. 



428. The following recital of the obstacles along this mysterious path, oc- 

 curring in slightly varying versions elsewhere, reminds one of the seven guarded 

 passageways along the path of Ishtar's descent to the regions of the dead. 



429. The term rendered "mother" denotes in the vernacular the "matron" 

 or head woman, although " niotlier " is better. 



430. The Partridge. 



431. The Seneca name is O'.so'on(t). The '• t " sound is obsolescent. 



432. These are offerings to the genii of the place. 



433. He is the last remaining person. 



