230 MYTHS OF THE CHEROKEE [eth.annM9 



other old men were bo_ys, now some eighty years ago, the myth-keepers 

 and priests were accustomed to meet together at night in the asi, 

 or low-built log sleeping house, to recite the traditions and discuss 

 their secret knowledge. At times those who desired instruction from 

 an adept in the sacred lore of the tribe met him l)y appointment in the 

 asi, where they sat up all night talking, with only the light of a small 

 fire ])urning in the middle of the floor. At daj^break the whole party 

 went down to the running stream, where the pupils or hearers of the 

 myths stripped themselves, and were scratched upon their naked skin 

 with a bone-tooth comb in the hands of the priest, after which they 

 waded out, facing the rising sun, and dipped seven times under the 

 water, while the priest recited prayers upon the bank. This purifica- 

 tory rite, observed more than a century ago by Adair, is also a part of 

 the ceremonial of the ballplay, the Green-corn dance, and, in fact, 

 every important ritual performance. Before beginning one of the 

 stories of the sacred class the informant would sometimes suggest 

 jokingly that the author first submit to being scratched and "goto 

 water." 



As a special privilege a boy was sometimes admitted to the asi on 

 such occasions, to tend the fire, and thus had the opportunity to 

 listen to the stories and learn something of the secret rites. In this way 

 John Ax gained much of his knowledge, although he does not claim 

 to be an adept. As he describes it, the fii'e intended to heat the room — 

 for the nights are cold in the Cherokee mountains — was built upon the 

 ground in the center of the small house, which was not high enough 

 to permit a standing position, while the occupants sat in a circle around 

 it. In front of the fire was placed a large fiat rock, and near it a pile 

 of pine knots or splints. When the fire had burned down to a bed of 

 coals, the boy lighted one or two of the pine knots and laid them upon 

 the rock, where they blazed with a bright light until nearly consumed, 

 when others were laid upon them, and so on until daybreak. 



Sometimes the pine splints were set up crosswise, thus, XXXX, in a 

 circle around the fire, with a break at the eastern side. They were 

 then lighted from one end and burned gradually around the circle, 

 fresh splints being set up behind as those in front were consumed. 

 Lawson describes this identical custom as witnessed at a dance among 

 the Waxhaw, on Catawba river, in ITOl: 



Now, to return to our state house, wliither we were invited by the grandees. As 

 soon as we came into it, they placed our Englishmen near the king, it being my for- 

 tune to sit next him, having his great general or war captain on my (jther hand. 

 The house is as dark as a dungeon, and as hot as one of the Dutch stoves in Holland. 

 They had made a circular fire of split canes in the middle of the house, it was one 

 man's employment to add more split reeds to the one end as it consumed at the 

 other, there being a small vacancy left to supply it with fuel.' 



1 Lawson, Carolina, G7-68, reprint 1860. 



