MooNEY] THE KA(iLK THK HAVKN 283 



The prayor oiulod, he leav'os the dead eajrUi whtu-e it fell and makes 

 all haste to the settlement, where the people arc anxiously expecting 

 his return. On meeting the iirst warriors he says simply, "A snow- 

 bird has died." and passes on at once to his own quarters, his work 

 being' now finished. The announcement is made in this form in order 

 to insure against the vengeance of any eagles that might overhear, the 

 little snowbird })eing considered too insigniticant a creature to be 

 dreaded. 



Having waited four day.s to allow time for the insect parasites to 

 leave the body, the hunters delegated for the purpose go out to })ring 

 in the feathers. On arriving at the place they strip the l)ody of the 

 large tail and wing feathers, which they wi'ap in a fresh deerskin 

 brought with them, and then return to the settlement, leaving the 

 body of the dead eagle upon the ground, together with that of the 

 slain deer, the latter being intended as a sacrifice to the eagle spirits. 

 On reaching the settlement, the feathei's, still wrapped in the deer- 

 skin, are hung up in a small, round hut liuilt for this special purpose 

 near the edge of the dance ground {detsdmln'k) and known as the 

 place "where the feathers are kept," or feather house. Some settle- 

 ments had two such feather houses, one at each end of the dance 

 ground. The Eagle dance was held on the night of the same day on 

 which the feathers were brought in, all the necessary arrangements 

 having been made beforehand. In the meantime, as the feathers were 

 supposed to lie hungry after their journey, a dish of venison and corn 

 was set upon the ground below them and they were invited to esit. 

 The body of a flaxbird or scarlet tanager {Piranga rtthra) was also 

 hung up with the feathers for the same purpose. The food thus given 

 to the feathers was disposed of after the dance, as described in another 

 place. 



The eagle being regarded as a great ada'wehi, only the greatest war- 

 riors and those versed in the sacred ordinances would dare to wear the 

 feathers or to carr}* them in the dance. Should any person in the settle- 

 ment dream of eagles or eagle feathers he nuist arrange for an Kagle 

 dance, with the usual vigil and fasting, at the Hrst opportunity: oth(>r- 

 wise some one of his family will die. Should the insect parasites 

 which infest the feathers of the bird in life get upon a man they w ill 

 breed a skin disease which is sure to tlevelop. even though it may be 

 latent for years. It is for this rea.son that tiie body of the eagle is 

 allowed to nMuain four days upon the ground t)efore being brought 

 into the settlement. 



The raven {hl'ldiiil) is occasionally seen in tlic mouMliiitis, hut is not 

 prominent in folk belief, excepting in connection witii tlie grewsome 

 tales of the Raven Mockei' ((|. v.). In former times its name was some- 

 times assumetl as a war title. Th(^ crow, so proniiiietit in other tribal 

 mythologies, does not seem to ajjpi-ar in tiiat of the Cherokee. Three 



