'x-i'^Kvl THK ANi'-Kl TA'NI " 393 



(limness of the tnidilioii it is oviilciit tli:it it must havo hopn iiiuch 

 oarlicr: 



"Tlio fiu-ts, thougli few. arc iiitorestiiio-. The order was hereditary; 

 in this respect peculiar, for among Indians seldom, and amono- the 

 Cherokees never, does power pertain to any family as a matter of 

 riiiiit. Yet the family of the Nicotani — for it seems to have been a 

 family or clan — enjoyed this privilege. The i)o\v(>r that they exer- 

 cised was not. however, political, nor does it appear that chiefs were 

 elected from among them. 



"The Nicotani were a mystical, religious body, of whom the people 

 stood in great awe, and seem to have been somewhat like the Hraiimins 

 of India. By what means they attained their ascendancj', or how long 

 it was maintained, can never be ascertained. Their extinction by mas- 

 SMci-e is nearly all that can be discovered concerning them. They 

 became haughty, insolent, overbearing, and licentious to an intoler- 

 able degree. Relying on their hereditary privileges and the strange 

 awe which the}- inspired, they did not hestitate by fraud or violence 

 to rend asunder the tender relations of husband and wife when a 

 beautiful woman excited their passions. The people long brooded in 

 silence over the oppressions and outrages of this high caste, whom 

 they deeply hated but greatly feared. At length a daring young man, 

 a member of an influential family, organized a conspiracy among the 

 people for the mas.sacre of the priesthood. The innnediate provoca- 

 tion was the abduction of the wife of the young leader of the con- 

 sj)irac-y. His wife was remarkable for her beauty, and was forcil)l3' 

 aliducted and violated by one of the Nicotani while he was absent on 

 the chase. On his return he found no difhcultv in exciting in others 

 the resentment which he himself experienced. So many had suf- 

 fered in the same way, so many feared that they might be made to 

 suffer, that nothing was wanted but a leader. A leader appearing in 

 the person of the young ln'ave wiiom we have named, the people rose 

 under Ills direction and killed every Nicotani, young and old. Thus 

 per.ished a hereditary secret society, since which time no hereditary 

 ])ri\ileges have been tolerated among the Cherokees."' 



109. THE WAR MEDICINE 



SouK^ warriors had medicine to change their shape as they pleased, 

 sii that they could escape from tlieir enemies. Once one of these 

 medicine warriors who had l)een away from home came back and found 

 a strong party of the enemy attacking the settlement while nearly all 

 the men were off on a hunt. The town was on the otlier side of the 

 river, but his grandmother was there, so he made up his mind to save 

 hvv. Going down the stream a little way, he hunted until he found a 



' MacGownn, Dr D. J., Indian Secret Societies, Historical Miigazine, x , !■. 13ii, ISOG. Murrisunia, X. V. 



