62 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



Large eaters were not looked upon with favor, but every one was 

 supposed to satisfy his hunger. 



The housewife announced that a meal was ready by exclaiming 

 Hau ! Sedek'oni, and the guest when he had finished the meal alway; 

 exclaimed with emphasis " Niawe"" " meaning, thanks are given 

 This was supposed to be addressed to the Creator. As a respoiis( 

 the host or hostess, the housewife or some member of the familj 

 would say " Niu'^" meaning it is zuell. Neglect to use these word: 

 was supposed to indicate that the goddess of the harvest and th( 

 growth spirits or " the bounty of Providence " was not appreciatec 

 and that the eater was indififerent. 



In apportioning a meal the housewife dipped the food from th( 

 kettle or took it from its receptacle and placed it in bark and woodei 

 dishes, which she handed the men. They either sat on the floor o 

 ground or stood along the wall as was most convenient. Th( 

 women and children were then served. This old time custom stil 

 has its survival in the modern eating habits of the more primitive 

 Iroquois. There are now tables and chairs and three regular meals 

 to be sure, but the women serve the men first and then, when th( 

 men have gone from the room, arrange the meal for themselves. 



Regular meals two and three times a day did not come until the 

 communal customs of the Iroquois had given way to the usages o 

 modern civilization. Even then, as Morgan observes,^ one of th€ 

 difficulties was to change the old usage and accustom themselvei 

 to eating together. It came about, as this author says, with the 

 abandonment of the communal houses and the establishment o: 

 single family houses where the food for the household was securec 

 by the effort of the family alone. 



Under the old regime food was kept ready for any one who miglH 

 call for it at any time. The single meal of the late morning did no 

 prevent any one from eating as many times as he pleased. 



Springing from the law of communism came the law of commor 

 hospitality. Any one from anywhere could enter any house at an) 

 time if occupants were within, and be served with food. Indeed i 

 was the duty of the housewife to offer food to every one that enterec 

 her door. If hungry the guest ate his fill' but if he had alread) 

 eaten he tasted the food as a compliment to the giver. A refusa 

 to do this would have been an outright insult. There was nevei 

 need for any one to go hungry or destitute, the unfortunate anc 



*6 Morgan. House Life, p. 99. 



