SwANTON] INDIANS OP THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES 695 



Memory of such an ark was preserved until recently by the Ala- 

 bama Indians, who seemed to think there was but one in the tribe 

 (Swanton, 1928, p. 425). As a whole the Creeks appear to have had 

 two principal war medicines, the horn of a horned snake, and bones 

 of another mythic creature called "man-eater," but later, after white 

 contact, "lion" (Hawkins, 1848, pp. 79-80; Swanton, 1928, p. 429). 

 Milfort tells us that each minor band chief heading a large force 

 carried along "a little sack in which there are certain stones and 

 some pieces of cloth which he has taken from the clothing of the 

 head chief" (Swanton, 1928, p. 432). The ark was set down on 

 stones or pieces of wood, never on the ground. 



When the party entered the woods all were silent. While they 

 were away they must not lean against a tree and they must sit on 

 rocks. A bad dream might cause a warrior to return home at any 

 time, and the note of a certain bird would disband them. Captive 

 women and children of both sexes were usually saved unless they 

 had been "devoted" in advance, "devoted" meaning that all captives 

 were to be killed indiscriminately for a certain period. Speaking of 

 the Creek warriors that he observed in 1743, Kimber says : 



If none of their own Party is kill'd, they take Prisoners all they can lay Hands on ; 

 but if on the contrary, they give no Quarter. (Kimber, 1744, p. 17.) 



They had no compunction regarding the taking of scalps from 

 women and children, however, the Creeks saying that it indicated 

 more valor since they had to go into their enemies' territory to get 

 them. In later times, as we have seen, one of the main objects was 

 to capture horses. Youths were in a kind of disgrace until they 

 had secured "hair or horses," after which they obtained war honors 

 and were given new names. After they had killed an enemy they 

 tied firebrands to grapevines about the place and marked hiero- 

 glyphic signs upon the trees to indicate what tribe had committed the 

 deed. No matter how successful he might be otherwise, a leader who 

 had lost several men was degraded. The bodies of dead enemies, 

 besides being scalped, were cut up and the various parts were borne 

 along homeward as was done by the Timucua. Scalps placated the 

 spirits of the dead besides advancing the social position of the man 

 who took them. When they got near home, the women paid in 

 tobacco to enjoy the honor of whipping the captives. In later times 

 (Swan) grown men as well as women might be saved if the ransom 

 price were sufficient. Otherwise their only chance of survival was 

 to escape to the house of the high priest or a white town. Bearskin 

 moccasins were tied to the feet of one who had been condemned to 

 torture and a firebrand was fastened above his head. It was not usual 

 to kill a man who had been given food. Scalps were not of equal 

 value in distributing war honors. When this distribution took place, 



