293 
infi: in the ‘irain, the bark chests for storing it safely during the 
winter, and the rush mats that closed the doorways of the cabins 
and overlaid the dirt floor where the inmates slept. It was the 
women, too, who gatliered all the berries, converted the raw hides 
into clothing, and collected and twisted the fibre of the basswood 
and nettle from which the men matle their fish nets. They had 
occupations, indeed, that could keep them busy at every season, but, 
like the men, they looked foi'ward with zest to the winter, when 
they could paint their faces, bedeck themselves with ornaments, and 
participate in the festivals aiul dances. 
These festivals, which in all cases had a religious significance, 
have been classified by an early missionary under four heads: singing 
feasts, farewell feasts, feasts of thanksgiving, and feasts for deliver- 
ance from sickness,^ the last lieing apparently the ])ublic ceremonies 
that accompanied admission into one of the numerous medicine 
societies. They were held in the village council-house, an excej^tion- 
ally large cabin erected at the same time as the ordinary dwellings; 
and they lasted from one to fifteen days, according to their import- 
ance, the number of the guests, ami the supply of food. The sachems 
and old men, who had cliarge of the ai'rangements, issued invitations 
in the form of sticks to the sachems of neighbouring villages, who 
then regulated the size of theii' delegations in accordance with the 
numl)er of sticks they received. Singing and dancing signalized 
every feast, but the so-called “siiiging’’ feasts, field for various 
reasons, but especially as a preparation for the war-path, ranketl 
first in public estimation, with the exception of the Feast of the 
Dead, which was celebrated only once in every ten or twelve years. 
On that occasion each family of Hurons solemnly resurrected the 
liodies of relatives who had died since the precerling feast, removed 
and burned the decayerl flesh for wrapped the body, if still intact, 
in a new robe), ami transported the bones to a common sepulchre 
for reinterment with the rest of the tribal dead. Since all the tribes 
reinterred their dead at the same time, the entire country was 
flrowned in tears for nearly a fortnight, although feasting, archery 
contests, and liberal distributions of presents throughout the proceed- 
ings mitigated the strain of the prolongefl mourning and even intro- 
duced a measure of entertainment.- 
1 “ Jesuit Relations.” vol. 10, p. 177 f. Cf. Saparrl, vol. ii. p. 286. 
2 For details .See “Jesuit Relations,” \ol. 10. i>. 279 ff ; Saganl, chapter xvi. 
