Myths and legends of the New York state Iroquois . member brings his or her medicine to besung for and if unable to be present sends it. Only members know the exact place and time of meeting. Atthe entrance of the medicine lodge, now a private house of a mem-ber chosen for the ceremony, a guard is stationed who scrutinizeseach person who attempts to pass within. Across the door withinis placed a heavy bench manned by several stalwart youths who,should a person not entitled to see the interior of the lodge appear,would throw their weight against the bench and force the door ^The Jesuits describ
Myths and legends of the New York state Iroquois . member brings his or her medicine to besung for and if unable to be present sends it. Only members know the exact place and time of meeting. Atthe entrance of the medicine lodge, now a private house of a mem-ber chosen for the ceremony, a guard is stationed who scrutinizeseach person who attempts to pass within. Across the door withinis placed a heavy bench manned by several stalwart youths who,should a person not entitled to see the interior of the lodge appear,would throw their weight against the bench and force the door ^The Jesuits described a similar ceremony among the Hurons in 1640. In the Relationof 1670 is an account of the medicine water as used by the Onondagas. IROQUOIS MYTHS AND LEGENDS 159 shut leaving the unfortunate intruder to the mercy of the outsideguards and incoming members. Each member entering the lodge has with him his medicine, aquantity of tobacco, a pipe and perhaps a rattle although most ofthe lodge rattles are in the keeping of a Ho-non-di-ont or Outline plan of Little Water Lodge As the members enter the room they deposit their contribution oftobacco in a husk basket placed for the purpose on a table at oneside and then put their medicine packets beside the basket of thesacred herb. The ceremony proper commences about ii p. m. in the summerand in winter an hour earlier and lasts until daybreak. The feastmakers enter the lodge several hours previous to the ceremony andcook the food for the feast and prepare the strawberry wine. l6o NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM The seats in the lodge are arranged around the sides of the roomleaving the center of the room open. When all is in readiness a Ho-non-di-ont takes a basket of sacredtobacco, 0-yan-kwa o-weh, and, as he chants the opening cere-mony he casts the sacred herb into the smoldering coals. Thelights are all burning and the members are in their seats, the onlyexception being the feast makers whose duties require their atten-tion at the
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectiroquoi, bookyear1908
