UNAMI ANNUAL CEREMONY
THE LEADER
The great Annual Ceremony of the Lenape now in Oklahoma was and is held
when the leaves turn yellow in the fall of the year, usually, according
to the “pale face” reckoning, some time between the tenth and twentieth
of October. It is not exactly a tribal affair, although the whole tribe
participates, but must be undertaken by some certain individual of the
proper qualifications who takes the responsibility of “bringing in” the
meeting and acting as a leader.
The phratry to which this leader belongs determines the exact form of the
ceremonies to be held; for each totemic group has a ritual of its own,
that of the Wolf, which is here related, differing in some particulars
from the ceremonies as practised by the Turtle or Turkey people. In
former times, it is said, when one phratry had finished its twelve days
of ceremonies, another would enact theirs, followed by the third; but at
present qualified leaders are so few that it seldom if ever happens that
more than one of them feels able to accept such exacting duties in any
one year.
This leader it is who sends a messenger forth to notify the people what
day the ceremonies are to commence and to invite them all to attend.
Several days before the date the wagons begin to roll in and a white
village of tents springs up about the gray walls of the old Big House,
temple, or _xiʹngwikan_ (pl. V), standing on the banks of Little
Caney river, north of Dewey in northern Oklahoma, far from any human
habitation.
[Illustration: PL. V
LENAPE CEREMONIAL HOUSE NEAR DEWEY, OKLAHOMA]
Built of rough logs, the Big House is now provided with a roof of
hand-split shingles pierced by two great smoke-holes, as shown in the
frontispiece and in pl. V, VI, but in former days the roof was of bark.
The length is about 40 ft. from east to west, with a height at the eaves
of about 6 ft., at the ridge 14 ft., and a width of 24.5 ft. Aside from
certain ingenuities of construction which can not be discussed here, its
chief interest lies in the two large carvings of the human face, one
facing east (fig. 6) and one west, which adorn the great central post
supporting the ridge-pole. Similar carvings, but smaller, may be seen
upon each of the six posts which support the logs forming the sides (fig.
7), and still smaller ones, one upon each of the four door-posts. All
twelve faces are painted, the right side of each red, the left black. The
building is used only for the Annual Ceremony.
[Illustration: FIG. 6.—Central post of Ceremonial House, showing carved
face.]
[Illustration: FIG. 7.—Side posts of Ceremonial House, showing carved
faces.]
OFFICERS
The messenger sent to assemble the people is one of three male attendants
chosen by the leader, and these three men appoint three women to serve
also. To these six attendants, known as _aʹckas_, falls all the laborious
work of the meeting. Although the duties are menial, it is considered
quite an honor to be selected as _aʹckas._ The attendants camp on the
north and south sides of the little open square just east of the Big
House (pl. VII), an area where no one is allowed to pitch a tent.
Other officers selected for the meeting are a speaker (usually at the
time of the writer’s visit, Chief Charley Elkhair), two singers, called
_Taleʹgunŭk_, “Cranes,” whose duty it is to beat the dry deerskin drum
and sing the necessary songs, and a chief hunter who is supposed to
provide venison for the feast.
PREPARATIONS
[Illustration: FIG. 8.—Ceremonial fire-drill used at the Annual Ceremony.
(Length of shaft, 29.5 in.)]
Arrived at the Big House, the attendants begin at once to prepare the
building for use after its year of idleness. The first act of the men
is to make mortar of mud, in the old style, and stop the cracks between
the logs of the house. Then they cut two forked saplings, and set them
in the ground about ten feet apart, some distance in front of the Big
House (see pl. VII); upon these is laid a pole, running east and west, to
support the twenty-gallon kettle used in preparing hominy for the feast.
After this they gather about a cord of wood for the fires inside the Big
House and the cooking fire outside. Then the first night, a fire pure and
undefined by the white man and his matches, is made with a fire-drill
(fig. 8). This is operated on the principal of a pump-drill, like the
ceremonial fire-drills of the Iroquois. This fire, and this only, may be
used in the temple, and no one is permitted to take it outside for any
purpose.
[Illustration: PL. VI
LENAPE ANNUAL CEREMONY IN PROGRESS
Native Painting by Earnest Spybuck, a Shawnee]
CEREMONY COMMENCED
Two of the attendants, a man and a woman, then build the two fires in the
temple, so that there may be plenty of light, and sweep the floor with
turkey-wings for brushes. The men attendants take turns so that one of
them, at least, is always on guard outside the building. When the temple
is clean, the fires are burning bright, and the _aʹckas_ have called the
people in and all are assembled, the chief arises and delivers a speech.
CHIEF’S SPEECH
First he states the rules of the meeting, then he speaks along some
such line as the following, which was dictated by Chief Elkhair, who
frequently made these speeches:
“We are thankful that so many of us are alive to meet together here once
more, and that we are ready to hold our ceremonies in good faith. Now we
shall meet here twelve nights in succession to pray to Gicelĕmû‛ʹkaong,
who has directed us to worship in this way. And these twelve Mĭsiʹngʷ‛
faces [carved on the posts of the house] are here to watch and to carry
our prayers to Gicelĕmû‛ʹkaong in the highest heaven. The reason why we
dance at this time is to raise our prayers to him. Our attendants here,
three women and three men, have the task of keeping everything about our
Temple in good order, and of trying to keep peace, if there is trouble.
They must haul wood and build fires, cook and sweep out the Big House.
“When they sweep, they must sweep both sides of the fire twelve times,
which sweeps a road to Heaven, just as they say that it takes twelve
years to reach it. Women in their menses must not enter this house.
“When we come into this house of ours we are glad, and thankful that we
are well, and for everything that makes us feel good which the Creator
has placed here for our use. We come here to pray Him to have mercy on
us for the year to come and to give us everything to make us happy; may
we have good crops, and no dangerous storms, floods nor earthquakes. We
all realize what He has put before us all through life, and that He has
given us a way to pray to Him and thank Him. We are thankful to the East
because everyone feels good in the morning when they awake, and see the
bright light coming from the East, and when the Sun goes down in the West
we feel good and glad we are well; then we are thankful to the West. And
we are thankful to the North, because when the cold winds come we are
glad to have lived to see the leaves fall again; and to the South, for
when the south wind blows and everything is coming up in the spring, we
are glad to live to see the grass growing and everything green again. We
thank the Thunders, for they are the _manĭʹtowŭk_ that bring the rain,
which the Creator has given them power to rule over. And we thank our
mother, the Earth, whom we claim as mother because the Earth carries us
and everything we need. When we eat and drink and look around, we know
it is Gicelĕmû‛ʹkaong that makes us feel good that way. He gives us the
purest thoughts that can be had. We should pray to Him every morning.
“Man has a spirit, and the body seems to be a coat for that spirit. That
is why people should take care of their spirits, so as to reach Heaven
and be admitted to the Creator’s dwelling. We are given some length of
time to live on earth, and then our spirits must go. When anyone’s time
comes to leave this earth, he should go to Gicelĕmû‛ʹkaong, feeling good
on the way. We all ought to pray to Him, to prepare ourselves for days to
come so that we can be with Him after leaving the earth.
“We must all put our thoughts to this meeting, so that Gicelĕmû‛ʹkaong
will look upon us and grant what we ask. You all come here to pray; you
have a way to reach Him all through life. Do not think of evil; strive
always to think of the good which He has given us.
“When we reach that place, we shall not have to do anything or worry
about anything, only live a happy life. We know there are many of our
fathers who have left this earth and are now in this happy place in
the Land of Spirits. When we arrive we shall see our fathers, mothers,
children, and sisters there. And when we have prepared ourselves so that
we can go to where our parents and children are, we feel happy.
“Everything looks more beautiful there than here, everything looks new,
and the waters and fruits and everything are lovely.
“No sun shines there, but a light much brighter than the sun, the Creator
makes it brighter by his power. All people who die here, young or old,
will be of the same age there; and those who are injured, crippled, or
made blind will look as good as the rest of them. It is nothing but the
flesh that is injured: the spirit is as good as ever. That is the reason
that people are told to help always the cripples or the blind. Whatever
you do for them will surely bring its reward. Whatever you do for anybody
will bring you credit hereafter. Whenever we think the thoughts that
Gicelĕmû‛ʹkaong has given us, it will do us good.
“This is all I can think of to say along this line. Now we will pass the
Turtle around, and all that feel like worshiping may take it and perform
their ceremonies.”
Some nights the speaker says more, sometimes less, just as he feels, but
he always tries to tell it as he heard it from the old people who came
before him.
RECITAL OF VISIONS
Now, as was stated, these meetings are “brought in” by individuals; that
is a certain person, usually a man, undertakes to arrange for the meeting
and to lead the ceremonies. This person must be one of those gifted by a
vision or dream of power in their youth, and hence, according to Lenape
belief, one in communication with the supernatural world.
[Illustration: FIG. 9.—Rattle of land-tortoise shell, used by celebrants
at the Annual Ceremony. (Length, 4.2 in.)]
When the people file into the Big House, the few that still have them
dressed in their best Indian costumes carefully preserved for such
occasions (pl. I), the members of this leader’s clan always take their
seats on the north side, the other two clans in the west end and the
south side. Men and women, however, do not mingle, but sit separately in
the space allotted to their common clan. The diagram (pl. VII) shows the
seating of the clans when the ceremony is “brought in” by a member of
the Wolf division.
[Illustration: FIG. 10.—Drum made of dried deerskin used at the Annual
Ceremony. (Length 38.2 in.)]
After the chief’s speech, the leader arises from his place just north of
the central post, and, rapidly shaking a rattle (_taxoʹxi cowŭniʹgŭn_)
made of a box-tortoise shell (fig. 9), recites his vision in a high
monotone, word by word. After he utters each word, he pauses an
instant to give the singers sitting at the rolled dry deerskin called
_powŭniʹgŭn_ which serves as a drum (fig. 10), ample time to repeat the
same word in the same tone, which produces an extraordinary effect.
When he finishes, the drummers beat rapidly on the dry hide, repeating
“_Ho-o-o!_” a number of times.
[Illustration: PL. VII
PLAN OF LENAPE CEREMONIAL HOUSE AND GROUNDS NEAR DEWEY, OKLAHOMA]
Then the celebrant repeats a verse of his song in the same way, and the
drummers, having learned the words, sing them to a dance tune, beating
the drum in slower time. After dancing awhile, the celebrator whoops, and
they stop; then another similar verse, if not the same, is recited and
then sung.
When the leader dances, he circles about the two fires contra-clockwise,
and those who wish may join in the dance and follow him (pl. VI).
His dance finished, the leader passes the turtleshell to the next man who
has been blessed with a vision. This one has the privilege of singing
his vision if he wishes; if not, it is handed to the next “dreamer.”
After a celebrant has taken his seat, it is customary for those who
desire it to smoke until the next man is ready to commence. At this time
also it is considered proper for the people to enter or leave the Big
House, which is not permitted while the actual ceremony is in progress.
When the turtle rattle has thus made the round of the building and gets
back to its starting point, the meeting is brought to a close. This is
usually along toward morning, the exact time of course being dependent
on the number who have sung their visions, and on the length of the
intermissions.
CONCLUSION OF RITES
Now, when the man who started the ceremonies begins to dance, that is a
signal for two of the women _aʹckas_, or attendants, to go out and pound
corn for hominy or meal, and two of their men colleagues cook it in the
kettle hanging on the pole, so that it is ready when the turtle has made
its rounds and the meeting is about to close. Then the repast of hominy
or corn mush called _säʹpan_ is distributed, and the speaker says, “We
will now pray twelve times,” so twelve times they cry “_Ho-o-o!_” as a
prayer. Then they feast, using musselshells from the river as spoons,
and finally the speaker dismisses them with the words, “This is all for
tonight; tomorrow night we will meet again.”
DEPARTURE OF THE HUNTERS
When the next night arrives, approximately the same performance is
repeated; and the same the next, with little of interest occurring during
the day; but on the fourth morning, the leader who has selected a man
for chief hunter, gives him a yard of wampum as pay. This master of the
hunt then selects as many assistants as he wants, and he and his crew all
gather in the Big House, where they are served about noon with a feast
prepared for the occasion by the women of the camp, and the attendants
tie sacks of the food to the hunters’ saddles.
When they have finished eating, they arrange themselves in a row, each
hunter standing on his left foot and barely touching the ground with the
toes of his right, an action whose meaning I have not yet been able to
determine.
Then the speaker rises and talks to them, and the Mĭsiʹngʷ‛ who has been
seen about the camp from time to time, is in the Big House listening to
his words. “When you hunt,” says the speaker, “think of nothing but luck
to kill deer.” As he speaks he goes to the west fire and throws into it,
six times, an offering of native tobacco; then to the east fire, where
he sacrifices six more pinches of the sacred herb—twelve in all. While
sacrificing tobacco, he prays to the Mĭsiʹngʷ‛ to drive the deer up, so
that the hunters can kill them. As he drops the last tobacco into the
flames, he says, “If you kill a deer right away, bring it in tonight; if
not, bring in all you kill day after tomorrow.”
What tobacco is left is given to the chief hunter with the words, “When
you camp tonight, burn this and ask Mĭsinghâliʹkŭn to let you kill
deer.” The reader will remember that Mĭsinghâliʹkŭn, in whose image the
Mĭsiʹngʷ‛ is carved, is supposed to have control over the deer, and in
fact over all wild animals.
All the hunters that are in the habit of chewing tobacco are now given
some for this purpose. When they file out and mount their horses, the
Mĭsiʹngʷ‛ follows them and sees them off.
After the hunters have disappeared, the people call the Mĭsiʹngʷ‛ back
into the Big House and coax him to dance, while two men volunteer to sing
for him.
PRAYER FOR THE HUNTERS
The following evening six men are appointed and given a yard of wampum
to divide among them, to go out close to the forked game-pole east of
the Big House, intended for the carcasses of the deer, and “pray” there
twelve times. The meaning of this, of course, is that they sound the
prayer word “_Ho-o-o!_” which is evidently to help the hunters. This
night also a yard of wampum is unstrung and scattered on the ground
just west of the east fire, and this the attendants must pick up, crying
“_Ho-o-o!_” as they do so. For doing this, which is called “picking
berries,” they are supposed to keep what wampum they pick up.
RETURN OF THE HUNTERS
If the hunters are lucky and kill a deer the first day, they send one man
back with it. As he approaches he fires a gun as a signal of his coming,
at which the singers run into the Big House and begin to sing and beat
the drum. Then everyone is happy.
In any case the hunters all return on the third day. If they have killed
deer, they shoot their guns; if not, they come in very quietly. When the
shots are heard, the singers hasten to their places, and, beating the
drum, sing a song that is used only on such occasions. Then when the
hunters arrive, they feast, and their leader announces the names of those
lucky enough to kill a deer. The carcasses are skinned and hung on the
deer pole (shown in frontispiece), east of the Big House, and are used
in the feasts at the close of every night’s meeting until the gathering
disbands.
NEW FIRE
Every night the usual program is repeated until the ninth. On this night
a new fire is kindled with the sacred pump-drill called _tuⁿdaʹi wäheⁿʹji
manĭʹtowŭk_ or “Fire maker of the Manĭʹtos” (fig. 8), and the ashes of
the old are carried out through the west door of the Big House, which is
used only for this purpose (among the Unami), and is usually kept closed.
The new fire seems to symbolize a fresh start in all the affairs of life.
USE OF CARVED DRUMSTICKS
Also on the ninth night, before the singing begins, they bring out the
two ancient drumsticks (_pa kŭⁿdiʹgŭn_) carved with tiny human heads, one
male and one female (fig. 11), to use in place of the cruder sticks used
before, which are marked only with a rude cross (fig. 12, _a_). At this
time, also, twelve prayersticks (_ma‛tehiʹgun_) are distributed—six plain
and six striped ones (fig. 12, _b_)—by two of the male attendants, each
with six, one man starting from each end of the Big House and proceeding
in a trot to distribute the sticks while the drum is beaten, and the
people, holding up their hands, cry the prayer word “_Ho-o-o!_”
[Illustration: FIG. 11.—Sacred drumsticks, used at the Annual Ceremony in
Oklahoma. (Length of _a_, 18.6 in.)
FIG. 12.—_a_, Plain drumstick used at the Annual Ceremony; _b_,
Prayerstick. (Length of _b_, 18.9 in.)]
Both drumsticks and prayersticks are used every night from this time on.
If it so happens that the plain sticks do not fall opposite each other
(or on opposite sides of the house), they must all be picked up again and
redistributed. After this, those who have received a stick raise that
instead of their hand, when they repeat the prayer word “_Ho-o-o!_” and
carry it when they dance.
TURTLE RATTLES
At this time, too, all who own turtle rattles such as are used in singing
the visions (fig. 9), are requested to bring them in to the meeting, when
they are placed in a row on the north side, in front of the man who,
as the Indians phrase it, “brought on the meeting.” The backs of the
turtleshells are all measured with strings of wampum, which are cut off
in lengths corresponding with the lengths of the backs.
Then the owners are called to get their turtles and wampum, which is
supposed to be their pay for bringing them to the meeting. As each takes
up his turtle, he shakes it, and if it does not sound well, then the
people laugh, and the owner, abashed, takes his property out of sight as
soon as possible.
PHRATRY PRAYERS
Then they call up six men, two from each of the three phratries—Turtle,
Turkey, and Wolf. Each goes outside and cries the prayer word “_Ho-o-o!_”
twelve times, holding up his left hand. When the first one returns, he
is given one yard of wampum, and divides it with the other five. This is
done each night until the end.
WOMEN’S NIGHT
[Illustration: FIG. 13.—Paint-dish of bark, used at the Annual Ceremony.
(Length, 2.2 in.)]
The twelfth night is reserved for the women to relate their visions; but
before they begin, the speaker orders the attendants to burn cedar-leaves
in the two fires, and the people are supposed to inhale the smoke and
purify themselves. Then two women are ordered to take, one a little bark
dish (_aⁿsiptaʹgŭn_) of red paint (fig. 13), the other a similar vessel
of grease, and the two start from the door on the north side of the
Temple and go to each person present. One dips her fingers in the paint
and touches the color to the person’s left cheek, while her companion
similarly annoints the person’s head with a little of the grease. This
done, two men attendants take the bark vessels and paint and grease in
the same way the twelve Mĭsiʹngʷ‛ faces carved upon the posts of the
building, also the drumsticks, the prayersticks, the deerskin drum, and
the turtles. A variant has it that both bark vessels contain paint, the
customs differing according to phratry.
Each woman who takes part on this night receives a share of the venison,
if there is any,—the biggest and fattest buck the hunters kill,—and the
attendants cook it for them at the fire outside.
CONCLUSION OF CEREMONY
Next morning the men resume the ceremony and continue until the sun is
high. Two men are then appointed to close the meeting, for which each
receives one yard of wampum. Their duty is to sing twelve times while
the people dance about the central post, the women in a circle next to
the post, the men in another circle outside that of the women. These
two singers stop dancing in front of where the chief is sitting, and
announce, “We will now pray twelve times.” They go back to their seats
and cry “_Ho-o-o!_” twelve times. Then the attendants serve the last
feast. Two women then go around with wampum in a wooden bowl, giving
everyone two or three beads.
PAYMENT OF ATTENDANTS
Then the attendants, three men and three women, stand in a row and
receive six yards of wampum on one string, which they hold in their
hands, the first in the row holding the end of the string, which
stretches along from one to the other. Then the chief says: “We thank you
attendants of this meeting for your kindness in sweeping our Temple for
these twelve nights, and the attention and care you have given. We have
heard our old parents say that, if you sweep this Meeting House twelve
different times, you will sweep up to where our great Father is, as he is
up in the twelfth Heaven above the earth.”
The attendants then circle about the fires and go out to the cooking
fireplace, where they divide the wampum, taking a yard apiece. At last,
when the shadow of a person is nearly under him, that is, about noon, the
speaker or chief arises, and says, “All of us kinfolk must now go out and
end our meeting, which has been going on for twelve days and nights.”
Thereupon they all file out—men, women, and children—and form a row
extending north and south, facing east, just east of the Big House, the
hunters taking with them the skins of the deer they killed.
FINALE
Here they all pray, or rather cry the prayer word “_Ho-o-o!_” six times
standing, holding up one hand, and six times kneeling, holding up the
other hand. The meeting is then ended. This is shown in the frontispiece.
The deerskins are given to poor old people, who need them to make
moccasins.
One informant stated that instead of crying “_Ho-o-o_” twelve times in
closing the meeting, it was customary to use this word only ten times,
and then cry “_Ha-a-a_” twice, completing the sacred number twelve; but
such discrepancies are probably due to the variation of ritual among the
three phratries before mentioned, the Turkey, the Turtle, and the Wolf.
This kind of prayer was noticed by Zeisberger[45] as early as 1779, for
he writes:
“At a third kind of feast ten or more tanned deerskins are
given to as many old men or women, who wrap themselves in them
and stand before the house with their faces turned toward
the east, praying God with a loud voice to reward their
benefactors. They turn toward the east because they believe
that God dwells beyond the rising of the sun. At the same time
much wampum is given away. This is thrown on the ground and the
young people scramble for it. Afterward it is ascertained who
secured the most. This feast is called _’ngammuin_, the meaning
of which they themselves are unable to give.”
The suspicion that Zeisberger mistook the conclusion of the Annual
Ceremony for a separate rite is strengthened by the fact that he gives
its name as “’_ngammuin_,” which seems to be a form of _Gaʹmuing_, the
modern Lenape name for their Annual Ceremony.
PAYMENT OF OFFICERS
All the officers of the meeting receive pay in wampum for their services,
except, of course, the leader—the man who has caused the meeting to be
held. The speaker receives a yard for every night of the meeting; the
drummers get a yard between them each night; there are also the payments
to the attendants, hunters, and others, already mentioned. The attendants
have other sources of profit, too, for they serve meals three times a day
in the Big House to the leader of the meeting and all his near relatives,
also to the speaker and the drummers.
When they have finished feasting, the leader calls the attendants to come
and get their dishes and pans. Each has a cup in which he brings coffee,
and the leader puts twenty-five wampum beads in each cup for every meal.
Moreover, when any one in the outside camps is hungry, he may go to an
_aʹckas_ and obtain a meal for twenty-five wampum beads. The attendants
have a table near the tent of one of the woman _aʹckas_, and here they
eat.
VALUATION OF WAMPUM
For ceremonial purposes the wampum (white) is held at one cent a bead,
one hundred to the dollar. Before the meeting the people give a yard or
so apiece, if they are able, to show their appreciation and to be prayed
for, or subscribe money for its purchase and for the other things needed
at the meeting. The wampum is afterward redeemed at the same rate and is
kept to use again.
INDIAN COMMENTS ON THE CEREMONY
Some explanations and remarks concerning the annual ceremony, as
furnished by the Indians themselves, may prove of interest here.
Julius Fouts (or Fox), the interpreter, remarks:
“When the Delawares complete this meeting, then they claim they have
worshiped everything on this earth. God gave the Powers Above authority
to go around and give all the tribes some way to worship. They say
these things were as if carried in a bundle, and when they come to the
Delawares, last of all, there was a lot left in the bundle and they got
it all—that is why the Delawares have so many different things to do in
their meetings.”
In explanation of the prayer word _Ho-o-o_, he said, “Did you ever hear
that noise out in the woods, in the fall of the year? ‘_Ho-o-o_,’ it
says. What is it? It is the noise of the wind blowing in the trees. When
the Delawares pray in the Big House, they raise their voices and cry
‘_Ho-o-o_’ to God, and the Mĭsiʹngʷ‛ hears it and understands, for he
is of the same nature as a tree, and there are twelve Mĭsiʹngʷ‛ carved
in the Big House who will carry the prayers to the twelfth Heaven. The
Indians call the Mĭsiʹngʷ‛ ‘Grandfather,’ because the trees were here
before the Indians. The Big House is going out of use now, because only
the old people have had gifts or visions of power to sing about. The
children of today are not _piʹlsŭⁿ_, or pure; they are reared like the
whites, and the Powers Above do not speak to them any more.”
Chief Charley Elkhair, or Elkire, who frequently served as speaker in the
Big House, said:
“The Delaware meeting helps everybody in the world, for they pray for
good crops and everything good, even wild fruits. About ten years ago
the people thought they would give up holding these meetings, and the
following year they had high winds and big rains, and everyone was
frightened. Then grasshoppers came in swarms, but they came in the fall
a little too late to get all the crops. So the people held a council and
talked about the Big House again. They finally decided to resume it,
before any more bad luck came; so they began the ceremonies again in the
fall.
“Then it seemed as if all the trouble stopped. Of late there has been
talk of again giving up the meeting, but if we do give it up we are
likely to have a tornado or maybe dry weather to ruin the crops.
“Once the Delawares owned a great deal of land, but that is nearly all
gone now, and the people seem to have no power to do anything. When God
looks down from Heaven, he sees but very few Delaware people, and the
reason for this is that they cannot follow the Meeting House ceremonies
now. When I was a little boy, I heard my people say that this thing
would happen just as it is happening now. You see, the young people
raised during the last thirty years do not believe in the old ways. We
are having good times yet, but we don’t know when we shall catch it. If
anything happens to us, and once really begins, we can not stop it—it
will be too late. Even if they take up the meeting again—they can not do
right, even when the ceremonies are going on.
“They can not accomplish anything in the Big House; they can not raise it
up, because there are a lot of young folks who do not even try to do what
the speaker tells them, for they do not believe in it.
“The people could get along fine, if they followed the rules of the
meeting—not only the Delawares, but the other people round about. For
when the Delaware prays, he prays for things that will benefit everybody;
he prays for the children as well as for himself; he prays for future
time. But if anything comes to destroy the world, it will be too late to
think of starting the Big House then.”
_Penn’s Account._—William Penn seems to have been the first to attempt a
description of Lenape rites, for he wrote in 1683, in the same letter we
have quoted before:
“Their Worship consists of two parts, sacrifice and Cantico.
Their sacrifice is their first fruits.... The other part
of their worship is by Cantico, performed by round dances,
sometimes words, sometimes songs, then shouts, two being in
the middle that begin, and by singing and drumming on a board
direct the chorus.... They are said to lay their altar on
twelve stones.”
In this brief account should be noted the presence of _two_ drummers; the
fact that they did not use a drum, but a “board” which was probably, if
Penn had taken the trouble to look more closely, a dried hide; the word
_cantico_ which resembles the modern Lenape words for “dance”—_kĭʹnĭkä_
among the Unami and _kĭʹntika_ among the Minsi; and finally the use of
the sacred number twelve.
_Zeisberger’s Account._—The earliest detailed account, however, of the
great Lenape ceremonies is given by Zeisberger,[46] who, writing about
1779, says:
“Worship and sacrifices have obtained among them from the
earliest times, being usages handed down from their ancestors.
Though in the detail of ceremony there has been change, as the
Indians are more divided now than at that time, worship and
sacrifice have continued as practiced in the early days, for
the Indians believe that they would draw all manner of disease
and misfortune upon themselves if they omitted to observe the
ancestral rites.
“In the matter of sacrifice, relationship, even though distant,
is of significance, legitimate or illegitimate relationship
being regarded without distinction. A sacrifice is offered by
a family, with its entire relationship, once in two years.
Others, even the inhabitants of other towns, are invited. Such
sacrifices are commonly held in autumn, rarely in winter. As
their connections are large, each Indian will have opportunity
to attend more than one family sacrifice a year. The head of
the family knows the time and he must provide for everything.
When the head of such a family is converted, he gets into
difficulty because his friends will not give him peace until he
has designated some one to take his place in the arrangement of
sacrificial feasts.
“Preparations for such a sacrificial feast extend through
several days. The requisite number of deer and bears is
calculated and the young people are sent into the woods to
procure them together with the leader whose care it is to see
that everything needful is provided. These hunters do not
return until they have secured the amount of booty counted
upon. On their return they fire a volley when near the town,
march in in solemn procession and deposit the flesh in the
house of sacrifice. Meantime the house has been cleared and
prepared. The women have prepared firewood and brought in long
dry reed grass, which has been strewn the entire length of the
house, on both sides, for the guests to sit upon. Such a feast
may continue for three or four nights, the separate sessions
beginning in the afternoon and lasting until the next morning.
Great kettles full of meat are boiled and bread is baked. These
are served to the guests by four servants especially appointed
for this service. The rule is that whatever is thus brought
as a sacrifice must be eaten altogether and nothing left. A
small quantity of melted fat only is poured into the fire.
The bones are burnt, so that the dogs may not get any of them.
After the meal the men and women dance, every rule of decency
being observed. It is not a dance for pleasure or exercise, as
is the ordinary dance engaged in by the Indians. One singer
only performs during the dance, walking up and down, rattling
a small tortoise shell filled with pebbles. He sings of the
dreams the Indians have had, naming all the animals, elements
and plants they hold to be spirits. None of the spirits of
things that are useful to the Indians may be omitted. By
worshipping all the spirits named they consider themselves
to be worshipping God, who has revealed his will to them in
dreams. When the first singer has finished he is followed by
another. Between dances the guests may stop to eat again. There
are four or five kinds of feasts, the ceremonies of which
differ much from one another.
“At these feasts there are never less than four servants, to
each of whom a fathom of wampum is given that they may care
for all necessary things. During the three or four days they
have enough to do by day and by night. They have leave, also,
to secure the best of provisions, such as sugar, bilberries,
molasses, eggs, butter and to sell these things at a profit to
guests and spectators.”
_Adams’ Account._—The best and, in fact, the only late account previous
to his own first article[47] the writer has seen of the Annual Ceremony
among the Lenape in Oklahoma, is that written by Adams,[48] which reads
as follows:
“The peculiar steps which they use in this dance have caused
the name ‘stomp’ or ‘stamp’ to be applied to it.
“In regard to the stomp dances of our people, we have several
kinds of dances; the most important one is the ‘worship dance’
which is carried on in a large building called a temple, which
is rectangular and ranges from 60 to 80 feet long, from 30 to
40 feet wide, and is about 10 feet high. It is built of wood
with 2 doors. The main entrance is at the eastern door, and it
has only a dirt floor.
“On each post is carved a human face. On the center post or
one in the center of the building four faces are carved; each
face is painted one-half red and one-half black. All the people
enter at the east and go out the same way. When they come in
they pass to the right of the fire, and each of the three
clans of the Delawares take seats next to the wall, the Turtle
clan on the south, the Turkey on the west, and the Wolf on the
north. In no case can any one pass between the center post and
east door, but must go around the center post, even to go to
the north side of the temple.
“This dance is held once each year, in the fall, and generally
in October, in the full moon, and lasts not less than 12 days
for each part. The tribe is divided into three clans, and each
clan has to go through the same part, so the dance is sometimes
36 days long, but sometimes the second and third clans do not
dance more than 6 days each.
“The Turtle clan usually lead or begin the dance. A tortoise
shell, dried and beautifully polished and containing several
small pebbles, is placed in the southeast corner near the door
in front of the first person. If he has anything to say he
takes the shell and rattles it, and an answer comes from the
south side of the temple from the singers, who strike on a
dried deer’s hide: then the party who has the tortoise shell
makes an address or talk to the people, and thanks the Great
Spirit for blessings, and then proceeds to dance, going to the
right and around the fire, followed by all who wish to take
part, and finally coming to the center post he stops there;
then all the dancers shake hands and return to their seats.
Then the shell is passed to the next person, who dances or
passes it on, as he chooses.
“On the third day of the dance all men, both married and
single, are required to keep out of the company of women for
3 days at least. They have a doorkeeper, a leader, and 2 or 3
parties who sweep the ground floor with turkey wings, and who
also serve as deacons. The ashes from the fire are always
taken out at the west door, and the dirt is always swept in the
fire. In front of the east door outside is a high pole on which
venison hangs. It is a feast dance and the deacons distribute
food among the people. The officers and waiters are paid in
wampum for their services.
“In no case is a dog allowed to enter the temple, and no one is
allowed to laugh inside it, or in any way be rude. Each person
is allowed to speak and tell his dream or dreams or to give
advice. It is believed by the Delawares that every one has a
guardian spirit which comes in the form of some bird, animal,
or other thing, at times in dreams, and tells them what to do
and what will happen. The guardian spirit is sent from the
Great Spirit.
“Traditions say that 10 years before white men came to this
country (America) a young man told his dream in the temple.
This was on the Atlantic coast. He saw coming across the great
waters a large canoe with pinions (wings) and containing
strange people, and that in 10 years they would in fact come.
He told this dream and predicted the arrival of the white men
each year until they came and were seen by his people. Many of
our people still keep up this dance, but the temple is not so
large as it used to be, and the attendance now is not more than
100 persons. Any Indian of any tribe can also take part in the
dance, but no white man can.
“When the dance is over all the people go out and stand in a
single line from east to west with their faces to the south.
Then they kneel down and pray, and then go home. We do not know
the origin of the worship dance, but the old Indians claim that
the Great Spirit came many years ago and instructed it and also
gave them the wampum.”
In spite of several inaccuracies, such as the statement that the people
face _south_ (instead of east) while praying after the ceremony, this
account is valuable on account of the additional data it furnishes on
several points of interest, especially the tradition concerning the
prophecy of the coming of the whites.
ANOTHER FORM OF THE ANNUAL CEREMONY
It appears that in former years there was, in addition to the rite just
described, another form of the Annual Ceremony practised by the Lenape,
before their removal to what is now Oklahoma from Kansas, where the last
man to “bring in” such a meeting was John Sarcoxie, now dead.
The ceremony, which was called _MuxhatoLʹzing_, seems, from the accounts
given the writer by his informants, to have taken place in a similar
building, and to have been similar in ritual to that just described,
except that it was held for only eight days instead of twelve, and that,
after the return of the hunters the skin of one of the deer they had
brought in was stuffed with grass and stood up by the central post of
the Big House, antlers and all, while about its neck hung a string of
wampum—perhaps as a propitiatory offering.
Moreover on the morning of the last day of the ceremony a large
sweathouse was built and stones heated; then about noon the men who had
been reciting their visions went into it, each taking one of the hot
stones with him. This privilege was not confined to the actual celebrants
however, for every one blessed by a guardian spirit even if they had not
sung their visions in the meeting, was entitled to carry in a stone and
join them.
The entrance was then closed and water poured upon the stones; and while
the steam rose and the sweathouse grew hotter and hotter the perspiring
occupants prayed to their guardian spirits and recited their visions.
These finished, with a shout of “There go our prayers to Those Above,”
the cover was suddenly snatched from the sweathouse so that the steam it
had contained rose in a puff. If the steam cloud went straight up into
the air it was thought that the prayers would be heard and answered, and
that all was well, but if it broke and spread out the people felt that
something had gone wrong, and that their prayers were of no avail.
In endeavoring to explain the presence of such variations of the Annual
Ceremony, it should be remembered that the Lenape now in Oklahoma whom
the writer has called for convenience “Unami,” are not really pure
descendants of this tribe, but probably have a large proportion of the
blood of the Unala‛ʹtko or Unalachtigo, whose dialect, according to
Heckewelder, was very similar, and a smaller proportion of Minsi and
even Nanticoke blood. Perhaps then the first form of Annual Ceremony
described may have originally been purely Unami, and the second
Unalachtigo, or Minsi, or vice versa; but later, when the remnants of
these tribes became amalgamated their mixed descendants inherited both
forms.
The second form seems to be a variant of the rite mentioned by
Zeisberger[49] who describes it as follows:
“A fifth kind of festival is held in honor of fire which
the Indians regard as being their grandfather, and call
_Machtuzin_, meaning ‘to perspire.’ A sweating-oven is built
in the midst of the house of sacrifice, consisting of twelve
poles each of a different species of wood. These twelve poles
represent twelve _Manittos_, some of these being creatures,
others plants. These they run into the ground, tie together
at the top, bending them toward each other; these are covered
entirely with blankets, joined closely together, each person
being very ready to lend his blanket, so that the whole
appears like a baker’s oven, high enough nearly to admit a man
standing upright. After the meal of sacrifice, fire is made at
the entrance of the oven and twelve large stones, about the
size of human heads, are heated and placed in the oven. Then
twelve Indians creep into it and remain there as long as they
can bear the heat. While they are inside twelve pipes full of
tobacco are thrown, one after another, upon the hot stones,
which occasions a smoke almost powerful enough to suffocate
those confined inside. Some one may also walk around the
stones singing and offering tobacco, for tobacco is offered to
fire. Usually, when the twelve men emerge from the oven, they
fall down in a swoon. During this feast a whole buckskin with
the head and antlers is raised upon a pole, head and antlers
resting on the pole, before which the Indians sing and pray.
They deny that they pay any adoration to the buck, declaring
that God alone is worshipped through this medium and is so
worshipped at his will.”
That this is really the same ceremony is shown not only by the details as
related but by the native name of the rite, the _Machtuzin_ of Zeisberger
corresponding with the _MuxhatoLʹzing_ of the present writer.