Father Brebeuf, writing about the Hurons in 1636, tells of a
certain rock which they passed on their way to Quebec, and to
which they always offered tobacco, placing it in the cleft of
the rock and addressing the demon who lived there with prayer
for protection and success. When the Indian in crossing a lake
finds himself in serious danger, he prays to the spirit of the
lake, throwing an offering, perhaps a dog, into the water. When
the sound of the thundering frightens him, he prays to the
thunder-being for protection. When he needs rain, he directs his
rites to the god of rain and thunder. Air and earth and water
are alive with spirits, any one of which may be prayed to; but,
as a matter of fact, certain ones are singled out for worship.
Add to these the many animal deities which are invoked even more
frequently than those of the elements in the sacred formulas of
the Cherokees.
(2166)
See PLANT WORSHIP.