Mohican

2 Pages 557 Words

RITES OF PASSAGE CEREMONIES



About the time of puberty, a boy was encouraged to go into the forest for several days at a time, fast during the day, and dream at night. For breakfast, he was offered either food or charcoal: if he chose to fast, he took the charcoal and rubbed it on his cheeks to indicate that he was on a vision quest. The fast was either a complete one or one with very little water. After sundown, a small amount of food could be eaten, but some didn’t even do this. Most people said that fasting “cleared the mind" after several days, so they were able to see a vision or hear a new name or song and remember it. To stay out for four days in a row was highly desirable. On the first day, the father often went to help his son prepare a small shelter or a nest in a tree. Many fathers went back once in a while to make sure their son was safe. There were few examples of failure, although a child might have to fast several times before he has a real vision.
The fasting dream, or vision quest, was of the greatest significance to the individual. The dream gave him a guardian spirit to guide and protect him for life. In some cases, equipped him with the power to cure, the ability to prophesy, and a supply of songs and names. The guardian spirit was painted on his personal drum. Other favors were gained through the years by additional fasting. Some of these favors that he was expected to do was to honor his guardian spirit with frequent offerings of food and, particularly, tobacco. Maintaining good connection with his guardian spirit and other spirits was always important in protecting him from illness, accident, or hunger.
When the girl was ready for her first menses, she stayed at least four days and nights in a small wigwam her mother had built away from the main camp. Fasting was also part of this experience: in her puberty hut she was allowed almost no food, taking only a little water and occasionally a little food a...