Then did they solemnely inuite him to their lodging, where he was no sooner come,
but all rounded about him with tedious kindnesse, crying loue you not mee? This sa∣lutation
ended, which Pan and all his Satyres would haue accepted, they feasted him
with plentie and varietie, some singing and dancing whiles others attended: and at
last led him with a fire-brand in stead of a torch to his lodging.
When they
intend any wars; the Weroances or Kings consult first with the Priests
and Coniurers. And no people haue there beene found so sauage which haue not
their Priests, Gods, and Religion. All things that are able to hurt them beyond their
preuention, they after their sort adore, as the Fire, Water, Lightning, Thunder, our
Ordnance, Peeces, Horses: Yea, Captaine Smith told mee; that they seeing one of
the English Bores in the way, were stricken with awfull feare, because hee brisled vp
himselfe and gnashed his teeth, and tooke him for the God of the Swine, which was
offended with them.
The chiefe God they worship is the Deuill, which they call Oke. They haue con∣ference
with him, and fashion themselues vnto his shape. In their Temples they haue
his Image ill-sauouredly made, painted, adorned with chaines, copper, and beads,
and couered with a skinne. By him is commonly the Sepulchre of their Kings;
whose bodies are first bowelled, then dryed on a hurdle, and haue about the ioynts
chaines of copper, beads, and other like trash; then lapped in white skinnes, and
rowled in mats, and orderly entombed in arches made of mats, the remnant of their
wealth being set at their feet. These Temples and Bodies are kept by their Priests.
For their ordinarie burialls, they digge a deepe hole in the earth with sharpe stakes,
and the corps being wrapped in skinnes and mats with their iewells, they lay them
vpon sticks in the ground, and couer them with earth. The buriall ended, the women
hauing their faces painted with black cole and oile, sit foure and twentie houres in the
houses mourning and lamenting by turnes, with yellings and howlings. Euery Ter∣ritorie
of a Weroance hath their Temples and Priests. Their principall Temple is at
Vttamussack in Pamaunk, where Powhatan hath an house vpon the top of certaine
sandie hils in the woods. There are three great houses filled with Images of their Kings
and Deuills, and Tombes of their Predecessours. Those houses are neare threescore
foot long, built, after their fashion, arbour-wise. This place is in such estimation of
holinesse, that none but the Priests and Kings dare enter: yea, the Sauages dare not
passe by in boats without casting copper, beads, or somewhat into the Riuer.
Here are commonly resident seuen Priests: the chiefe differed from the rest in his
ornaments: the other can hardly be knowne from the common people, but that they
haue not so many holes at their eares to hang their iewels at. The high-Priests head∣tire
is thus made. They take a great many Snakes skinnes stuffed with mosse, as also
of Weasils and other Vermines skinnes, which they tie by their tailes, so that all the
tailes meete on the top of the head like a great Tassell. The faces of their Priests are
painted as vgly as they can deuise: in their hands they haue rattells, some Base, some
Treble.
Their deuotion is most in songs which the chiefe Priest beginneth, the rest follow∣ing:
sometime hee maketh inuocations with broken sentences, by starts and strange
passions, and at euery pause the other giue a short grone. It cannot be perceiued that
they haue any set holy dayes: only, in some great distresse of want, feare of enemies,
times of triumph, and of gathering their fruits, the whole, Countrie, Men, Women,
and Children, assemble to their solemnities. The manner of their deuotion is some∣times,
to make a great fire, all singing and dancing about the same with rattles and
shouts, foure or fiue houres: sometimes they set a man in the midst, and dance and sing
about him, he all the while clapping his hands, as if hee would keepe time: after this,
they goe to their feasts. They haue certaine Altar-stones, which they call Pawcorances,
standing from their temples, some by their houses, others in the woods & wildernesses;
vpon which they offer bloud, Deer-suet, & Tobacco. This they doe when they returne
from the warres, from their huntings, and on other occasions. When the waters are
rough in stormes, their coniurers runne to the waters sides, or passe in their boats,