.MTA1Mw.NzA2MzY

From Newberry Transcribe
Jump to navigation Jump to search

429 and 10 penciled at top of page

Feasts Ball play dances. This continued seven days. During this time the men must have no intercourse with women, and no woman must come to the place where the dance is held; but when they take victuals to the dancers, they set it down some distance off, from where the men get it. During the time the women must not walk in a path which the players will have to tread in going to the ball ground.

Ball play The priests had nothing to do with Ball plays. When any young man, of good character, desired to bring forward a ball play, he collected nineteen of his companions, to unite with him in sending a challenge to the young men in a neighbouring town. Those on accepting the challenge, selected twenty of their number to play. Anciently ball players, on both sides, must be men of good character, and must play honorably, not practicing fraud or deception. Each party then selected an elderly man to direct the dance, one to sing & whoop & seven women to dance on the seventh night. Each party had also a conjurer. An open place in the woods, having been selected, & a fire built, about dark all repaired thither, and seating themselves some distance from the fire. At length, the director, calling the players, they came forward with their ball?? off page