Information - Cherokee "On their return home from a battle, the warriors stayed at their own town council houses for twenty-four days, where before returning to their wives and families, they underwent extensive purification rituals to rid themselves of uncleanness that was contacted during the fighting. At night there were Scalp, Smoke and other dances that the townspeople could watch. During those dances the four men who had served as spies wore the bird and animal skins they had used while on the march: that of the raven, the owl, the wolf, and the fox. Each night, when the Great War Chief put on his raven skin and went forward as a spy, three renowned warriors put on their skins and went off in other directions. The owl man went as a spy to the right, the wolf man to the left, and the fox man went back the way they had come. The raven and owl skins were worn around the bearers' necks. A slit was made near the head of the wolf and the fox skin for the warrior to put his head through, and the skin was arranged so that the head hung down on the man's chest and the tail hung down his back. Warriors who distinguished themselves in battle were on their return honored by the gift of a new name that was publicly bestowed by a general council of town leaders. Killer was the highest name, then Raven, Owl, Wolf and Fox." From Mails: Reposted with permission of Nancy Jackson From the archives Blue Panther Keeper of Stories.