The Ancients

The Ancients were groups of cats living in The Lake Territories, long before the Clans moved to the lake.

General Information

 * The Ancients lived in three Tribes, and they had scattered well before the Clans came to the lake. It is stated in Long Shadows that one of the Ancient Tribes are the ancestors of the Tribe of Rushing Water. They share several similarities, such as both calling themselves "Tribes", and neither having marked boundaries.


 * The names of the Ancients are all two word constructions, relating to nature and often describing the cat's appearance as well (such as Fallen Leaves or Dove's Wing). The names of Ancients do not change throughout time, unlike that of Clan cats. It has been implied that some Ancient families share a common "surname"; for example, Jay's Wing and Dove's Wing or Rising Moon and Half Moon.


 * The Clan cats know nothing about the Ancients, except Jayfeather who has dreams about them and travels back in time to interact with them. In Outcast, it is hinted that the Ancients have ties to the Clans as well.

Structure

 * The Ancients had a leader, although the leader did not have nine lives like a Clan Leader does. They could step down from their position whenever they wanted, and name their successor. Knowledge of herbs was shared between a few cats, and each cat hunted for themselves, unlike the Clans. Only if prey was left over would it be given to a different cat. Rock was an ancient Healer who was cursed with knowledge and living forever, and lived solely in the tunnels, part of the Ancient Tribe, but still lives 'today'.


 * The majority of the Ancient Tribes were made up by sharpclaws; the equivalent of Clan Warriors. Young cats training to be sharpclaws were called softpaws (similar to Clan apprentices), and were also given a mentor. When a softpaw was ready to become a sharpclaw, they had to undergo a rite of passage: to go down in a network of deep tunnels and find their way out. Those who indeed found their way out passed the test and were promoted to Sharpclaws; while those who got lost eventually perished.


 * Similarly to the Clans, young cats are called kits, she-cats expecting or nursing kits are called queens, while retired sharpclaws are called elders.

The Casting of Stones

 * The Casting of Stones was a process unique to only the Ancient Tribe. The Casting of Stones was a process where all the cats would gather (at their own time) to decide a (possibly only major) decision. The Tribe leader would draw a circle on a patch of earth, and divide it into two segments. Then, all the cats would choose a smooth, round stone, and push it into the segment which represented their choice.


 * For example, in Long Shadows, the Casting of Stones was to decide whether to go to the mountains or not. One side represented 'Go' and one represented 'Stay'. Each cat pushed a stone what they wanted to do- go or stay. Eventually 'Go' won out (Jayfeather cast the deciding vote) and the cats become the Tribe of Rushing Water.

Starlight

 * When the Clan cats discover the Moonpool, Leafpaw sees many old pawprints, suggesting that groups of cats lived near the Lake long before who used to visit the Moonpool. However, nothing more is revealed about them in the series, although the existence of the old pawprints is remarked several times.

Dark River

 * Jaypaw finds a stick that Rock, an Ancient Healer, used to keep track of softpaws who went into the tunnels, marking if they survived or not. Later, Jayfeather dreams of following a softpaw named Fallen Leaves as he journeys through the tunnels to become a sharpclaw. However, the tunnels get flooded because of rain and Fallen Leaves is trapped inside and drowns.

Outcast

 * Rock explains to Jaypaw that the prophecy about the Three came from the time of the Ancient Tribes.

Long Shadows

 * Jaypaw travels back in time to become Jay's Wing, and he influences the Tribe to leave the lake and travel to the mountains. He realizes that this group of cats would become the Tribe of Rushing Water, and is the one to make the deciding vote on whether to go to the mountains or not. The vote is done via "casting stones": a line is drawn in the dirt, and each cat pushes a stone to the side they choose.

Sign of the Moon
The Ancients make their second appearance in this book. Jayfeather travels back in time again, and appears when the cats have just arrived at the mountains. Half Moon is the first to speak to him.