The Mide'wiwin or "Grand Medicine Society" of the Ojibwa Part 22

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 27.--Jes'sakkan', or juggler's lodge.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 28.--Jes'sakkan', or juggler's lodge.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 29.--Jes'sakkan', juggler's lodge.]

The accompanying ill.u.s.trations, Figs. 27, 28, and 29, reproduced from birch-bark etchings, were the property of Jes'sakkid', who were also Mide' of the third and fourth degrees. It will be noticed that the structure used by them is in the form of the ordinary wig'iwam, as their profession of medical magic is apparently held in higher esteem than the art of prophecy; their status and claims as Jes'sakkid' being indicated by the great number of ma'nidos which they have the power of invoking.

These man'idos, or spirits, are indicated by the outline of their material forms, the heart being indicated and connected with the interior of the structure to show the power of the Jes'sakkid' over the life of the respective spirits. The Thunder-bird usually occupies the highest position in his estimation, and for this reason is drawn directly over the wig'iwam. The Turtle is claimed to be the man'ido who acts as intermediary between the Jes'sakkid' and the other man'idos, and is therefore not found among the characters on the outside of the wig'iwam, but his presence is indicated within, either at the spot marking the convergence of the "life lines," or immediately below it.

Fig. 30 is a reproducton of an etching made by a Jes'sakkid' at White Earth, Minnesota. The two curved lines above the Jes'sakkan' represent the sky, from which magic power is derived, as shown by the waving line extending downward. The small spots within the structure are "magic spots," i.e., the presence of man'idos. The juggler is shown upon the left side near the base. When a prophet is so fortunate as to be able to claim one of these man'idos as his own tutelary daimon, his advantage in invoking the others is comparatively greater. Before proceeding to the Jes'sakkan'--or the "Jugglery," as the Jes'sakkid' wig'iwam is commonly designated, a prophet will prepare himself by smoking and making an offering to his man'ido, and by singing a chant, of which an example is presented on Pl. XIV, D. It is a reproduction of one made by a Jes'sakkid' who was also a Mide' of the third degree. Each line is chanted as often as may be desired, or according to the effect which it may be desirable to produce or the inspired state of the singer.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 30.--Jes'sakkan', or juggler's lodge.]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Me-we'-yan, ha', ha', ha', I go into the Jes'sakkan' to see the medicine.

[The circle represents the Jes'sakkid' as viewed from above; the short lines denote the magic character of the structure, and the central ring, or spot, the magic stone used by the prophet who appears entering from the side.]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Tschi-nun'-don', he', he', he', he', I was the one who dug up life.

[The Otter Man'ido emerging from the Mide'wigan; he received it from Ki'ts.h.i.+ Mani'do.]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Ni'ka-ni' we-do-kon'-a, ha', ha', The spirit put down medicine on earth to grow.

[The sacred or magic lines descending to the earth denote supernatural origin of the mi'gis, which is shown by the four small rings. The short lines at the bottom represent the ascending sprouts of magic plants.]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Te-ti-ba'-ts.h.i.+ mut'-a-wit', te', he', he', I am the one that dug up the medicine.

[The otter shown emerging from the jugglery. The speaker represents himself "like unto the Otter Man'ido."]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Ki'wan-win'-da ma'-kwa-nan', na', ha', I answer my brother spirit.

[The Otter Man'ido responds to the invocation of the speaker. The diagonal line across the body signifies the "spirit character" of the animal.]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Rest or pause.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Wa'-a-so'-at wen'-ti'-na-man, ha', ha, The spirit has put life into my body.

[The speaker is represented as being in the Mide'-wigan, where Ki'ts.h.i.+ Man'ido placed magic power into his body; the arms denote this act of putting into his sides the mi'gis. The line crossing the body denotes the person to be possessed of supernatural power.]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Ki-to'-na-bi'-in, ne', he', he', This is what the medicine has given us.

[The Mide'wigan, showing on the upper line the guardian man'idos.]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Ni'-sha-we'-ni-bi-ku', hu', hu', he', I took with two hands what was thrown down to us.

[The speaker grasped life, i.e., the migis', to secure the mysterious power which he professes.]

In addition to the practice of medical magic, the Jes'sakkid' sometimes resorts to a curious process to extract from the patient's body the malevolent beings or man'idos which cause disease. The method of procedure is as follows: The Jes'sakkid' is provided with four or more tubular bones, consisting of the leg bones of large birds, each of the thickness of a finger and 4 or 5 inches in length. After the priest has fasted and chanted prayers for success, he gets down upon all fours close to the patient and with his mouth near the affected part. After using the rattle and singing most vociferously to cause the evil man'ido to take shelter at some particular spot, so that it may be detected and located by him, he suddenly touches that place with the end of one of the bones and immediately thereafter putting the other end into his mouth, as if it were a cigar, strikes it with the flat hand and sends it apparently down his throat. Then the second bone is treated in the same manner, as also the third and fourth, the last one being permitted to protrude from the mouth, when the end is put against the affected part and sucking is indulged in amid the most violent writhings and contortions in his endeavors to extract the man'ido. As this object is supposed to have been reached and swallowed by the Jes'sakkid' he crawls away to a short distance from the patient and relieves himself of the demon with violent retchings and apparent suffering. He recovers in a short time, spits out the bones, and, after directing his patient what further medicine to swallow, receives his fee and departs. Further description of this practice will be referred to below and ill.u.s.trated on Pl. XVIII.

The above manner of disposing of the hollow bones is a clever trick and not readily detected, and it is only by such acts of jugglery and other delusions that he maintains his influence and importance among the credulous.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 31.--Jes'sakkid' curing woman.]

Fig. 31 represents a Jes'sakkid' curing a sick woman by sucking the demon through a bone tube. The pictograph was drawn upon a piece of birch bark which was carried in the owner's Mide' sack, and was intended to record an event of importance.

No. 1 represents the actor, holding a rattle in hand. Around his head is an additional circle, denoting quant.i.ty (literally, more than an ordinary amount of knowledge), the short line projecting to the right indicating the tube used.

No. 2 is the woman operated upon.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 32.--Jes'sakkid' curing man.]

Fig. 32 represents an exhibition by a Jes'sakkid', a resident of White Earth, Minnesota. The priest is shown in No. 1 holding his rattle, the line extending from his eye to the patient's abdomen signifying that he has located the demon and is about to begin his exorcism. No. 2 is the patient lying before the operator.

FOURTH DEGREE.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 33.--Diagram of Mide'wigan of the fourth degree.]

The Mide'wigan, in which this degree is conferred, differs from the preceding structures by having open doorways in both the northern and southern walls, about midway between the eastern and western extremities and opposite to one another. Fig. 33 represents a ground plan, in which may also be observed the location of each of the four Mide' posts. Fig.

34 shows general view of same structure. A short distance from the eastern entrance is deposited the sacred stone, beyond which is an area reserved for the presents to be deposited by an applicant for initiation. The remaining two-thirds of the s.p.a.ce toward the western door is occupied at regular intervals by four posts, the first being painted red with a band of green around the top. (Pl. XV, No. 1.) The second post is red, and has scattered over its surface spots of white clay to symbolize the sacred mi'gis sh.e.l.l. Upon it is perched the stuffed skin of an owl--ko-ko-ko-o'. (Pl. XV, No. 2.) The third post is black; but instead of being round is cut square. (Pl. XV, No. 3.) The fourth post, that nearest the western extremity, is in the shape of a cross, painted white, with red spots, excepting the lower half of the trunk, which is squared, the colors upon the four sides being white on the east, green on the south, red on the west, and black on the north.

(Pl. XV, No. 4.)

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 34.--General view of Mide'wigan.]

About 10 paces east of the main entrance, in a direct line between it and the sweat lodge, is planted a piece of thin board 3 feet high and 6 inches broad, the top of which is cut so as to present a three-lobed apex, as shown in Fig. 3. The eastern side of this board is painted green; that facing the Mide'wigan red. Near the top is a small opening, through which the Mide' are enabled to peep into the interior of the sacred structure to observe the angry man'idos occupying the structure and opposing the intrusion of anyone not of the fourth degree.

A cedar tree is planted at each of the outer corners of the Mide'wigan, and about 6 paces away from the northern, western, and southern entrances a small brush structure is erected, sufficiently large to admit the body. These structures are termed bears' nests, supposed to be points where the Bear Man'ido rested during the struggle he pa.s.sed through while fighting with the malevolent man'idos within to gain entrance and receive the fourth-degree initiation. Immediately within and to either side of the east and west entrances is planted a short post, 5 feet high and 8 inches thick, painted red upon the side facing the interior and black upon the reverse, at the base of each being laid a stone about as large as a human head. These four posts represent the four limbs and feet of the Bear Man'ido, who made the four entrances and forcibly entered and expelled the evil beings who had opposed him. The fourth-degree Mide' post-- the cross--furthermore symbolizes the four days' struggle at the four openings or doors in the north, south, east, and west walls of the structure.

PREPARATION OF CANDIDATE.

Under ordinary circ.u.mstances it requires at least one year before a Mide' of the third grade is considered eligible for promotion, and it is seldom that a candidate can procure the necessary presents within that period, so that frequently a number of years elapse before any intimation by a candidate is made to the chief priest that the necessary requirements can be complied with. The chief reason of this delay is attributed to the fact that the fee to the officiating priests alone must equal in value and quant.i.ty four times the amount paid at the first initiation, and as the success in gathering the robes, skins, blankets, etc., depends upon the candidate's own exertions it will readily appear why so few ever attain the distinction sought. Should one be so fortunate, however, as to possess the required articles, he has only to make known the fact to the chief and a.s.sistant Mide' priests, when a meeting is held at the wig'iwam of one of the members and the merits of the candidate discussed. For this purpose tobacco is furnished by the candidate. The more valuable and more numerous the presents the more rapidly will his application be disposed of, and the more certainly will favorable consideration on it be had. It becomes necessary, as in former instances of preparation, for the candidate to procure the service of a renowned Mide', in order to acquire new or specially celebrated remedies or charms. The candidate may also give evidence of his own proficiency in magic without revealing the secrets of his success or the course pursued to attain it. The greater the mystery the higher he is held in esteem even by his jealous confreres.

There is not much to be gained by preparatory instruction for the fourth degree, the chief claims being a renewal of the ceremony of "shooting the mi'gis" into the body of the candidate, and enacting or dramatizing the traditional efforts of the Bear Man'ido in his endeavor to receive from the Otter the secrets of this grade. One who succeeds becomes correspondingly powerful in his profession and therefore more feared by the credulous. His sources of income are accordingly increased by the greater number of Indians who require his a.s.sistance. Hunters, warriors, and lovers have occasion to call upon him, and sometimes antidoting charms are sought, when the evil effects of an enemy's work are to be counteracted.

The instructor receives the visit of the candidate, and upon coming to a satisfactory agreement concerning the fee to be paid for the service he prepares his pupil by prompting him as to the part he is to enact during the initiation and the reasons therefor. The preparation and the merits of magic compounds are discussed, and the pupil receives instruction in making effective charms, compounding love powder, etc. This love powder is held in high esteem, and its composition is held a profound secret, to be transmitted only when a great fee is paid. It consists of the following ingredients: Vermilion; powdered snakeroot (Polygala senega, L.); exiguam particulam sanguinis a puella effusi, quum in primis menstruis esset; and a piece of ginseng cut from the bifurcation of the root, and powdered. These are mixed and put into a small buckskin bag.

The preparation is undertaken only after an offering to Ki'ts.h.i.+ Man'ido of tobacco and a Mide' song with rattle accompaniment. The manner of using this powder will be described under the caption of "descriptive notes." It differs entirely from the powder employed in painting the face by one who wishes to attract or fascinate the object of his or her devotion. The latter is referred to by the Rev. Peter Jones[16] as follows:

There is a particular kind of charm which they use when they wish to obtain the object of their affections. It is made of roots and red ocher. With this they paint their faces, believing it to possess a power so irresistible as to cause the object of their desire to love them. But the moment this medicine is taken away and the charm withdrawn the person who before was almost frantic with love hates with a perfect hatred.

[Footnote 16: Hist. of the Ojebway Indians. London [1843?], p. 155.]

It is necessary that the candidate take a sweat-bath once each day, for four successive days, at some time during the autumn months of the year preceding the year in which the initiation is to occur. This form of preparation is deemed agreeable to Ki'ts.h.i.+ Man'ido, whose favor is constantly invoked that the candidate may be favored with the powers supposed to be conferred in the last degree. As spring approaches the candidate makes occasional presents of tobacco to the chief priest and his a.s.sistants, and when the period of the annual ceremony approaches, they send out runners to members to solicit their presence, and, if of the fourth degree, their a.s.sistance.

INITIATION OF CANDIDATE.

The candidate removes to the vicinity of the Mide'wigan so as to be able to go through the ceremony of purgation four times before the day of initiation. The sudatory having been constructed on the usual site, east of the large structure, he enters it on the morning of the fifth day preceding the initiation and after taking a sweat-bath he is joined by the preceptor, when both proceed to the four entrances of the Mide'wigan and deposit at each a small offering of tobacco. This procedure is followed on the second and third days, also, but upon the fourth the presents are also carried along and deposited at the entrances, where they are received by a.s.sistants and suspended from the rafters of the interior. On the evening of the last day, the chief and officiating priests visit the candidate and his preceptor, in the sweat-lodge, when ceremonial smoking is indulged in followed by the recitation of Mide'

chants. The following (Pl. XVI, A) is a reproduction of the chant taught to and recited by the candidate. The original was obtained from an old mnemonic chart in use at Mille Lacs, Minnesota, in the year 1825, which in turn had been copied from a record in the possession of a Mide'

priest at La Pointe, Wisconsin. Many of the words are of an older form than those in use at the present day. Each line may be repeated ad libitum.