The Mide'wiwin or "Grand Medicine Society" of the Ojibwa Part 23

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Ni-ka'-ni-na', ni-ka'-ni-na', ni-ka'-ni-na', I am the Nika'ni, I am the Nika'ni, I am the Nika'ni, man'-i-do wig'-i-wam win'-di-ge'-un.

I am going into the sacred lodge.

[The speaker compares himself to the Bear Man'ido, and as such is represented at the entrance of the Mide'wigan.]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Ni-ka'-ni-na', ni-ka'-ni-na', ni-ka'-ni-na', I am the Nika'ni, I am the Nika'ni, I am the Nika'ni, ni-kan'-gi-nun'-da we-mi-duk'.

I "suppose" you hear me.

[The lines from the ear denotes hearing; the words are addressed to his auditors.]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Wa', he-wa'-ke-wa ke-wa', he-wa'-ke-wa', wa'.

He said, he said.

[Signifies that Ki'ts.h.i.+ Man'ido, who is seen with the voice lines issuing from the mouth, and who promised the Ani's.h.i.+na'beg "life,"

that they might always live.]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Rest. A ceremonial smoke is now indulged in.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

We'-shki-nun'-do-ni-ne', ke-nosh'-ki-nun'-do-ni-ne'.

This is the first time you hear it.

[The lines of hearing are again shown; the words refer to the first time this is chanted as it is an intimation that the singer is to be advanced to the higher grade of the Mide'wiwin.]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Hwe'-na-ni-ka he-na', he-no' mi-te'-win-win' gi'-ga-wa'-pi-no-don'.

You laugh, you laugh at the "grand medicine."

[The arms are directed towards Ki'ts.h.i.+ Man'ido, the creator of the sacred rite; the words refer to those who are ignorant of the Mide'wiwin and its teachings.]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Nun-te'-ma-ne', he', wi'-na-nun'-te-ma-ne' ki'-pi-nan'.

I hear, but they hear it not.

[The speaker intimates that he realizes the importance of the Mide' rite, but the uninitiated do not.]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Pe'-ne-sui'-a ke'-ke-kwi'-yan.

I am sitting like a sparrow-hawk.

[The singer is sitting upright, and is watchful, like a hawk watching for its prey. He is ready to observe, and to acquire, everything that may transpire in the Mide' structure.]

Upon the conclusion of the chant, the a.s.sembled Mide' smoke and review the manner of procedure for the morrow's ceremony, and when these details have been settled they disperse, to return to their wig'iwams, or to visit Mide' who may have come from distant settlements.

Early on the day of his initiation the candidate returns to the sudatory to await the coming of his preceptor. The gifts of tobacco are divided into parcels which may thus be easily distributed at the proper time, and as soon as the officiating priests have arrived, and seated themselves, the candidate produces some tobacco of which all present take a pipeful, when a ceremonial smoke-offering is made to Ki'ts.h.i.+ Man'ido. The candidate then takes his mide' drum and sings a song of his own composition, or one which he may have purchased from his preceptor, or some Mide' priest. The following is a reproduction of an old mnemonic song which the owner, Sikas'sige, had received from his father who in turn had obtained it at La Pointe, Wisconsin, about the year 1800. The words are archaic to a great extent, and they furthermore differ from the modern language on account of the manner in which they are p.r.o.nounced in chanting, which peculiarity has been faithfully followed below. The pictographic characters are reproduced in Pl. XVI, B. As usual, the several lines are sung ad libitum, repet.i.tion depending entirely upon the feelings of the singer.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Hin'-to-na-ga-ne' o-sa-ga-ts.h.i.+'-wed o-do'-zhi-ton'.

The sun is coming up, that makes my dish.

[The dish signifies the feast to be made by the singer. The zigzag lines across the dish denote the sacred character of the feast. The upper lines are the arm holding the vessel.]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Man'-i-do i'-ya-ne', ish'-ko-te'-wi-wa'-we-yan'.

My spirit is on fire.

[The horizontal lines across the leg signify magic power of traversing s.p.a.ce. The short lines below the foot denote flames, i.e., magic influence obtained by swiftness of communication with the man'idos.]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Ko'ts.h.i.+-ha-ya-ne', ne', ish'-ki-to'-ya-ni', nin-do'-we-he', wi'-a-we-yan'.

I want to try you, I am of fire.

[The zigzag lines diverging from the mouth signify voice, singing; the apex upon the head superior knowledge, by means of which the singer wishes to try his Mide' sack upon his hearer, to give evidence of the power of his influence.]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

A pause. Ceremonial smoking is indulged in, after which the chant is continued.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Ni-mi'-ga-sim'-ma man'-i-do, sa-ko'-ts.h.i.+-na'.

My mi'gis spirit, that is why I am stronger than you.

[The three spots denote the three times the singer has received the mi'gis by being shot; it is because this spirit is within him that he is more powerful than those upon the outside of the wigiwam who hear him.]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Mi'-ga-ye'-nin en'-dy-an, ya', ho', ya', man'-i-do'-ya.

That is the way I feel, spirit.

[The speaker is filled with joy at his power, the mi'gis within him, shown by the spot upon the body, making him confident.]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Ya-go'-sha-hi', na', ha', ha', Ya-go'-sha-hi', man'-i-do-wi'-yin.

I am stronger than you, spirit that you are.

[He feels more powerful, from having received three times the mi'gis, than the evil spirit who antagonizes his progress in advancement.]

Upon the completion of this preliminary by the candidate, the priests emerge from the wig'iwam and fall in line according to their official status, when the candidate and preceptor gather up the parcels of tobacco and place themselves at the head of the column and start toward the eastern entrance of the Mide'wigan. As they approach the lone post, or board, the candidate halts, when the priests continue to chant and drum upon the Mide' drum. The chief Mide' then advances to the board and peeps through the orifice near the top to view malevolent man'idos occupying the interior, who are antagonistic to the entrance of a stranger. This spot is a.s.sumed to represent the resting place or "nest,"

from which the Bear Man'ido viewed the evil spirits during the time of his initiation by the Otter. The evil spirits within are crouching upon the floor, one behind the other and facing the east, the first being Mi-s.h.i.+'-bi-s.h.i.+'--the panther; the second, Me-s.h.i.+'-ke--the turtle; the third, kwin'-go-a'-gi--the big wolverine; the fourth, wa'-gush--the fox; the fifth, ma-in'-gun--the wolf; and the sixth, ma-kwa'--the bear. They are the ones who endeavor to counteract or destroy the good wrought by the rites of the Mide'wiwin, and only by the aid of the good man'idos can they be driven from the Mide'wigan so as to permit a candidate to enter and receive the benefits of the degree. The second Mide' then views the group of malevolent beings, after which the third, and lastly the fourth priest looks through the orifice. They then advise the presentation by the candidate of tobacco at that point to invoke the best efforts of the Mide' Man'idos in his behalf.

It is a.s.serted that all of the malevolent man'idos who occupied and surrounded the preceding degree structures have now a.s.sembled about this fourth degree of the Mide'wigan to make a final effort against the admission and advancement of the candidate: therefore he impersonates the good Bear Man'ido, and is obliged to follow a similar course in approaching from his present position the entrance of the structure.

Upon hands and knees he slowly crawls toward the main entrance, when a wailing voice is heard in the east which sounds like the word han', prolonged in a monotone. This is ge'-gi-si'-bi-ga'-ne-dat man'ido. His bones are heard rattling as he approaches; he wields his bow and arrow; his long hair streaming in the air, and his body, covered with mi'gis sh.e.l.ls from the salt sea, from which he has emerged to aid in the expulsion of the opposing spirits. This being the information given to the candidate he a.s.sumes and personates the character of the man'ido referred to, and being given a bow and four arrows, and under the guidance of his preceptor, he proceeds toward the main entrance of the structure while the officiating priests enter and station themselves within the door facing the west. The preceptor carries the remaining parcels of tobacco, and when the candidate arrives near the door he makes four movements with his bow and arrow toward the interior, as if shooting, the last time sending an arrow within, upon which the grinning spirits are forced to retreat toward the other end of the inclosure. The candidate then rushes in at the main entrance, and upon emerging at the south suddenly turns and again employs his bow and arrow four times toward the crowd of evil man'idos, who have rushed toward him during the interval that he was within. At the last gesture of shooting into the inclosure, he sends forward an arrow, deposits a parcel of tobacco and crouches to rest at the so-called "bear's nest." During this period of repose the Mide' priests continue to drum and sing. Then the candidate approaches the southern door again, on all fours, and the moment he arrives there he rises and is hurried through the inclosure to emerge at the west, where he turns suddenly, and imitating the manner of shooting arrows into the group of angry man'idos within, he at the fourth movement lets fly an arrow and gets down into the western "bear's nest."

After a short interval he again approaches the door, crawling forward on his hands and knees until he reaches the entrance, where he leaves a present of tobacco and is hastened through the inclosure to emerge at the northern door, where he again turns suddenly upon the angry spirits, and after making threatening movements toward them, at the fourth menace he sends an arrow among them. The spirits are now greatly annoyed by the magic power possessed by the candidate and the a.s.sistance rendered by the Mide' Man'idos, so that they are compelled to seek safety in flight.

The candidate is resting in the northern "bear's nest," and as he again crawls toward the Mide'wigan, on hands and knees, he deposits another gift of a parcel of tobacco, then rises and is hurried through the interior to emerge at the entrance door, where he turns around, and seeing but a few angry man'idos remaining, he takes his last arrow and aiming it at them makes four threatening gestures toward them, at the last sending the arrow into the structure, which puts to flight all opposition on the part of this host of man'idos. The path is now clear, and after he deposits another gift of tobacco at the door he is led within, and the preceptor receives the bow and deposits it with the remaining tobacco upon the pile of blankets and robes that have by this time been removed from the rafters and laid upon the ground midway between the sacred Mide' stone and the first Mide' post.

The chief Mide' priest then takes charge of the candidate, saying:

Mi'-a-s.h.i.+'-gwa wi-ka'-we-a'-kwa-mus-sin'-nuk.

Now is the time [to take] the path that has no end

Mi'-a-s.h.i.+'-gwa wi-kan'-do-we-an'

Now is the time I shall inform you [of]

mi'-ga-i'-zhid wen'- dzhi-bi-ma'-dis.

that which I was told the reason I live.

To this the second Mide' priest remarks to the candidate, Wa'-s.h.i.+-gan'-do-we-an' mi-gai'-i-nok' wa'-ka-no'-s.h.i.+-dzin--which freely translated signifies: "The reason I now advise you is that you may heed him when he speaks to you." The candidate is then led around the interior of the inclosure, the a.s.sistant Mide' fall in line of march and are followed by all the others present, excepting the musicians. During the circuit, which is performed slowly, the chief Mide' drums upon the Mide' drum and chants. The following, reproduced from the original, on Pl. XVII, B, consists of a number of archaic words, some of which are furthermore different from the spoken language on account of their being chanted, and meaningless syllables introduced to prolong certain accentuated notes. Each line and stanza may be repeated ad libitum.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Man'-i-do, he', ne'-ye', man'-i-do, he', ne', ye', en'-da-na'-bi-yen wen'-do-bi'-yen.

A spirit, a spirit, you who sit there, who sit there.