michelson: fox ritualistic myths 211 



for publication) is very bulky; nevertheless in both the sys- 

 tematic origin myth of the Fox type is absent. Only a single 

 Ojibwa myth in Dr. Jones' collection shows a resemblance to 

 the Fox type of ritualistic origin myth. Both the Potawatomi 

 and Cree to my own knowledge also possess certain ceremonies 

 which Fox ritualistic origin myths account for, but unfortunately 

 our knowledge of their folk-lore and mythology is too limited to 

 compare these with those of the Foxes. Summing up, we must 

 say that at present we cannot prove that the Fox ritualistic ori- 

 gin myths were invented -to account for the existing ceremonies, 

 though this may have been the case. On the other hand it is 

 entirely possible that certain individuals did have religious ex- 

 periences and did initiate ceremonies which subsequently were 

 utilized in ritualistic origin myths. Unfortunately there is too 

 little comparative material from closely cognate Algonkin tribes 

 at present available to settle these problems. 



As to the language employed in the Fox ritualistic origin 

 myths: The words are unusual and archaic. The set speeches 

 are interspersed with variations of a mystic word no tti (so writ- 

 ten in the current syllabary), the exact translation of which is 

 difficult. Words are considerably mutiliated in the songs and 

 would rarely be intelligible in themselves. They must be ex- 

 plained in full by informants, to make their meaning at all clear. 

 Padding by mere vocables also occurs in considerable profusion. 

 Though these are blemishes from our point of view, from the 

 native standpoint they are not. A single word or phrase will 

 recall to the Fox Indian the entire thought, which is all that is 

 desirable from their point of view. 



In closing, I may say that the genuineness of these ritualistic 

 origin myths is attested by the facts (1) that some of the songs 

 contained in them occur among the Kickapoo; (2) that I have 

 heard some of the songs in the appropriate existing Fox cere- 

 mony; (3) that in other cases the informant has been gauged by 

 his other stories — if this latter material checks up well, there be- 

 ing reason to doubt his honesty in regard to the ritualistic origin 

 myths; and (4) that Indians are quite incapable of inventing 

 long, sustained, origin myths without internal evidence of fraud. 



