NO. 5 NARRATIVE OF A CHEYENNE WOMAN MICHELSON II 



towards the sky. Anyone may then take the cloth and touch one's 

 body all over with it, thereby receiving a blessing from the spirits. 



They then reenter the tipi. The ground is then broken by making 

 dents in the earth four times, in the same manner as the pointing 

 previously. The ground is made very smooth, and a hole is made 

 for a fireplace in the center. Clean white sand is then laid on this 

 clearing, representing the sky.' The coals of fire are scattered here 

 and there, representing stars. There are four holy places on the sand, 

 the home of the spirits ; and the holes are made in the same sequence of 

 directions as given above. The path from the entrance into the tipi 

 is marked with powdered coals towards the fireplace. A full moon "" 

 is between the fireplace and the entrance. Beyond the fireplace is the 

 crescent moon.^ These moons are made of black powdered coals. 

 There are four buffalo chips ^ placed in front of the priest. The 

 medicine bags are placed on top of the buft'alo chips before they are 

 untied and opened. Before they are opened the priest spits medicine 

 on one's hands four times, and passing motions are made, first using 

 the right hand by making a drawing motion on the right leg, then the 

 left hand on the right arm, next the right hand on the left arm, then 

 the left hand on the right leg ; and both hands backwards over the 

 head." This is required for old people. Young women are required 

 to make a downward motion in front of their bodies, indicating an 

 easy child-birth. 



The pledgers are stripped of their clothing. The painters paint 

 their bodies red ; but in the case of women their arms and legs are 

 painted, but not their bodies, and their faces are painted red with 

 black circles all over ; others ha^e the paint represent the ground, 

 namely, four black specks on the face and middle of the nose. When 

 the painting is done, coals of fire are taken from the fireplace. 

 Pinches of medicine are placed on fire which is in front of each per- 

 son. Motion is made with both hands towards the smoke, and in- 

 halation takes place. During the performance the priest sings medi- 

 cine songs, one song for each performance. When all is done the 

 pipe is pointed * to the four directions without being lit, and after it 



* For the ceremonial use of sand compare Dorsey, G. A., loc. cit., vol. 2, p. 65 ; 

 Grimiell, loc. cit., vol. 2, p. 261. 



* For the ceremonial use of a full moon compare Grinnell, loc. cit., vol. i, p. 196. 

 ^ For the ceremonial use of the crescent moon compare Grinnell, loc. cit., 



vol. I, p. 193 ; vol. 2, pp. 24. 270. 



* For the ceremonial use of buft'alo chips compare Grinnell, loc. cit., vol. i, 

 pp. 87, 121 ; vol. 2, pp. 18, Z2, 37, 57, 245 ; etc. 



"The ceremonial motions described by Grinnell, loc. cit., vol. i, p. 160, are 

 nearly the same. 

 ° For pointing the pipe, compare Grinnell, loc. cit., vol. 2, p. 270. 



