THE WESTERN DENES. 



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XVII. 



Apart from the superstitiouSi dances of which mention has been 

 made in the preceding paragraph, the Western Denes observed no 

 religious ceremonies. They made no sacrifices, worshipped no Deity 

 and had no definite culttis, unless we dignify with that name the 

 shamanism of the Northern Asiatic races which obtained among them. 

 True, they vaguely believed in a kind of impersonal and undefined 

 Divinity, not quite pantheistic ; but rather more so than individual, 

 almost co-essential with the celestial forces, the cause efiicient of rain 

 and snow, winds and other firmamental phenomena. They called it 

 Yuttoere ("that which is on high") in Carrier. But they did not 

 worship this power — they rather feared it and endeavoured to get out 

 of its reach, or, when this was impossible, to propitiate it and the 

 spirits who were supposed to obey it, with the help and through the 

 incantations of the nelhgen or conjuror. This shaman was credited, 

 when exercising his ryysterious art, with the power of controlling the 

 coming or departing of evil spirits. Even when not actually con- 

 juring, he was believed to be able to kill by his mere will any 

 objectionable person. His services were called into requisition in 

 time of famine, to prevent tempests, procure favorable winds, hasten 

 the arrival of salmon and ensure its abundance ; but more generally 

 in case of sickness which they believed to be concrete (not unlike the 

 microbes of modern chemists) and always due to the presence or ill 

 will of spirits. 



1 " A ! how is it that she goes like a, fish, chalai ! my mind is sick, cha, etc., etc 



