Usr of Cinviy-s/ic//s for C/iiicniv, Aiim/i'ts, rfc. 



1S5 



I 



that which came into their [)t).sses.sit)n tlinui;4h the licro- 

 god Mi iiabo'/.ho. 



The initiation ceremonies of these Indians are vei)- 

 elaborate : the most important incidents are dancin;^ and 

 the shooting forward by the medicine men of their skin 

 medicine-bat;s containin<^ the sacred cowries. M\'stic 

 powers are attribnted to tlie shells, and it is fninly believed 

 that if they be swallowed by the medicine man. he can 

 transfer his i^ower to the medicine-ba<^ b\- breathin<^ on 

 it, the mj'sterious influence being then convexed to tin; 

 desired object or {)erson merely by thrusting the bag for- 

 ward in the appropriate direction. At the initiation 

 ceremonies the magic intliience is shot at the candidattt's 

 breast, and the co\vr\- — the symbol of life— is su[i[)oscd to 

 enter his heart ; he becomes unconscious and falls forward 

 on his face. The chief medicine man then raises the 

 candidate's head slightl)- from the ground, and a sacred 

 cowry drops from the* candidate's mouth. 



The same cowries apparentl)- plaj' an important [)art 

 at baptismal ceremonies of the Ojibwa. There is much 

 dancing and the same shooting forward of the medicine 

 bags, and after a good deal of facial contortion each 

 medicine man spits out two shells on to a cloth s[)read in 

 the middle of the medicine tent.'"' 



The essential part of these ceremonies is the supposed 

 death and survival of the candidate, the whule ceremonial 

 being strongly reminiscent of the St. George, or Mummers', 

 Pla}^s of the Old World.'" It is remarkable how closely 

 the prevailing idea of the cowries being connected in some 

 strange manner with resurrection and resuscitation agrees 



'"' James GrL-cn\M)(x], " ('luiosiliLs of .Savage Lil'i-,"' LniKltm, 1S63, 

 p. 24. 



'"" For a full discussion of ihis siihjecl sec A. l!ea;iy, "'The .St. 

 (jeor^e, or Muiiiniers' i'lays ; A Study in the I'rololojiy of the i )ram;i," 

 Traits. Wi.u. AauL S,i. Arts and I.ello s, xv.. |.t. ii.. Oct., 1906. 



