I 



INTRODUCTION OF DOMESTIC REINDEER INTO ALASKA. 221 



shooting through the sk}' were meteorites, while the stone that was 

 picked up at length was probably some pebble on the ground that 

 attracted attention. The Chief Assoone has two of them. Such 

 charms are efficacious in whaling. A small bag is made fast in the 

 bow of the boat containing such charms, together with others, such as 

 pieces of fin bones of whales and walruses, bristles from the face of 

 the walrus, a part of the nose of the "big" seal after it has been 

 dried, together with a small piece of walrus skin. 



The aurmxi. — Probablj^ the phenomenon is the basis of the following 

 superstitious tradition : The devil has a big fire which would frighten 

 any beholder nearly to death. The onh^ protection against the devil and 

 his fire would be to throw a knife or something else into the air, and 

 in this way the spell is broken and no injury will result to the terrified 

 person. A knife is efi'ectiveat all times against the devil, who might 

 otherwise cook and eat a man. The knife can be picked up after it 

 has been thrown, and used thereafter. The appearances of the devil 

 are supposed to occur, as a rule, at night; accordingl}^ the natives, 

 save when inflamed by strong drink, will not venture forth from their 

 houses after dark, even in numbers. I think that little devils, or 

 ghosts, are also feared at night. Spirits of the dead, which are occu- 

 pants of the devil's house, a place of torment, are believed to wander 

 forth occasionally, but can never escape to god's house. To see these 

 ghosts would probably terrif}^ one to death. Very rarely the sight of 

 them may strengthen the spirit of a man, and make him eligible for 

 the office of shaman or medicine man. In his performance, a mighty 

 medicine man receives into his body the big devil as a special favor of 

 god, and then is given the power to drive him out. The medicine 

 man later has the power to drive out a devil from a ' ' possessed " per- 

 son, i, e., a sick person. The drum and dialogues with the patient are 

 regarded as quite effective against the demon. The performance may 

 have to be repeated two or three times, and if unsuccessful the hope- 

 less sufferer must be killed in order to escape the devil. There are 

 several " doctors," among whom Assoone, the chief, is the "star." 

 Formerly girls and women were thus gifted, but at present men only 

 are possessed of this power. The "doctor" has to be skillful as a 

 ventriloquist and apt at legerdemain. He is a trick performer, claim- 

 ing to fly like a bird and to go far underground. He will seem to stab 

 himself, and blood will flow, but death will not ensue. Formerly some 

 of them pretended that they would not die if shot. Their performances 

 take place either in a darkened or very dimly lighted room. In 

 receiving the devil into his body Assoone shrieked and yelled and 

 whined and "clawed" my ribs, for I sat next to him, and he sought 

 to terrify me by his cries and attentions. In driving out the devil, 

 he put his "park}^" over his shoulders and back, not tying it, ajid then 

 he bade me take hold of it while he moved ofl' "on all fours." The 



