124 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 45 



and found that they were indeed the ropes with which the juggler had 

 been bound and tliat tlie knots in them were not untied. The ropes 

 had been sKpped from the juggler's body and he was free. 



The writer was recently informed by a reliable Indian that his uncle 

 was accustomed to perform this feat in the old days, and that after his 

 uncle joined the Christian Church he asked him to explain how he did 

 it. The old man replied that he could not explain it, as he was an 

 entirely different being at that time. His manido' animals were the 

 bear and the snake, and the Indian stated that, as nearly as he could 

 make out, his uncle seemed to imagine himself a snake when giving 

 this exhibition. Two intelligent Indians have given it as their opinion 

 that the juggler imagines himself to be some animal supple and lithe 

 enough to work itself free from the cords, and that this imagination, 

 or mental concept, is so strong that the body responds and does what 

 would be impossible at any other time. It has been frequently sug- 

 gested that the spectators are hypnotized and imagine they see what 

 they do not see. The foregoing explanation suggests that the hyp- 

 notic influence is exerted by the juggler on his own body. Music 

 is considered indispensable to the performance of this feat. 



The Indian stated that he had seen the lodge bend like a sapling, 

 so that the top almost touched the ground, when his uncle was giving 

 one of these demonstrations. Afterward three men entered the 

 structure. One stood on the ground, one climbed halfway to the 

 top, and one to the very top. These men tried with all their strength 

 to sway the structure, but could not move it in the slightest degree. 



A juggler's performance on the Grand Portage reservation was 

 described to the writer by an eyewitness, who said that "a friend 

 who lived many miles away was suddenly present in the lodge" 

 and that she "heard his voice distinctly." There were also many 

 wild animals in the lodge whose voices she recognized. Spectators 

 are not allowed to enter the lodge, but they hear these voices as 

 they stand outside. 



This account shows the association of music and mental influence, 

 which was also mentioned in connection with the medicine songs of 

 the Mlde'wiwhi. 



These performances were often given at the time of Mide' ceremo- 

 nies, but were not directly connected with them. As stated else- 

 where, the jugglers were not always members of the Mide'wiwin. 



Attempts were made at times to counterfeit the performances of 

 the jugglers. The following incident was related to the writer: 



There was a man who pretended to be a juggler, but the Indians knew that he was 

 a fraud. This man said that he liked to have the lodge built on the shore of the 

 water whrti he gave an exhibition. That was because it would sway easier if the 

 polos were stuck in soft sand. Once this man was giving an exhibition and he 

 climbed up inside the lodge to shake it. Of course he had to do this because he was 

 not a regular juggler and did not know how to do it right. He was almost at the top 



