BUSHNELL] THE CHOCTAW OF BAYOU LACOMB, LOUISIANA 29 



known. All who enter this paradise become equally virtuous with- 

 out regard to their state while on earth. 



The unhappy spirits who fail to reach the home of Aba remain 

 on earth in the vicinity of the places where they have died. But 

 Nanapolo, the bad spirit, is never able to gain possession of the spirit 



of a Choctaw. 



Dreams 



The Choctaw hold that it is possible for the '^ spirit" to leave the 

 body even during life, and by that belief explain dreams thus: 



At night when a person is resting and all is cpiiet the "spirit" steals 

 away from the body and wanders about the country, seeing many 

 peo})le and things, which are known to the individual when he awakes. 

 If, during its wanderings, the spirit meets large animals of any sort, 

 the person will surely suffer misfortune before many days have passed. 



Witchcraft 



Witchcraft {hoVckunda) was practised by many persons, both men 

 and w^omen. It was never definitely known whether a person pos- 

 sessed the power to bewitch or when one was making use of it. Old 

 people of both sexes, however, were most often suspected of possess- 

 ing this power. The manner of exerting this evil influence against 

 others was believed to be after this fashion: Those having proper 

 knowledge could remove at night their viscera, thus reducing their 

 weight to so great an extent that they could fly through the air to 

 the individual they wished to harm. Accompanying them always 

 were several spirits, otherwise resembling men, but no larger than a 

 man's thumb. On reaching the person against whom the spell was 

 to be directed the witch would stop and point toward him, whereupon 

 one of the little spirits would go noiselessly and touch him, afterward 

 remaining and doing a great deal of mischief about the place. The 

 spirit was able to pass with ease through cracks, and thus to reach 

 places not accessible to a larger being. After directing the little 

 spirit, wdiich was left to continue its work, the wizard would fly back 

 to his village or' house and again assume his natural condition. Such 

 is the belief of the Choctaw even at the present day. 



It is said by these Indians that no herbs were ever added to the food 

 of individuals to cause illness or misfortune. They do not appear to 

 have followed practices similar to those involved in the voodooism of 

 the negroes of Louisiana. 



MYTHS AND LEGENDS 



All the myths and legends recorded on the following pages °' are 

 evidently of purely native conception, showing no trace of Euro- 

 pean influence. According to their own statements the greater part 



a Related to the writer by two women, Pisatuntema (Emma) and Heleema (Louisa), and a man John, 

 at Bayou Lacomb. 



