frachtenbehg] alsea texts and myths 231 



24. Exorcisms During a Thunderstorm 



Now when the people lived in their homes, it would sometimes rain 

 very (hard) whenever the winter season came back (to) this region; 

 it would always blow; the elements would do all (sorts of thmgs); it 

 would also hail a great deal whenever winter came back to this region. 

 Now it was usually known what month it was when it would blow hard 

 a great deal. It would also rain very much. Whenever it (began to) 

 rain it would rain (incessantly) for probably three days. Then one 

 night it would rain terribly hard, and hail would also fall (on) the 

 ground. Then it would be getting dark all over, until it finally got 

 dark (entirely). Now after it got dark, thunder would roar repeat- 

 edly (at first) just a little slowly. Then it would thus be thought (by 

 the people), ''It must be thundering all over now." Then it would 

 roar repeatedly, and the world would be rent by lightning. (The 

 thunder) would be getting stronger. 



Whenever (the thunder) began to roar loud, the people would usu- 

 ally shout, and would keep on saying, ''Do you take good care of your- 

 selves!" Whenever it would lighten, it would seem just like fire. 

 Then (the lightning) would be shouted at, "Dodge thyself, my friend ! 

 Thou shalt not put thyself right behind (me), my friend!" Then 

 again the noise (of the thunder) would roar. It would be said to him 

 there, "Dodge thyself, my friend!" Then some of the people would 

 go out. Whenever it lightened, it would almost rent the house (in 

 two). Then the house would be hit with sticks, while all the people 

 would be dancing outside in a body. Whenever the house was hit 

 with sticks, (the people would say), "Do you pour out your water; all 

 of you shall pour out your water; you shall also upturn all your buck- 

 ets." Whenever it lightened, the house would seem to crack. One 

 man would be talking all the time while the elements acted thus : ' ' (It) 

 is nothmg; (it is) just the thunder. Never (will any harm) befall the 

 world." 



Then the storm would gradually calm down. Those people (would 

 be still) dancing. They looked in all directions. Whenever the ele- 

 ments acted thus, it would sometimes thunder very (hard) ; people 

 were always afraid very (much) whenever it began to thunder. One 

 man would probably say (thus) whenever the elements acted like that: 

 "Nature does not always act like that. (Only) occasionally does it 

 thunder aU over." Thus that one man would talk, "The world is 

 not doing anything (wrong) ; nature acts thus just without any (bad) 

 cause." 



Now such were the actions of the people of early days. 



