440 A STUDY OF SIOUAN CULTS. 



Dakota the mystery sack, and also ijrescribed the manner in which some 

 of those pigments must be applied which are rubbed over the bodies of 

 their votaries in the mystery dance, and on the warrior as he goes into 

 action. 



THE MYSTERY DANCE. 



§ 113. Immediately after the production of the earth and men, the 

 Unktehi gave the Indians the mystery sack and instituted the Wakan 

 wacipi or mystery dance. They ordained that the sack should consist 

 of the skin of the otter, raccoon, weasel, squirrel, loon, one variety of 

 fish, and of serpents. It was also ordained that the sack should contain 

 four species of medicines of wakan qualities, which should represent 

 fowls, medicinal herbs, medicinal trees, and quadrupeds. The down 

 of the female swan represents the first, and may be seen at the time of 

 the dance inserted in the nose of the sack. Grass roots represent the 

 second, bark from the roots of the trees the third, and hair from the 

 back or head of a bufi'alo the fourth. These are carefully preserved in 

 the sack. From this combination proceeds a wakan influence so pow- 

 erful that no liuman being, unassisted, can i"esist it. 



Those wlio violated their obligations as members of the Mystery dance, 

 were sure of punishment. If they went into forests, the black owl was 

 there, as a servant of the Unktelii ; if they descended into the earth, 

 they encountered the serpent; if they ascended into the air, the eagle 

 would pursue and overtake them; and if they ventured into the water, 

 there were the Unktehi themselves.' An account of the mystery or 

 medicine dance is given by Pond, op. cit., i)p. 37-41. 



"Those Dakotas," said Lynd, "who belong to the medicine dance es- 

 teem the Unktehi as the greatest divinity. Among the eastern Dakotas 

 the medicine dance appears to have taken the place of these more bar- 

 barons ceremonies (i. e., the self-tortures of the hanmdepi, piercing of 

 the flesh, etc.) — among the Winnebagoes entirely." 



The Omaha do not have the sun dance, but the wacicka afi", answer- 

 ing to the Dakota mystery dance, is said to be of ancient use among 

 them. 



"Indeed, the medicine dance, though an intrusive religious form, may 

 be considered as an elevating and enlightening religion in comparison 

 with the hannidepi.'" 



TlIK MINIWATU. 



§ 114. The Teton Dakota tell of the Miniwatu, Wamnitu,^ and Mini 

 wasicu, all of which are probably names for the same class of monsters, 

 the last meaning " Water God or Guardian Spirit." These powers are 

 said to be horned water monsters with four legs each. "They make 



'Pond, Minn. Hist. Sno. Coll, vol. ll, pp. 35-38. 



^Lj-nil, Iliid., pt. 2, pp. 71-77. Eiggs, in Amer. Pliilolog. Assoc. Proc, 1872., p. 6. 

 ^A piotHre of " Wah-Menitn, the spirit or god in the water," is given onp. 161 of Lloyd's transla- 

 tion of Maximilian, London. 1843. 



