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  hoffman.] 
  FASTING 
  AND 
  DREAMS. 
  163 
  

  

  The 
  Ojibwa 
  believe 
  in 
  a 
  multiplicity 
  of 
  spirits, 
  or 
  man'idos, 
  which 
  

   inhabit 
  all 
  space 
  and 
  every 
  conspicuous 
  object 
  in 
  nature. 
  These 
  

   man'idos, 
  in 
  turn, 
  are 
  subservient 
  to 
  superior 
  ones, 
  either 
  of 
  a 
  chari- 
  

   table 
  and 
  benevolent 
  character 
  or 
  those 
  which 
  are 
  malignant 
  and 
  

   aggressive. 
  The 
  chief 
  or 
  superior 
  man'ido 
  is 
  termed 
  Ki'tshi 
  Man'ido 
  

   — 
  Great 
  Spirit 
  — 
  approaching 
  to 
  a 
  great 
  extent 
  the 
  idea 
  of 
  the 
  God 
  of 
  

   the 
  Christian 
  religion; 
  the 
  second 
  in 
  their 
  estimation 
  is 
  Dzhe 
  Man'- 
  

   ido, 
  a 
  benign 
  being 
  upon 
  whom 
  they 
  look 
  as 
  the 
  guardian 
  spirit 
  

   of 
  the 
  Mide'wiwin 
  and 
  through 
  whose 
  divine 
  provision 
  the 
  sacred 
  

   rites 
  of 
  the 
  Mide'wiwin 
  were 
  granted 
  to 
  man. 
  The 
  Ani'miki 
  or 
  

   Thunder 
  God 
  is, 
  if 
  not 
  the 
  supreme, 
  at 
  least 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  greatest 
  of 
  

   the 
  malignant 
  man'idos, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  from 
  him 
  that 
  the 
  JeVsakkld' 
  are 
  

   believed 
  to 
  obtain 
  their 
  powers 
  of 
  evil 
  doing. 
  There 
  is 
  ~>ne 
  other, 
  

   to 
  whom 
  special 
  reference 
  will 
  be 
  made, 
  who 
  abides 
  in 
  and 
  rules 
  the 
  

   " 
  place 
  of 
  shadows," 
  the 
  hereafter; 
  lie 
  is 
  known 
  as 
  Dzhibai' 
  Man'ido 
  — 
  

   Shadow 
  Spirit, 
  or 
  more 
  commonly 
  Ghost 
  Spirit. 
  The 
  name 
  of 
  Ki't- 
  

   shi 
  Man'ido 
  is 
  never 
  mentioned 
  but 
  with 
  reverence, 
  and 
  thus 
  only 
  

   in 
  connection 
  with 
  the 
  rite 
  of 
  Mide'wiwin, 
  or 
  a 
  sacred 
  feast, 
  and 
  

   always 
  after 
  making 
  an 
  offering 
  of 
  tobacco. 
  

  

  The 
  first 
  important 
  event 
  in 
  the 
  life 
  of 
  an 
  Ojibwa 
  youth 
  is 
  his 
  first 
  

   fast. 
  For 
  this 
  purpose 
  he 
  will 
  leave 
  his 
  home 
  for 
  some 
  secluded 
  

   , 
  spot 
  in 
  the 
  forest 
  where 
  he 
  will 
  continue 
  to 
  fast 
  for 
  an 
  indefinite 
  

  

  number 
  of 
  days; 
  when 
  reduced 
  by 
  abstinence 
  from 
  food 
  he 
  enters 
  a 
  

   hysterical 
  or 
  ecstatic 
  state 
  in 
  which 
  he 
  may 
  have 
  visions 
  and 
  hallu- 
  

   cinations. 
  The 
  spirits 
  which 
  the 
  Ojibwa 
  most 
  desire 
  to 
  see 
  in 
  these 
  

  

  ^g 
  dreams 
  are 
  those 
  of 
  mammals 
  and 
  birds, 
  though 
  any 
  object, 
  whether 
  

  

  animate 
  or 
  inanimate, 
  is 
  considered 
  a 
  good 
  omen. 
  The 
  object 
  which 
  

  

  ^j 
  first 
  appears 
  is 
  adopted 
  as 
  the 
  personal 
  mystery, 
  guardian 
  spirit, 
  or 
  

  

  tutelary 
  daimon 
  of 
  the 
  entranced, 
  and 
  is 
  never 
  mentioned 
  by 
  him 
  

   without 
  first 
  making 
  a 
  sacrifice. 
  A 
  small 
  effigy 
  of 
  this 
  man'ido 
  is 
  

   made, 
  or 
  its 
  outline 
  drawn 
  upon 
  a 
  small 
  piece 
  of 
  birch 
  bark, 
  which 
  

   is 
  carried 
  suspended 
  by 
  a 
  string 
  around 
  the 
  neck, 
  or 
  if 
  the 
  wearer 
  

   be 
  a 
  Mide' 
  he 
  carries 
  it 
  in 
  his 
  "medicine 
  bag" 
  or 
  pinji'gosan. 
  The 
  

   future 
  course 
  of 
  life 
  of 
  the 
  faster 
  is 
  governed 
  by 
  his 
  dream; 
  and 
  

   it 
  sometimes 
  occurs 
  that 
  because 
  of 
  giving 
  an 
  imaginary 
  impor- 
  

   tance 
  to 
  the 
  occurrence, 
  such 
  as 
  beholding, 
  during 
  the 
  trance 
  some 
  

   powerful 
  man'ido 
  or 
  other 
  object 
  held 
  in 
  great 
  reverence 
  by 
  the 
  

   members 
  of 
  the 
  Mide' 
  Society, 
  the 
  faster 
  first 
  becomes 
  impressed 
  

   with 
  the 
  idea 
  of 
  becoming 
  a 
  Mide'. 
  Thereupon 
  he 
  makes 
  applica- 
  

   tion 
  to 
  a 
  prominent 
  Mide' 
  priest, 
  and 
  seeks 
  his 
  advice 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  nec- 
  

   essary 
  course 
  to 
  be 
  pursued 
  to 
  attain 
  his 
  desire. 
  If 
  the 
  Mide' 
  priest 
  

   considers 
  with 
  favor 
  the 
  application, 
  he 
  consults 
  with 
  his 
  confreres 
  

   and 
  action 
  is 
  taken, 
  and 
  the 
  questions 
  of 
  the 
  requisite 
  preliminary 
  

   instructions, 
  fees, 
  and 
  presents, 
  etc., 
  are 
  formally 
  discussed. 
  If 
  the 
  

   Mide' 
  priests 
  are 
  in 
  accord 
  with 
  the 
  desires 
  of 
  the 
  applicant 
  an 
  in- 
  

   structor 
  or 
  preceptor 
  is 
  designated, 
  to 
  whom 
  he 
  must 
  present 
  him- 
  

  

  