﻿170 
  THE 
  MIDE'WIWIN 
  OF 
  THE 
  OJIBWA. 
  

  

  The 
  chiefs 
  of 
  this 
  group 
  of 
  malevolent 
  beings 
  are 
  Bears 
  (Nos. 
  88 
  and 
  

   96), 
  the 
  Panther 
  (No. 
  91), 
  the 
  Lynx 
  (No. 
  97), 
  and 
  many 
  others 
  whose 
  

   names 
  they 
  have 
  forgotten, 
  their 
  positions 
  being 
  indicated 
  at 
  Nos. 
  

   85, 
  86, 
  87, 
  89, 
  90, 
  92. 
  93, 
  94. 
  and 
  95, 
  all 
  but 
  the 
  last 
  resembling 
  char- 
  

   acters 
  ordinarily 
  employed 
  to 
  designate 
  serpents. 
  

  

  The 
  power 
  with 
  which 
  it 
  is 
  possible 
  to 
  become 
  endowed 
  after 
  pass- 
  

   ing 
  through 
  the 
  fourth 
  degree 
  is 
  expressed 
  by 
  the 
  outline 
  of 
  a 
  human 
  

   figure 
  (No. 
  98), 
  upon 
  which 
  are 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  spots 
  indicating 
  that 
  

   the 
  body 
  is 
  covered 
  with 
  the 
  mi'gis 
  or 
  sacred 
  shells, 
  symbolical 
  of 
  

   the 
  Mide'wiwin. 
  These 
  spots 
  designate 
  the 
  places 
  where 
  the 
  Mide' 
  

   priests, 
  during 
  the 
  initiation, 
  shot 
  into 
  his 
  body 
  the 
  mi'gis 
  and 
  the 
  

   lines 
  connecting 
  them 
  in 
  order 
  that 
  all 
  the 
  functions 
  of 
  the 
  several 
  

   corresponding 
  parts 
  or 
  organs 
  of 
  the 
  body 
  may 
  be 
  exercised. 
  

  

  The 
  ideal 
  fourth 
  degree 
  Mide' 
  is 
  presumed 
  to 
  be 
  in 
  a 
  position 
  to 
  

   accomplish 
  the 
  greatest 
  feats 
  in 
  necromancy 
  and 
  magic. 
  He 
  is 
  not 
  

   only 
  endowed 
  with 
  the 
  power 
  of 
  reading 
  the 
  thoughts 
  and 
  intentions 
  

   of 
  others, 
  as 
  is 
  pictorially 
  indicated 
  by 
  the 
  mi'gis 
  spot 
  upon 
  the 
  top 
  

   of 
  the 
  head, 
  but 
  to 
  call 
  forth 
  the 
  shadow 
  (soul) 
  and 
  retain 
  it 
  within 
  

   his 
  grasp 
  at 
  pleasure. 
  At 
  this 
  stage 
  of 
  his 
  pretensions,'he 
  is 
  encroach- 
  

   ing 
  upon 
  the 
  prerogatives 
  of 
  the 
  Jgs'sakkid', 
  and 
  is 
  then 
  recognized 
  

   as 
  one, 
  as 
  he 
  usually 
  performs 
  within 
  the 
  Jes'sakkan 
  or 
  JSs'sakkld' 
  

   lodge, 
  commonly 
  designated 
  "the 
  Jugglery." 
  

  

  The 
  ten 
  small 
  circular 
  objects 
  upon 
  the 
  upper 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  record 
  

   may 
  have 
  been 
  some 
  personal 
  marks 
  of 
  the 
  original 
  owner; 
  their 
  im- 
  

   port 
  was 
  not 
  known 
  to 
  my 
  informants 
  and 
  they 
  do 
  not 
  refer 
  to 
  any 
  

   portion 
  of 
  the 
  history 
  or 
  ceremonies 
  or 
  the 
  Mide'wiwin. 
  

  

  Extending 
  toward 
  the 
  left 
  from 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  fourth 
  degree 
  in- 
  

   closure 
  is 
  an 
  angular 
  pathway 
  (No. 
  99), 
  which 
  represents 
  the 
  course 
  

   to 
  be 
  followed 
  by 
  the 
  Mide' 
  after 
  he 
  has 
  attained 
  this 
  high 
  distinc- 
  

   tion. 
  On 
  account 
  of 
  his 
  position 
  his 
  path 
  is 
  often 
  beset 
  with 
  dangers, 
  

   as 
  indicated 
  by 
  the 
  right 
  angles, 
  and 
  temptations 
  which 
  may 
  lead 
  

   him 
  astray; 
  the 
  points 
  at 
  which 
  he 
  may 
  possibly 
  deviate 
  from 
  the 
  

   true 
  course 
  of 
  propriety 
  are 
  designated 
  by 
  projections 
  branching 
  off 
  

   obliquely 
  toward 
  the 
  right 
  and 
  left 
  (No. 
  100). 
  The 
  ovoid 
  figure 
  (No. 
  

   101) 
  at 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  this 
  path 
  is 
  termed 
  Wai-6k'-ma-yok' 
  — 
  End 
  of 
  the 
  

   road 
  — 
  and 
  is 
  alluded 
  to 
  in 
  the 
  ritual, 
  as 
  will 
  be 
  observed 
  hereafter, 
  as 
  

   the 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  world, 
  i. 
  e., 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  individual's 
  existence. 
  The 
  

   number 
  of 
  vertical 
  strokes 
  (No. 
  102) 
  within 
  the 
  ovoid 
  figiire 
  signify 
  

   the 
  original 
  owner 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  a 
  fourth 
  degree 
  Mide' 
  for 
  a 
  period 
  

   of 
  14 
  years. 
  

  

  The 
  outline 
  of 
  the 
  Mide'wigan 
  (No. 
  103) 
  not 
  only 
  denotes 
  that 
  the 
  

   same 
  individual 
  was 
  a 
  member 
  of 
  the 
  Mide'wiwin, 
  but 
  the 
  thirteen 
  

   vertical 
  strokes 
  shown 
  in 
  Nos. 
  104 
  and 
  105 
  indicate 
  that 
  he 
  was 
  chief 
  

   Mide' 
  priest 
  of 
  the 
  society 
  for 
  that 
  number 
  of 
  years. 
  

  

  The 
  outline 
  of 
  a 
  Mide'wigan 
  as 
  shown 
  at 
  No. 
  106, 
  with 
  the 
  place 
  

   upon 
  the 
  interior 
  designating 
  the 
  location 
  of 
  the 
  sacred 
  post 
  (No. 
  

  

  