﻿HOFFMAN.l 
  

  

  MIDE 
  RATTLES 
  AND 
  SONGS. 
  

  

  191 
  

  

  ing 
  direction 
  as 
  to 
  information 
  desired, 
  success, 
  etc. 
  ; 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  

   employed 
  at 
  the 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  sick 
  to 
  assist 
  in 
  the 
  expulsion 
  or 
  exorcism 
  

   of 
  evil 
  man'idos 
  who 
  may 
  possess 
  the 
  body 
  of 
  the 
  sufferer; 
  and 
  that 
  

   it 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  used 
  in 
  the 
  Mide'wigan 
  during 
  the 
  initiation 
  of 
  new 
  mem- 
  

   bers 
  or 
  the 
  advancement 
  of 
  a 
  Mide' 
  from 
  a 
  degree 
  to 
  a 
  higher 
  one. 
  

  

  The 
  properties 
  of 
  the 
  rattle 
  are 
  next 
  enumerated 
  and 
  

   recounted, 
  its 
  origin 
  is 
  related, 
  and 
  its 
  uses 
  explained. 
  It 
  

   is 
  used 
  at 
  the 
  side 
  of 
  a 
  patient 
  and 
  has 
  even 
  more 
  power 
  in 
  

   the 
  expulsion 
  of 
  evil 
  demons 
  than 
  the 
  drum. 
  The 
  rattle 
  

   is 
  also 
  employed 
  in 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  sacred 
  songs 
  as 
  an 
  accom- 
  

   paniment, 
  to 
  accentuate 
  certain 
  notes 
  and 
  words. 
  There 
  

   are 
  two 
  forms 
  used, 
  one 
  consisting 
  of 
  a 
  cylindrical 
  tin 
  box 
  

   filled 
  with 
  grains 
  of 
  corn 
  or 
  other 
  seeds 
  (Fig. 
  13), 
  the 
  other 
  

   being 
  a 
  hollow 
  gourd 
  also 
  filled 
  with 
  seed 
  (Fig. 
  14). 
  In 
  

   both 
  of 
  these 
  the 
  handle 
  passes 
  entirely 
  through 
  the 
  rattle 
  

   case. 
  

  

  In 
  a 
  similar 
  manner 
  the 
  remaining 
  gifts 
  of 
  Mi'nabo'zho 
  

   are 
  instanced 
  and 
  their 
  properties 
  extolled. 
  

  

  The 
  mi'gis, 
  a 
  small 
  white 
  shell 
  (Cyprsea 
  moneta 
  L.) 
  is 
  

   next 
  extracted 
  from 
  the 
  Mide' 
  sack, 
  or 
  pinji'gusan'. 
  This 
  

   is 
  explained 
  as 
  being 
  the 
  sacred 
  emblem 
  of 
  the 
  Mide 
  wi 
  win, 
  

   the 
  reason 
  therefor 
  being 
  given 
  in 
  the 
  account 
  of 
  the 
  several 
  tra- 
  

   ditions 
  presented 
  in 
  connection 
  with 
  Pis. 
  Ill, 
  iv, 
  and 
  vm. 
  This 
  

   information 
  is 
  submitted 
  in 
  parts, 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  narrative 
  of 
  the 
  

   history 
  connected 
  with 
  either 
  of 
  the 
  records 
  is 
  extended 
  

   over 
  a 
  period 
  of 
  time 
  to 
  suit 
  the 
  preceptor's 
  plans 
  and 
  

   purposes. 
  The 
  ceremony 
  of 
  shooting 
  the 
  mi'gis 
  (see 
  Fig. 
  

   15) 
  is 
  explained 
  on 
  page 
  192. 
  

  

  As 
  time 
  progresses 
  the 
  preceptor 
  instructs 
  his 
  pupil 
  in 
  

   Mide' 
  songs, 
  i. 
  e.. 
  he 
  sings 
  to 
  him 
  songs 
  which 
  form 
  a 
  part 
  

   of 
  his 
  stock 
  in 
  trade, 
  and 
  which 
  are 
  alleged 
  to 
  be 
  of 
  serv- 
  

   ice 
  on 
  special 
  occasions, 
  as 
  when 
  searching 
  for 
  medicinal 
  

   plants, 
  hunting, 
  etc. 
  The 
  pupil 
  thus 
  acquires 
  a 
  compre- 
  

   hension 
  of 
  the 
  method 
  of 
  preparing 
  and 
  reciting 
  songs, 
  

   which 
  information 
  is 
  by 
  him 
  subsequently 
  put 
  to 
  practical 
  

   use 
  in 
  the 
  composition 
  and 
  preparation 
  of 
  his 
  own 
  songs, 
  

   the 
  mnemonic 
  characters 
  employed 
  being 
  often 
  rude 
  

   copies 
  of 
  those 
  observed 
  upon 
  the 
  charts 
  of 
  his 
  preceptor, 
  

   but 
  the 
  arrangement 
  thereof 
  being 
  original. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  for 
  this 
  reason 
  that 
  a 
  Mide' 
  is 
  seldom, 
  if 
  ever, 
  able 
  

   to 
  recite 
  correctly 
  any 
  songs 
  but 
  his 
  own, 
  although 
  he 
  may 
  

   be 
  fully 
  aware 
  of 
  the 
  character 
  of 
  the 
  record 
  and 
  the 
  particular 
  class 
  

   of 
  service 
  in 
  which 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  employed. 
  In 
  support 
  of 
  this 
  assertion 
  

   several 
  songs 
  obtained 
  at 
  Red 
  Lake 
  and 
  imperfectly 
  explained 
  by 
  

   " 
  Little 
  Frenchman" 
  and 
  " 
  Leading 
  Feather," 
  are 
  reproduced 
  in 
  PI. 
  

   xxii. 
  A 
  B, 
  page 
  292. 
  

  

  Mide' 
  rattlp. 
  

  

  