﻿218 
  

  

  THE 
  MIDE 
  WIWIN 
  OF 
  THE 
  O.TIUWA. 
  

  

  pretends 
  to 
  swallow 
  his 
  rm'gis, 
  when 
  suddenly 
  there 
  are 
  sounds 
  of 
  

   violent 
  coughing, 
  as 
  if 
  the 
  actors 
  were 
  strangling, 
  and 
  soon 
  thereafter 
  

   they 
  gag 
  and 
  spit 
  out 
  upon 
  the 
  ground 
  the 
  ml'gis, 
  upon 
  which 
  each 
  

   one 
  falls 
  apparently 
  dead. 
  In 
  a 
  few 
  moments, 
  however, 
  they 
  recover, 
  

   take 
  up 
  the 
  little 
  shells 
  again 
  and 
  pretend 
  to 
  swallow 
  them. 
  As 
  the 
  

   Mide' 
  return 
  to 
  their 
  respective 
  places 
  the 
  ml'gis 
  is 
  restored 
  to 
  its 
  

   receptacle 
  in 
  the 
  Mide' 
  sack. 
  

  

  Food 
  is 
  then 
  brought 
  into 
  the 
  Mide'wigan 
  and 
  all 
  partake 
  of 
  it 
  at 
  

   the 
  expense 
  of 
  the 
  new 
  member. 
  

  

  After 
  the 
  feast, 
  the 
  older 
  Mide' 
  of 
  high 
  order, 
  and 
  possibly 
  the 
  

   officiating 
  priests, 
  recount 
  the 
  tradition 
  of 
  the 
  Ani'shiml'beg 
  and 
  the 
  

   origin 
  of 
  the 
  Mide'wiwin, 
  together 
  with 
  speeches- 
  relating 
  to 
  the 
  bene- 
  

   fits 
  to 
  be 
  derived 
  through 
  a 
  knowledge 
  thereof, 
  and 
  sometimes, 
  tales 
  

   of 
  individual 
  success 
  and 
  exploits. 
  When 
  the 
  inspired 
  ones 
  have 
  

   given 
  utterance 
  to 
  their 
  thoughts 
  and 
  feelings, 
  their 
  memories 
  aud 
  

   their 
  boastings, 
  and 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  adjournment 
  has 
  almost 
  arrived, 
  the 
  

   new 
  member 
  gives 
  an 
  evidence 
  of 
  his 
  skill 
  as 
  a 
  singer 
  and 
  a 
  Mide'. 
  

   Having 
  acted 
  upon 
  the 
  suggestion 
  of 
  his 
  preceptor, 
  he 
  has 
  prepared 
  

   some 
  songs 
  and 
  learned 
  them, 
  and 
  now 
  for 
  the 
  first 
  time 
  the 
  oppor- 
  

   tunity 
  presents 
  itself 
  for 
  him 
  to 
  gain 
  admirers 
  and 
  influential 
  friends, 
  

   a 
  sufficient 
  number 
  of 
  whom 
  he 
  will 
  require 
  to 
  speak 
  well 
  of 
  him, 
  

   and 
  to 
  counteract 
  the 
  evil 
  which 
  will 
  be 
  spoken 
  of 
  him 
  by 
  enemies 
  — 
  

   for 
  enemies 
  are 
  numerous 
  and 
  may 
  be 
  found 
  chiefly 
  among 
  those 
  

   who 
  are 
  not 
  fitted 
  for 
  the 
  society 
  of 
  the 
  Mide', 
  or 
  who 
  have 
  failed 
  

   to 
  attain 
  the 
  desired 
  distinction. 
  

  

  The 
  new 
  member, 
  in 
  the 
  absence 
  of 
  a 
  Mid?' 
  drum 
  of 
  his 
  own, 
  bor- 
  

   rows 
  one 
  from 
  a 
  fellow 
  Mide' 
  and 
  begins 
  to 
  beat 
  it 
  gently, 
  increasing 
  

   the 
  strokes 
  in 
  intensity 
  as 
  he 
  feels 
  more 
  and 
  more 
  inspired, 
  then 
  

   sings 
  a 
  song 
  (PI. 
  x, 
  D), 
  of 
  which 
  the 
  following 
  are 
  the 
  words, 
  each 
  

   line 
  being 
  repeated 
  ad 
  libitum, 
  viz: 
  

  

  We'-nen-wi-wik 
  ka'-ni-an. 
  

  

  The 
  spirit, 
  has 
  made 
  sacred 
  the 
  place 
  in 
  which 
  I 
  live. 
  

  

  [The 
  singer 
  is 
  shown 
  partly 
  within, 
  and 
  partly 
  above 
  his 
  wig- 
  

   wam, 
  the 
  latter 
  being 
  represented 
  by 
  the 
  lines 
  upon 
  either 
  side, 
  

   a 
  ml 
  crossing 
  his 
  body. 
  ] 
  

  

  En'-da-yan' 
  pi-ma'-ti-su'-i-un 
  en 
  -da-yan'. 
  

  

  The 
  spirit 
  gave 
  the 
  " 
  medicine 
  " 
  which 
  we 
  receive. 
  

  

  [The 
  upper 
  inverted 
  crescent 
  is 
  the 
  arch 
  of 
  the 
  sky, 
  the 
  magic 
  

   influence 
  descending, 
  like 
  rain 
  upon 
  the 
  earth, 
  the 
  latter 
  being 
  

   shown 
  by 
  the 
  horizontal 
  line 
  at 
  the 
  bottom.] 
  

  

  Rest. 
  

  

  