﻿234 
  THE 
  mide'wiwin 
  of 
  the 
  ojibwa. 
  

  

  The 
  dancing 
  is 
  not 
  so 
  energetic 
  as 
  many 
  of 
  those 
  commonly 
  indulged 
  

   in 
  for 
  amusement 
  only. 
  The 
  steps 
  consist 
  of 
  two 
  treading 
  move- 
  

   ments 
  made 
  by 
  each 
  foot 
  in 
  succession. 
  Keeping 
  time 
  with 
  the 
  

   drum-beats, 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  time 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  shuffling 
  movement 
  made 
  

   by 
  the 
  dancer 
  forward, 
  around 
  and 
  among 
  his 
  companions, 
  but 
  get- 
  

   ting 
  back 
  toward 
  his 
  place 
  before 
  the 
  verse 
  is 
  ended. 
  The 
  attitude 
  

   during 
  these 
  movements 
  consists 
  in 
  bending 
  the 
  body 
  forward, 
  while 
  

   the 
  knees 
  are 
  bent, 
  giving 
  one 
  the 
  appearance 
  of 
  searching 
  for 
  a 
  lost 
  

   object. 
  Those 
  who 
  do 
  not 
  sing 
  give 
  utterance 
  to 
  short, 
  deep 
  grunts, 
  

   in 
  accordance 
  with 
  the 
  alternate 
  heavier 
  strokes 
  upon 
  the 
  drum. 
  

  

  As 
  the 
  dancing 
  ceases, 
  and 
  all 
  are 
  in 
  their 
  propei 
  seats, 
  the 
  pre- 
  

   ceptor, 
  acting 
  for 
  the 
  candidate, 
  approaches 
  the 
  pile 
  of 
  tobacco 
  and 
  

   distributes 
  a 
  small 
  quantity 
  to 
  each 
  one 
  present, 
  when 
  smoking 
  is 
  

   indulged 
  in, 
  preceded 
  by 
  the 
  usual 
  offering 
  to 
  the 
  east, 
  the 
  south, 
  

   the 
  west, 
  the 
  north, 
  the 
  sky 
  and 
  the 
  earth. 
  

  

  After 
  the 
  completion 
  of 
  this 
  ceremonial 
  an 
  attendant 
  carries 
  the 
  

   Mide' 
  drum 
  to 
  the 
  southeast 
  angle 
  of 
  the 
  inclosure, 
  where 
  it 
  is 
  de- 
  

   livered 
  to 
  the 
  drummer; 
  then 
  the 
  officiating 
  priests 
  rise 
  and 
  approach 
  

   within 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  paces 
  of 
  the 
  candidate 
  as 
  he 
  gets 
  upon 
  his 
  knees. 
  

   The 
  preceptor 
  and 
  the 
  assistant 
  who 
  is 
  called 
  upon 
  by 
  him 
  take 
  their 
  

   places 
  immediately 
  behind 
  and 
  to 
  either 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  candidate, 
  and 
  

   the 
  Mide' 
  priest 
  lowest 
  in 
  order 
  of 
  precedence 
  begins 
  to 
  utter 
  quick, 
  

   deep 
  tones, 
  resembling 
  the 
  sound 
  h<5', 
  ho', 
  ho', 
  hO', 
  h<3', 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  

   time 
  grasping 
  his 
  mide' 
  sack 
  with 
  both 
  hands, 
  as 
  if 
  it 
  were 
  a 
  gun, 
  

   and 
  moving 
  it 
  in 
  a 
  serpentine 
  and 
  interrupted 
  manner 
  toward 
  one 
  

   of 
  the 
  large 
  joints 
  of 
  the 
  candidate's 
  arms 
  or 
  legs. 
  At 
  the 
  last 
  utter- 
  

   ance 
  of 
  this 
  sound 
  he 
  produces 
  a 
  quick 
  puff 
  with 
  the 
  breath 
  and 
  

   thrusts 
  the 
  bag 
  forward 
  as 
  if 
  shooting, 
  which 
  he 
  pretends 
  to 
  do, 
  the 
  

   missile 
  being 
  supposed 
  to 
  be 
  the 
  invisible 
  sacred 
  mi'gis. 
  The 
  other 
  

   priests 
  follow 
  in 
  order 
  from 
  the 
  lowest 
  to 
  the 
  highest, 
  each 
  selecting 
  

   a 
  different 
  joint, 
  during 
  which 
  ordeal 
  the 
  candidate 
  trembles 
  more 
  

   and 
  more 
  violently 
  until 
  at 
  last 
  he 
  is 
  overcome 
  with 
  the 
  magic 
  influ- 
  

   ence 
  and 
  falls 
  forward 
  upon 
  the 
  ground 
  unconscious. 
  The 
  Mide' 
  

   priests 
  then 
  lay 
  their 
  sacks 
  upon 
  his 
  back, 
  when 
  the 
  candidate 
  begins 
  

   to 
  recover 
  and 
  spit 
  out 
  the 
  mi'gis 
  shell 
  which 
  he 
  had 
  previously 
  

   hidden 
  within 
  his 
  mouth. 
  Then 
  the 
  chief 
  Mide' 
  takes 
  it 
  up 
  between 
  

   the 
  tips 
  of 
  the 
  forefinger 
  and 
  thumb 
  and 
  goes 
  through 
  the 
  ceremony 
  

   described 
  in 
  connection 
  with 
  the 
  initiation 
  into 
  the 
  first 
  degree, 
  of 
  

   holding 
  it 
  toward 
  the 
  east, 
  south, 
  west, 
  north, 
  and 
  the 
  sky. 
  and 
  finally 
  

   to 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  the 
  candidate, 
  when 
  the 
  latter, 
  who 
  has 
  partly 
  re- 
  

   covered 
  from 
  his 
  apparently 
  insensible 
  condition, 
  again 
  relapses 
  into 
  

   t 
  hat 
  state. 
  The 
  eight 
  priests 
  then 
  place 
  their 
  sacks 
  to 
  the 
  respective 
  

   joints 
  at 
  which 
  they 
  previously 
  directed 
  them, 
  which 
  fully 
  infuses 
  

   the 
  body 
  with 
  the 
  magic 
  influence 
  as 
  desired. 
  Upon 
  this 
  the 
  candi- 
  

   date 
  recovers, 
  takes 
  up 
  the 
  mi'gis 
  shell 
  and, 
  placing 
  it 
  upon 
  his 
  left 
  

   palm, 
  holds 
  it 
  forward 
  and 
  swings 
  it 
  from 
  side 
  to 
  side, 
  saying 
  he! 
  

  

  