208 THE SOUL AND THE SHAMANS. [Soloot 



23. When the supernatural disease is taken out, the shaman takes 

 it into his hands. He folds his fingers [the thumb of the right hand 

 being inclosed by the fingers of the left]. When the thumb comes out, 

 then the disease-spirit escapes. When the shaman has taken the dis- 

 ease-spirit, one man takes him at his legs, another one at his arms, a 

 third one at his back. He is lifted. Then water is put into a kettle. 

 When they come near the water and the disease- spirit escapes, the 

 people fall down (as though a resistance which they try to overcome 

 were suddenly removed). Several times they carry him to the water. 

 Then the disease-spirit is made soft in the water. It gets cold, and 

 they look at it. Sometimes it is a wolf's or a bird's claw, sometimes a 

 human bone. It is carved into the shape of a person. 



24. When the disease-spirit has murdered five people, it has three 

 cuts on one arm, two on the other. When it has murdered eight peo- 

 ple, it has five cuts on one arm, three on the other. If it has murdered 

 ten persons, it has five cuts on one arm, five on the other. When the 

 shaman has taken out the disease-spirit, he lifts it. He brings 

 his hands near the kettle. When the spirit sees the water, the 

 kettle will burst. Then another kettle is taken If the shaman gets 

 tired, he asks another shaman : " Strike my hands with that rattle." 

 Then a shaman takes a rattle and strikes the hands of the one who 

 holds the disease-spirit. He puts his hands into the water and rubs 

 the spirit. He takes out five at the same time and his hands become 

 hot. Then he takes out the rope. Now others help him. Sometimes 

 three shamans, sometimes two take out the rope. When many shamans 

 are present, then four take out the rope. They take the rope out of the 

 body of the man into whom the disease was sent. The shamans pull 

 at both ends of the rppe and ask somebody to cut it. When a person 

 who has no guardian spirit takes a knife and cuts between the hands 

 of these people, he does not cut [feel] anything. If there is a woman 

 who has a guardian spirit, she takes a small knife and cuts between the 

 hands of the shamans. She cuts through that rope. Then blood flows 

 out. She cuts through it several times. Now all the blood has flowed 

 out. Then the person who sent the disease is struck with the knife. 

 If the rope was struck [cut] with an arrowhead, then he is struck with 

 an arrow. He is shot and killed. 



25. When the ropes [the hairs tied around the middle of the pieces 

 of bone I of the disease- spirits are long, then the sickness will come 

 upon the person after a long time. If the ropes of the disease- spirits 

 are made short, then the person will fall sick after five or six days. 



26. When a chief's child has died, the people send for a shaman. 

 Disease has been sent to the child of a chief. Then he takes revenge 

 on the relatives of the murderer [and selects] the child of [another] chief. 

 A shaman is paid secretly. When these people learn about it, they 

 take revenge in their turn. They send disease to the y(mnger brother 

 of that cliief. When that chief knows the shaman [who has done so], 



