142 THE WINISTEBAGO TRIBE [eth. ann. 37 



Now here are these things, and in return we ask you to act as mediator (l)etween 

 the spirits and us). You have made us long for you, and therefore do you see to it that 

 all those things that belonged to you and that you would have enjoyed had you lived 

 longer — such as ^^ctories on the warpath, earthly possessions, and life — that all these 

 you leave liehind for us to enjoy. This do you ask for as you traxel along. This also 

 I ask of you, do not cause us to follow you soon; do not cause your brothers any fear. 

 I have now lit the pipe for you. 



Then the pipe is passed on to all those present. After that he 

 drinks a little water and passes it around again. It is only after the 

 pipe and water have passed all the way around that the people begin 

 to eat. Wlaen the meal is over, the attendant takes the pipe and 

 some tobacco and places it before a warrior and tells him to talk to 

 the spirit and tell him the route to take. 



Then the warrior rises and speaks as follows : 



Ho, I greet you all. We are not greeting one another liecause we are happy (as in 

 the case of an ordinary feast), but because it is the custom to do it. Now I will tell 

 the soul of the departed one the route to take and the care he must observe in his 

 journey. I shall tell them (the ghosts) o\er whom I have control to guide him safely 

 to his destination. I will not exaggerate when I relate my war exploits, but tell 

 only those things that really happened to me. It has been said that if, in talking, I 

 tell falsehoods the spirit of the departed would stumbleon the road.* So, therefore, I 

 will tell only the truth, and I will tell the chief of the spirits to guide our dead one 

 safely o\er all the olistacles. Now I am not going to speak of anyV)ody else's exploits, 

 but only of my own. Only those over whom I ha\e control will I put at the disposal 

 of our dead one to guide him. The spirit-tobacco, the spirit-food and fire, they will 

 carry for him, and they will lead him Ijy the hand until he reaches his destination. 

 I greet you all. 



Then he begins an account of his war exploits. He tells all that 

 he did in detail. Sometines the account of a war exploit would last 

 two to three hours. When he is through, the people retire for the 

 night. 



For three nights they do this and every evening they place a burn- 

 ing ember at the grave. This is supposed to be taken by the spirit 

 of the dead man on his journey. 



The fourth night they invite all the brave men i'n the neighborhood 

 and everybody else. They prepare plenty of food, and the relatives 

 of the mourners bring objects for the mourning games and try to 

 comfort the mourners as best they can. The fourth night, likewise, 

 they place a burning ember at the grave of the dead man. 



As soon as the attendant prepares the food the chief mourner gets 

 up and speaks as follows : 



I greet you all. I know that I am not performing any great action in greeting you, ^ 

 but I was in trouble, and all my relati\es ha\e come to comfort me. I feel strength- 

 ened by their actions. You all have asked me to live (not to succumb to my sorrows), 



< It is believed tliat a warrior is in control ot the spirits of all tlie people lie has killed. His function at 

 the wake is to put these spirits at the disposal of the dead man, to guide him, and to take care othim. 



'■' 1. e., if I were a great man and this were a ceremony of rejoicing, then a greeting would mean some- 

 thing. This is another example of ceremonial modesty. 



