RiDiN] RELIGION 279 



along, the amount of food required, the number of moccasms neces- 

 sary, the ntunber and strength of the enemy, where he was to meet 

 them, etc. — that only such a man might start on a warpath. If an 

 individual failed to give the proper assui'ances and guarantees to the 

 cliief, his expedition was not comitenanced. If, nevertheless, he 

 went, any mishap was directly chargeable to him. 



In other words, we are dealing here with a more or less fixed way of 

 describing the mmidane happenmgs of life. The terminology is 

 rehgious, but does that mean that there is always a religious feeling 

 attached to it? That is the crucial question to determine. We 

 believe that the religious element in such a happening depends upon 

 the religious susceptibility of the individual concerned. It is quite 

 possible that a devoutly religious man may thmk of the religious as- 

 pect of a rite or action more than one who is but uidLfferently religious, 

 but he will never for one moment forget that the questions mvolved 

 here are of a purely himian natm-e. The most that can be said of 

 the religious element of the two particular cases mentioned above 

 is that they will spur the person on. Perhaps it is the realization 

 that such is the case that often prompts the more matter-of-fact 

 individuals to lay such stress on fasting preparatory to startuig on 

 a warpath. There, indeed, seems to have been a matter-of-fact 

 movement in the tribe, for the members of the Warrior clan clauned 

 that they could dispense with the fastmg, and that mere membership 

 m that pai'ticular clan gave them the right to go on a warpath when- 

 ever they wished to. This we know was vigorously denied by other 

 uidividuals. 



The Wionebago has no disinterested, imselfish love for the spirit 

 or deity to whom he prays, except in so far as every man is likely to 

 develop such an attitude at some crisis or when his mmd is fixed 

 intently on the attamment of some personal advantage. Then, 

 naturally enough, the spirits who are to bestow these blessings are 

 addressed in the most laudatory terms. To show how mtimately 

 these spirits are bomid up with the worldly affairs of man and how 

 little they mean to him apart from this we have but to point out 

 that, for the vast majority of Wumebago, the spirits' freedom of 

 action is conceived of as definitely restricted. There seems to be a 

 piu-ely mechanical relation of cause and effect between the offeruigs 

 of men and their acceptance by the spirits. The latter are not free to 

 reject them except m theort. Was it not ordamed by Earthmaker, 

 when the earth was created, that in retimi for tobacco the spirits were 

 to bestow blessings on man? So every Winnebago believes. The 

 religious leaders msisted that only when the proper offerings were 

 made in the proper way would the spirits bestow their blessings. 

 But after all is said and done, the chances that the proper conditions 

 would not be fulfilled were neghgible And we doubt whether this 



