290 THE WINNEBAGO TRIBE [eth. ann. 37 



The Guardian Spirits 



In the concept of the guardian spu-its we have a mixture of both 

 the "mechanical" and the "contract" theoi'ies. The guardian 

 spirits themselves are, to our mind, but the transformed localized 

 spirits; in other words, the genii loci. They are supposed to protect 

 the individual to whom they appear in the same way as the genii loci 

 protected their precinct. Wliile theoretically every Winnebago could 

 have his ow^l guartUan spirit, there seems to have been a marked 

 tendency for certain guardian spirits to be inherited. This was so, 

 not because there was any distinct development of the idea of inherit- 

 ance, but because certain definite powers were associated with the 

 spirits, like success in hunting, fisliing, etc. In terms of everyday 

 life this simply meant that a good hunter would try to make his sons 

 and near relatives good hunters; in religious tei'minology it meant 

 that a son was blessed by the same guardian spirit as the father. 

 (Cf. the fasting experience on p. 293.) 



The following fasting experiences will show clearly what powers are 

 supposed to be possessed by the various guardian spirits. The attitude 

 with which the faster approaches the ordeal clearly varies from that 

 of childish plaj'fulness to one of considerable religious intensity, 

 always remembering that we are dealing with boys and girls before 

 the adolescent stage. Perhaps the best way of putting it would be 

 to say that we are dealing with a stereotyped expression of life, 

 reading as follows: "I am a successful hunter; I am a prominent 

 warrior, etc. ; and I am told that I have become such because I have 

 done what my elders told me, have practiced these professions dili- 

 gently, and made offerings to the spirits." Such a formula might be 

 put in the mouth of the youthful faster, but it meant nothing until 

 it was interpreted much later in terms of each man's experience in 

 hfe. 



The youth's fasting experience is carefully tested by the elders, 

 and if found wanting in any respect the youth has either to try again 

 or give up. 



The guardian spirit is not supposed to be in permanent attendance 

 upon man. It is only when he is needed, in the crises of life, that 

 he is brought into relation with man; and it is quite characteristic of 

 the markedly materialistic basis of the belief that the spirit is only 

 called into aid for the particular needs of the case. 



