BADiN] THE PEYOTE CULT 389 



In 1910 the ciilt already had a rather definite organization. There 

 was, at every performance, one leader (pi. 54, a) and four principal 

 participants. John Rave (pis. 5, b; 55, b), the Winnebago who mtro- 

 duced the peyote, was always the leader whenever he was present. 

 On other occasions leadership devolved upon some older member. The 

 four other prmcipal participants changed from meetmg to meetmg, 

 although there was a tendency to ask certam mdividuals whenever it 

 was possible. The ritualistic unit, m short, is a very defijiite one, con- 

 sistmg of a number of speeches and songs and m the passbig of the 

 regalia from one to the other of the four participants. 



During the early hours of the eveiihig, before the peyote has begun 

 to have any appreciable effect, a number of apparently intrusive 

 features are fomid. These, for the most part, consist of speeches by 

 people m the audience and the readuig and explanation of parts of 

 the Bible. After the peyote has begun to have an apprecial)le effect, 

 however, the ceremony consists exclusively of a repetition of the 

 ritualistic unit and confessions. 



There is an initiation consistuig of a baptism, always performed 

 by John Rave. It is of a very simple nature. Rave dips his fingers 

 in a peyote infusion and then passes them over the forehead of the 

 new member, muttering at the same time the following prayer: 



"God, his holmess." 



This is what the Wumebago words mean, although some of the 

 yomiger members who have been strongly permeated with Christian 

 teachings translate the praver mto, "God, the vSon, and the Holy 

 Ghost." 



Whenever the ceremony is performed m the open a fireplace in 

 the shape of a horseshoe is made. At one end of this fireplace is 

 placed a very small mound of earth, called by Rave "Mount Smai," 

 and in front of this a cross is traced m the earth. Upon the small 

 earth momid are placed the two "chief" peyote, the Bible and the 

 staff. The latter, called by Rave the shepherd's crook, is always 

 covered with bead work, and generally has a number of evenly cut 

 tufts of deer hair on the end and at mtervals along its length. The 

 sacred peyote, Imown as huylca (i. e., "chief") are exceptionally 

 large and beautiful specimens. They are regarded by a number of 

 people, certamly by Rave, with undisguised veneration. 



In addition to the above, there is found a large eagle feather fan, 

 a small drum, and a peculiar small type of rattle. To my knowledge, 

 this type was miknown among the Winneliago before its introduction 

 by the peyote eaters. 



John Rave's Account of the Peyote Cult and of His Conversion 



Dm-ing 1S9.3-94 I was in Oklahoma with peyote eaters. 

 In the middle of the night we were to eat peyote. We ate it and 

 I also did. It was the middle of the night when I got frightened, for 



