KADiN] THE CLAN WAR-BUNDLE FEASTS 437 



when he appears to an individual. The Tliunderhirds arc conceived 

 of theoretically as birds, but always appear to hunian beings in 

 human shape. As it is believed by the shaman tlaat the spirits are 

 a iertium quid, neither animal nor man, but possessing infinite 

 powers of transformation now into the one, now into the other, it is 

 rather difficult to indicate their precise nature except in this negative 

 way. For the ordinary individual doubtless their anthropomorphic 

 nature stands out most prominently. 



According to shamanistic cosmology, although the greater spirits 

 are given control of various powers, still, in general, each spirit 

 is given control of some specific power. The shamanistic account 

 goes on to say that, upon the creation of man, Eartlunaker, realizing 

 that he had no powers to bestow upon him, decided to give him at 

 least the means of obtaining those powers he had given the spirits 

 and presented him with tobacco, telling him that if he offered it in 

 the proper manner the spirits would feel constrained to accept it and 

 give him, in exchange, whatever powei-s they possessed. The popular 

 accoimt of the origin of tobacco was quite different. However, it was 

 on the shamanistic theory that offerings were made. Tlie arrangement 

 between the spirits and man was in the nature of a contract, with this 

 peculiarity, that the spirits did not have to accept the oft'erings. The 

 prayers are generally couched in this maimer: "If you, the spirits, 

 accept my offerings, then grant me youi* blessings or a continuance 

 of those my ancestors received." They were, however, theoretically 

 always left the alternative of refusing. In practice it was not believed 

 that the spirits exercised their prerogative of refusal, but tliat in cer- 

 tain cases the offerings were not made in the proper fashion. The 

 moment the tobacco was accepted, the blessing followed of itself, 

 almost without the will of the spirit. This purely mechanical relation 

 between acceptance of the tobacco and bestowal of power conies out 

 fexcellently in one of the myths. The Winnebago are sacrificing to 

 the Buffalo Spirits and the smoke of their tobacco offering is ascend- 

 ing to the spirit-land where the Buffalo Spirits dwell. The chief of 

 the spirits warns the younger ones not to approach too closely to the 

 ascending fumes, for they are but spirits and the desire for tobacco 

 might get the better of their discretion and induce them to accept it. 

 If they do, they are lost, for they will then have to go down to the 

 earth and be killed. No power they possess, nor any power the chief 

 possesses, can save them. This "mechanical" explanation seems to 

 me quite significant, for it probably embodies the older point of 

 view and the point of view of the less enlightened Winnebago. As 

 such, it is to be contrasted with the later shamanistic development 

 with its contract and the shifting of the spirit's role from one of 

 passive acceptance to that of a spirit-deity who withholds his 

 approbation unless the oflering is properly made. 



