8S BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY (Bull. 99 



When a medicine man has attained an advanced age and has a 

 great reputation the laity often ascribe to him the powers of a Di-'Da- 

 ne*''s8Gi''ski, To have this title conferred upon oneself is not exactly 

 an honor, as it ascribes to the one to whom it is given not only the 

 highest professional skill and occult power but also a rather jealous, 

 fretful, and vindictive disposition. Yet a medicine man will not pro- 

 test against such rumors circulating about him, nor will he do any- 

 thing to hush them, as most of them do not mind being considered 

 more powerful than they really are, even if it veneers them with a 

 tinge of witchcraft. 



It even happens that a self-sufficient medicine man appropriates 

 and assumes the title, so as to make his influence the stronger, and to 

 force his enemies, professional and others, to fear if not to respect 

 him. W. told me that Ay. asserted himself to be a Df''Dane''s8Gf'ski, 

 but W. did not believe it. To do justice to Ay.'s memory, though, it 

 is only fair to state that I often had the feeling that W. never liked him 

 and was jealous of the high esteem in which Ay. was universally held. 



Finally, there are several instances of a medicine man, who was an 

 imposing and striking personality during his lifetime, being "canon- 

 ized " a Dt*'Dane''s8Gf'ski after his death. All sorts of rumors start 

 circulating about his marvelous powers, the wonderful cures he ef- 

 fected, a journey of his during his lifetime to the Ghost Land, his 

 prophesying his death seven days before it happened, his possessing 

 the u1o"'sud5° stone, etc. Before many years elapse his memory is 

 recalled with the same awe and is embroidered with the same apocry- 

 phal and legendary details as that of a King Arthur or a Napoleon. 



Such are, e. g., a woman, o'ltot^'ni, who died about 30 years ago, 

 about 95 years old, and an old medicine man oa^lu'^y'sti' (Ax), who 

 died about 15 years ago.^^ 



Scope of Knowledge 



The brighter of the medicine men may truly be said to be walking 

 encyclopediae as far as their knowledge of aboriginal culture is con- 

 cerned. 



Not only do they know all about disease and curing methods but 

 they are also invariably very competent botanists and naturalists. 

 Such outstanding men among them as Og. and W., and doubtless also 

 Ay., Da'kwaDt"i (Catawba Idller), and Ayo-'sta (she spoils is), who 

 worked with Mr. Mooney, know at least 150 to 200 difi'erent plants, 

 with all their peculiarities, their habitat, their tune and period of 

 blossoming, their properties and the lore pertaining to them. 



They are also the curators of the myths and stories, one of them as 

 a rule knowing more about them than four or five other members of 

 the tribe put together. 



" It has been possible to obtain the written formulas of the latter. 



