THE CODE OF HANDSOME LAKE 29 



confess before the Creator alone. This course may be taken by 



witches of whom no one knows. 



'' ' Now when they go they must say : 



"Our Creator, O listen to me! 

 I am a miserable creature. 

 I think that way 

 So now I cease. 

 Now this is appointed 

 For all of my days, 

 As long as I live here 

 In this earth-world. 

 I have spoken." 



" * In this manner all must say and say truly, then the prayer will 

 be sufficient.' " 



So they said and he said. Eniaiehuk. 



SECTION 3 



" Now the beings spoke again saying, ' This is the third word. 

 It is a sad one and the Creator is very sad because of this third 

 word. It seems that you have never known that a great pile of 

 human bodies lies dead because of this word, Ono'ityi'yende, the 

 niga'hos'saa', the secret poisons in little bundles named Gawen- 



in bed until the poison comes out. The charm will then be found in the 

 ashes. The spirits of great witches are able to return and possess- another 

 witch. A witch who has such a " friend " is especially favored, for in time 

 of need the spirit-witch will direct her to money, goods or food. Witches 

 do not always injure people who have offended them but more often their 

 children or other near relatives. This is done that the person they desire 

 to punish may see an innocent person suffer for their offense and so be 

 tortured the more. 



" Witch doctors " are of two classes : witches who are willing to pit their 

 powers against other witches : and medicine men who have made a special 

 study of the charms that will offset witch spells. This class may also be 

 divided into two divisions, those who make a regular profession of dis- 

 pelling witch influences, of discovering the cause of mysterious ailments, of 

 extracting the object that causes the trouble and of identifying witches, and 

 those who by reason of some special service they have rendered some spirit 

 of nature have been rewarded with magical powers, great wisdom and im- 

 munity from malific influences. This class renders its services gratuitously. 

 Small false faces worn on the person and frequent invocations of the 

 Thunder spirit with liberal offerings of sacred tobacco are potent charms 

 against witches. The False Face company has an annual ceremony in which 

 witch spirits are expelled from the community. The F'dos company (q. v.) 

 is said to be the survival of the older witch society introduced among the 

 ^eneca by the Nanticoke. Its members are reputed to possess magic powers. 



