IROQUOIS MYTHS AND LEGENDS 



169 



Now you have heard the report that the old people made to me 

 and I surely believe for I have seen and had experience. I have 

 seen men who had been shot by accident or hurt in other ways 

 who after using the medicine recovered. When I was young once, 

 forty years of age, I was appointed to practise this medicine and 

 ever since I have done so. After a while some church members 

 objected to it, but I have always had faith in it and thought 

 it aright to come true through music. When the Christians hold 

 their service they always have music and praise God in music. 

 God gave this music and all good gifts and he never thought it 

 wrong. (The medicine and the medicine song) Now I am getting 

 old and I have spoken from experience believing all I have said 

 faithfully." 1 [It took an hour to relate and interpret this. h. m. c] 



Instructions to the candidate 2 



The medicine birds 



In order to get the bird most important in the medicine, a young 

 man must cleanse himself, a virgin, never known woman, Ho-yeh- 

 de-wa-doh, pure man. He goes up to get the charmed medicine. 

 Lives on meat only for two or three months. Sent by company of 

 medicine men, birds, he goes up a mountain and hides it, medicine. 

 Then he calls all the birds of the air. All the birds come and the 

 first bird comes. He shoots him. Crows, turkey buzzards come 

 first and make an awful noise. Second bird white bird. Forbidden 

 to kill him because he brings the third bird. This last bird is red, 

 supposed to be red eagle, extinct, and he kills him and he vomits 

 blood. Takes the heart and brain for medicine. 



Employment of the songs 



Four times a year we sing all night to the birds and animals. 

 Sit in a circle and burn the sacred tobacco. One draws out a coal 

 and burns it. All the birds and animals invited to take tobacco 

 (all that are connected with the medicine). 



Tell the darkness to take some medicine. Sing to He-no, the 

 Thunderer, last for he said, "The Medicine People are my people. 

 I want to help them all I can." Sing to animals to keep them on 

 friendly terms. If any one has medicine and has bad luck, sing 

 and the medicine will make them feel better. Strong in their work, 



1 Jacket was an elder in the Presbyterian Mission Church for 30 or 40 years and was 

 considered by the Indians and the missionaries an exceedingly devout man. 



2 From the speech of John Jacket, Holder of the Song, and here recorded literally, as 

 translated by William Jones. 



