S^O ON THE TRANSMIGRATION OP SOULS* 



commutation of them ; and hence the angekoks, that 

 is, the forcerers of Greenland have arrogated to them- 

 felves the power of bringing back loft fouls, and of 

 providing the fick with found ones 



Can human fouls interchange their bodies ? can they 

 alfo as ealily betake tliemfelves into the bodies of brutes, 

 and fo wander about in the form of beafls ? This the 

 Iroquois in reality believes. Here follows one of their 

 fables, which confirms not this fuperftition alone, but 

 likewife another that is fpread almoft over all the world. 

 There antiently lived among them a famous hermit of 

 the name of Shonnonkouiretli (that is, the very long 

 head of hair), whofe memory is Hill revered. The 

 village in which he w r as born was vilited with a general 

 mortality, w r hich carried off the moll confiderable peo- 

 ple one after another. Every night a funereal bird 

 flying over the huts, fluttered his wings with horrid 

 noife, and railed a doleful cry, which increafed the 

 univerfal alarm and confternation. It was not doubted, 

 that this was the oi'aron, or the animal of him whofe 

 inchantments caufed the dire calamity. But none 

 knew to whom they Ihould apply for coming at the 

 fource of the evil ; and the foothfayers, on being con- 

 futed, found nothing in their art that could help them 

 to it. In this terrible extremity, the council of the 

 elders difpatched three of their principal members to 

 Shonnonkouiretfi, to implore him to have companion 

 on them ; but his iiate did not permit him to quit his 

 folitude, and he could never condefcend to leave it for 

 going into the village. However he allowed himfelf 



* Crantz, hiflory of Greenland, vol. i. p. 258. 



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