Volume 2

Contributions to Fox ethnology / Truman Michelson.

  • Truman Michelson
Date:
1927-30
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: Contributions to Fox ethnology / Truman Michelson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    M1CHEL30N] ceremonial attendant. Later on when he thought of it he said to him, “Well, ceremonial attendant, there still is a chance for us to go to war. Do not think anything of it,” he said to the one by whom he was served as a ceremonial attendant. “Verily if now you step four times you must cry out at the top of your voice,” the ceremonial attendant was told. And he was made to feel a little better by what was said. Then the man cried out, “Wa o, Wa o, Wa o, Wa o,” as he took the fourth step and departed. “We shall be four days on the way. Then you will become a warrior,” he was told. When they were gone four days they saw four hunters. “Ceremonial attendant, go make an attack,” the ceremonial attendant was told. He went and made an attack. He feared them, and he was told, “They will not do anything to you.” Nevertheless he was afraid. The cere¬ monial attendant told some one, “Come, you go and club him to death for me.” The other went. As soon as he arrived there on the run the one hired to do the killing began to club them to death. The ceremonial attendant was told, “Well, ceremonial attendant. The other related, “Indeed this man whom I serve as a ceremonial attend¬ ant is why I continued to be a warrior,” he said, “I myself did not know I was to kill a human being,” he said, “this one verily is the reason I became a warrior,” he said to his fellow men. They departed. Then the one by whom they were brought said, “Come, men. We surely will be overtaken.” So he said. “But they will not see us, he said to the men. “Now if you think ‘well, we shall fight gainst each other,’ you will fight against each other,” they were told. “This ceremonial attendant indeed shall decide it,” the one who served as a ceremonial attendant was told. “Oh, we have made a killing,” said the one who served as a ceremonial attendant, “we shall merely do our best to hide,” the men were told. “Oh, you indeed, ceremonial attendant, have decided it,” the one serving as a ceremonial attendant was told. “Tomorrow we shall see them at noon,” two said among themselves. “No,” he was told, “we shall see them today.” Sure enough, they came into view. As they came over the hill they saw them. And the ceremonial attendant tried to hide where there was timber so as to be going. “They will not see us, ceremonial attendant,” he was told. He was afraid. And they camped in the prairie. Now at that time their foes came and camped over the hill. Early in the morning they moved. It rained heavily. The fire looked as if it had been there for a long time. The leader addressed his ceremonial attendant and ordered him to try to kill a turkey for them in a hurry. The ceremonial at¬ tendant was unwilling. And another young man was hired. He was at once willing. He at once killed a turkey for them. It was broiled in one piece on a spit. As soon as the leader had cooked it well he ate it. Finally he ate all of it. As soon as he had eaten it
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