Observations on the thunder dance of the Bear gens of the Fox Indians / by Truman Michelson.

  • Truman Michelson
Date:
1929
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Observations on the thunder dance of the Bear gens of the Fox Indians / by Truman Michelson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Then the head ceremonial attendants as soon as they spread fine powdery earth spread a matting (upon this), then a buckskin (on top of the matting). Whereupon they stopped to fumigate them. When they had untied the sacred pack they inserted sticks inside the hoofs (to be used as) rattlers. And also one person tied the large hoof-rattlers properly when he made a curved stick. Then one per¬ son began boring a hole in the earth so those rattlers would stand up. And when they had hung those large rattlers and the war-club (on the west pole) then they piled up properly the finery of (any one) celebrating the gens festival, both the goods belonging to To'kans and those belonging to Kfickos.21 A To'kan dancer had to put on (the finery) which was there for a short time whenever he danced, and (similarly) a Kl'cko. And also as soon as the Ki'ckos put on (the finery) which was on the south side and the To'kans that which was on the north side, one (ceremonial attendant) began counting the inviting sticks. He made exactly as many as there were pieces of the dogs. And when they had placed all (the dogs) in the kettles, when they made the water boil, then to be sure Young Bear stopped to burn cedar leaves in the fire. He sat on the east side at the edge of the fire and addressed the Spirit of Fire and He-whose-face-is-in-the- smoke-hole. This verily is how he spoke: “Oh my grandfather, Spirit of Fire, you, this one, so be it, are first, so be it, remembered, so be it, so that you may be the first to smoke, so be it. The reason why you are first given (the tobacco to smoke), so be it, is that at the time, so be it, when, so be it, (you manitous) came to a decision, so be it, regarding your people, so be it, then it seems you, so be it, were selected here, it seems, so be it, as they sat facing you, so be it. ‘You will go, so be it, and watch over them there, so be it, (and observe) what they will continue, so be it, to think about their lives, so be it, and which of our fellow manitous, so be it, they shall continue to name, so be it, (in their worship), so that you may continue to carefully interpret for them, so be it. And do not simply be always satisfied there (with the offerings made you). In whatever way you may desire to bless them, you shall continue to bless them, so be it. And, so be it, to the level of your head,22 so be it, whatsoever you will continue to boil, so be it, for our fellow manitous, so be it, you, so be it, shall be the first to enjoy, so be it. You shall bless them there, so be it, merely, so be it, with life, so be it.* 51 The syntax is most perplexing. 33 The above is a literal translation. The real meaning is unknown.
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