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It is customary for the period of one year to elapse before a
second-degree Midē´ can be
promoted, even if he be provided with enough presents for such
advancement. As the exacted fee consists of goods and tobacco thrice
the value of the fee for the first degree, few present themselves.
This degree is not held in as high estimation, relatively, as the
preceding one; but it is alleged that a Midē´’s powers are
intensified by again subjecting himself to the ceremony of being
“shot with the sacred mī´gis,”
and he is also elevated to that rank by means of which he may be
enabled the better to invoke the assistance of the tutelary guardian
of this degree.
A Midē´ who has in all respects complied with the preliminaries of
announcing to the chief Midē´ his purpose, gaining satisfactory
evidence of his resources and ability to present the necessary
presents, and of his proficiency in the practice of medical magic,
etc., selects a preceptor of at least the third degree and one who
is held in high repute and influence in the Midē´wiwin. After
procuring the services of such a person and making a satisfactory
agreement with him, he may be enabled to purchase from him some
special formulæ for which he is distinguished. The instruction
embraces a résumé of the traditions previously given, the various
uses and properties of magic plants and compounds with which the
preceptor is familiar, and conversations relative to exploits
performed in medication, incantation, and exorcism. Sometimes the
candidate is enabled to acquire new “medicines” to add to his list,
and the following is a translation of the tradition relating to the
origin of ginseng (Aralia quinquefolia, Gr.), the so-called “man
root,” held in high estimation as of divine origin. In Fig. 3 is
presented a pictorial representation of the story, made by Ojibwa, a
Midē´ priest of White Earth, Minnesota. The tradition purports to be
an account of a visit of the spirit of a boy to the abode of
Dzhibai´Man´idō, “the chief
spirit of the place of souls,” called Ne´-ba-gi´-zis, “the land of
the sleeping sun.”
There appears to be some similarity between this tradition and
that given in connection with Pl. V, in which the Sun Spirit
restored to life a boy, by which act he exemplified a portion of the
ritual of the Midē´wiwin. It is probable therefore that the
following tradition is a corruption of the former and made to
account for the origin of “man root,” as ginseng is designated, this
root, or certain portions of it, being so extensively employed in
various painful complaints.
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Once an old Midē´, with his wife and son, started out on
a hunting trip, and, as the autumn was changing into winter,
the three erected a substantial wig´iwam. The snow began to
fall and the cold increased, so they decided to remain and
eat of their stores, game having been abundant and a good
supply having been procured. The son died; whereupon his
mother immediately set out for the village to obtain help to
restore him to life, as she believed her father, the chief
priest of the Midē´-wiwin, able to accomplish this.
When the woman informed her father of the death of her son,
her brother, who was present, immediately set out in advance
to render assistance. The chief priest then summoned three
assistant Midē´, and they accompanied his daughter to the
place where the body of his dead grandson lay upon the floor
of the wig´iwam, covered with robes.
The chief Midē´ placed himself at the left shoulder of the
dead boy, the next in rank at the right, while the two other
assistants stationed themselves at the feet. Then the
youngest Midē´—he at the right foot of the deceased—began to
chant a Midē´ song, which he repeated a second, a third, and
a fourth time.
When he had finished, the Midē´ at the left foot sang a Midē´
song four times; then the Midē´ at the right shoulder of the
body did the same, after which the chief Midē´ priest sang
his song four times, whereupon there was a perceptible
movement under the blanket, and as the limbs began to move
the blanket was taken off, when the boy sat up. Being unable
to speak, he made signs that he desired water, which was
given to him.
The four Midē´ priests then chanted medicine songs, each
preparing charmed remedies which were given to the boy to
complete his recovery. The youngest Midē´, standing at the
foot of the patient, gave him four pinches of powder, which
he was made to swallow; the Midē´ at the left foot did the
same; then the Midē´ at the right shoulder did likewise, and
he, in turn, was followed by the chief priest standing at
the left shoulder of the boy; whereupon the convalescent
immediately recovered his speech and said that during the
time that his body had been in a trance his spirit had been
in the “spirit land,” and had learned of the “grand
medicine.”
The boy then narrated what his spirit had experienced during
the trance, as follows: “Gi´-gi-min´-ĕ-go´-min mi-dē´-wi-wĭn
mi-dē´ man´-i-dō´ 1’n-gi-gĭn´-o-a-mâk
ban-dzhi´-ge´-o-we´-ân ta´-zi-ne´-zho-wak´ ni-zha´-nĕ-zak,
kĭ-wi´-de-gĕt´ mi´-o-pi´-ke´-ne-bŭi´-yan ka-ki´-nĕ ka-we´-dĕ-ge´
mi´-o-wŏk-pi´ i-kan´-o-a-mag´-ĭ-na mi-dē´ man´i-dō
wi-we´-ni-tshi mi-dē´-wi-wĭn, ki´-mi-mâ´-dĭ-si-win´-in-ân´
ki-mi´-nĭ-go-nan´ ge-on´-dĕ-na-mŏngk
ki´-mi-mâ´-di-si´-wa-in-an´; ki-mi´-nĭ-go-nan´
ge-on´-dĕ-na-mŏngk ki´-mi-mâ´-di-si´-wa-in-an´;
ki´-ki-no´-a-mag´-wi-nan´ mash´-kĭ-ki o-gi´-mi-ni´-go-wan´
o-dzhi-bi´-gân gi-me´-ni-na-gŭk´mash´-kĭ-ki-wa´-bon
shtĭk-wan´-a-ko-se´-an o-mash´-kĭ-ki-wa´-bon
shtĭk-wan´-a-ko-se´-an o-ma´-mâsh´-kĭ-ki ma´-gi-ga´-to
ki´-ka-ya-tōn.” |
The following is a translation:
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“He, the chief spirit of the Midē´ Society, gave us the
“grand medicine,” and he has taught us how to use it. I have
come back from the spirit land. There will be twelve, all of
whom will take wives; when the last of these is no longer
without a wife, then will I die. That is the time. The Midē´
spirit taught us to do right. He gave us life and told us
how to prolong it. These things he taught us, and gave us
roots for medicine. I give to you medicine; if your head is
sick, this medicine put upon it, you will put it on.” |
The revelation received by the boy was in the above manner
imparted to the Indians. The reference to twelve—three times the
sacred number four—signifies that twelve chief priests shall succeed
each other before death will come to the narrator. It is observed,
also, that a number of the words are archaic, which fact appears to
be an indication of some antiquity, at least, of the tradition.
The following are the principal forms in which a Midē´ will utilize
Aralia quinquefolia, Gr., ginseng—Shtĕ´-na-bi-o´-dzhi-bik:
1. Small quantities of powdered root are swallowed to relieve
stomachic pains.
2. A person complaining with acute pains in any specific part of the
body is given that part
of the root corresponding to the part affected; e.g., for pleurisy,
the side of the
root is cut out, and an infusion given to relieve such pains; if one
has pains in the
lower extremities, the bifurcations of the root are employed; should
the pains be
in the thorax, the upper part of the root—corresponding to the
chest—is used in
a similar manner.
1 Gi´-gi-min´-ĕ-go´-min mi-dē´-wi-wĭn mi-dē´
man´-i-dō´ ’n-gi-gĭn´-o-a-mâk
The apostrophe in ’n-gi-gĭn´-o-a-mâk
occurs nowhere else in the text; it may be phonetic (elision?) or an
error.
This site includes some historical
materials that may imply negative stereotypes reflecting the culture or language
of a particular period or place. These items are presented as part of the
historical record and should not be interpreted to mean that the WebMasters in
any way endorse the stereotypes implied. The Midē Wiwin or Grand Medicine Society, 1891
The Midē Wiwin or Grand Medicine Society
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