OCR Text |
Show HOFFMAN.] INITIATION CEREMONIES 245 to attend, have sent them with an explanation. The candidate, at the suggestion of the Mide' priest, then prepares to leave the sudatory, gathers up the tobacco, and as he slowly advances toward the MidS' inclosure his attendants fall into the procession according to their office. The priests sing as they go forward, until they reach the entrance of the Mide'wigan, where the candidate and his preceptor halt, while the remainder enter and take their stations just within the door, facing the west. The drummers, who are seated in the southwestern angle of the inclosure, begin to drum and sing, while the candidate is led slowly around the exterior, going by the south, thus following the course of the sun. Upon the completion of the fourth circuit he is halted directly opposite the main entrance, to which his attention is then directed. The drumming and singing cease ; the candidate beholds two Mide' near the outer entrance and either side of it. These Mide' represent two malevolent man'ido and guard the door against the entrance of those not duly prepared. The one upon the northern side of the entrance then addresses his companion in the following words : I'- ku- tan ka'- wi- nad'- gl wa'- na- m&'- sl S'- zhl- gl'- nl- gSd-" Do you not see how he is formed ?" To which the other responds: 0- da'- pI- n6' ke'- no- wln- dting shkwan'- dlm-" Take care of it, the door;" [ i. e., guard the entrance.] The former then again speaks to his companion, and says : Ka- wln'- nl- na- ga' w&'- ba- ma'- si- ba'- shl-gi'- ne- get'-" Do you not see how he carries the goods ?" The Mide' spoken to assents to this, when the preceptor takes several pieces of tobacco which he presents to the two guards, whereupon they permit the candidate to advance to the inner entrance, where he is again stopped by two other guardian man'ido, who turn upon him as if to inquire the reason of his intrusion. The candidate then holds out two parcels of tobacco and says to them : O- da'- pin a- se'- ma-" Take it, the tobacco," whereupon they receive the gift and stand aside, saying: Kun'- da- dan-" Go down;" [ i. e., enter and follow the path.] As the candidate is taken a few steps forward and toward the sacred stone, four of the eight officiating priests receive him, one replacing the preceptor who goes to the extreme western end there to stand and face the east, where another joins him, while the remaining two place themselves side by side so as to face the west. It is believed that there are five powerful man'idfls who abide within the third- degree Mide'wigan, one of whom is the Mide' man'idS - Ki'tshi Man'ido- one being present at the sacred stone, the second at that part of the ground between the sacred stone and the first part where the gifts are deposited, the remaining three at the three degree posts. As the candidate starts and continues upon his walk around the interior of the inclosure the musicians begin to sing and drum, while all those remaining are led toward the left, and when opposite the |