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Show 232 THE MIDE'WIWIN OF THE 0JIBWA. toward the left on his march round the interior of the Mide'wig& n, the officiating priests following and being followed in succession by all others present. The march continues until the eighth passage round, when the members begin to step back into their respective places, while the officiating Mide' finally station themselves with their backs toward the westernmost degree post, and face the door at the end of the structure. The candidate continues round to the western end, faces the Mide' priests, and all sit down. The following song is then sung, which may be the individual production of the candidate ( PI. XIII, C). A song is part of the ritual, though it is not necessary that the candidate should sing it, as the preceptor may do so for him. In the instance under my observation the song was an old one ( which had been taught the candidate), as the archaic form of pronunciation indicates. Each of the lines is repeated as often as the singer may desire, the prolongation of the song being governed by his inspired condition. The same peculiarity governs the insertion, between words and at the end of lines, of apparently meaningless vowel sounds, to reproduce and prolong the last notes sounded. This may be done ad libitum, rythmical accentuation being maintained by gently tapping upon the Mide' drum. HIa'- ni- de hSn'- da man'- i- do, ho', ni'- sha- bon'- de man'- i- do'- en- dat. Where is the spirit lodge f 1 go through it [ The oblong structure represents the Mide'wigan, the arm upon the left indicating the course of the path leading through it, the latter being shown by a zigzag line.] Nin- go'- sa ml- de'- kwe ni- ka' na'- eka- wa'. I am afraid of the " grand medicine " woman; I go to her. [ A leg is shown to signify locomotion. The singer fears- the opposition of a MidS priestess and will conciliate her.] Ka- ni- sa' hi'- a- tshi'- min- de' man'- ski- kf, de', he', he'. Kinsmen who speak of me, they see the striped sky. [ A person of superior power, as designated by the horns attached to the head. The lines from the mouth signify voice or speech, while the horizontal lines denote the stratus clouds, the height above the earth. of which illustrates the direction of the abode of the spirit whose conversation, referring to the singer, is observed crossing them as short vertical zigzag lines; i. e., voice lines.] Ke - na- nan'- do- me' ko- no'- ne- nak ka- ne- he' nin- ko'- tshi nan'- no- me'. The cloud looks to me for medicine. [ The speaker has become so endowed with the power of magic influence that he has preference with the superior Man'idos. The magic influence is shown descending to the hand which reaches beyond the cloud indicated by the oblong square upon the forearm.] i i |