CHAPTER XVI.

1

DEITIES OF INDIAN RITE AND STORY.

THIS picture represents the god of grasses. It is of especial interest, as it betrays the fact that the Indian traced to heat the cause of vegetable growth, believing fire to be a causative force, the agent of life, if not life itself. The figure bears upon its head the sacred parallelogram, emblem of fire, from which rise four rays, like those represented radiating downwards in the abîme of heaven in the Indian cartouche, shown in the chapter on Pictography. It is probably an emblem of that cre- • ative essence, spoken of by an Indian historian as a "fiery substance above the sun." It agrees with the expression, in reference to the growth of vegetables, "moved by Yo-he-wah ;" and that in relation to ripened vegetables, wah-ah, "moved to their joy." The bow and the arrow, on which is fixed a small round object, is per

haps typical of the agency of the thunder-god, in giving rain to promote growth in the vegetable world.

The three lines radiating from the right arm downwards, may have the significance of the flow of electric currents into the earth,-out of which spring grass and shrub, a sprig of which appears in the deity's hand.

Lines radiating from the figure are represented in Babylonian cylinders, as given in this cut, which sug

gested to Mr. Smith the building of the Tower of Babel, it being similar to another, already given in the chapter on Pictography. Both these pictures he called The Builders. In this, as in the one previous, duplicate Trees are depicted; and the central figure, prominent among the three, wears the typical horns indicating his priestly office. The four rays-the number in the Indian representation are duplicated on the arms. The horns, like those on the enthroned figure in the large crescent, who seemed to be in the act of plying an oar (vide picture near the end of the chapter on Pictography), and the representation of the Tree of Life, suggest some astrological design, and that the work of the builder, relates to the construction of an astronomical

observatory. The belief in sidereal metempsychosis and in stellar influence over human life, associates radiating fire and living growth (energies of life) with this kind of structure.

THE GOD MISSABÈ.1

Missabè was the hunter's governing spirit. He dwelt among the mountains, and was often seen upon precipitous or isolated rocks. He was capable of transforming himself at pleasure, and presented himself before the hunter in various shapes. To him was offered the tobacco and other articles found at times in the clefts of rocks and isolated bowlders of the prairie.

L

WHITTE-KO-KA-GAH.

This manitto was one of those whom Shelley's delicate fancy pictures,

Elemental genii, who have homes

From man's high mind, even to the central stone

Of sullen lead from heaven's star-fretted domes
To the dull weed some sea-worm battens on,

and was the god of weeds. Its special dwelling-place was in the weed called by the Indians pajeckotah, which occasions convulsion when used as a drink. The Dacotahs represented this manitto holding in his right hand a rattle of deer-hoofs. In this rattle were sixty-four hoofs. In his left hand he carried a bow and arrow; and although the arrow was made blunt by chewing it, still he could send it through the largest animal in the world. From his cap were streaks of lightning, so

1 Manabozho in Algonkin dialect. See "Gods of the Dacotahs."

brilliant as to dazzle the eyes of animals, and thus enable him to approach close to them. In his mouth was a whistle, such as the Indians used in the dance to invoke the assistance of this god; for, when they were unsuccessful in hunting, they had a dance in honor of Whitte-ko-ka-gah. It seems probable that the herb, which the Indians are said to have carried in sacred sacks when in battle, and which they ate as a preventive of wounds, is the pajeckotah.

HAOKAH, THE ANTI-NATURAL GOD.

Haokah was a manitto of gigantic proportions. In his honor a feast was often made, at which there was the usual ceremony of dancing. This feast was given more especially by a clan called the Giant's Party. The dance was performed solely by men, and around a fire within a retired wigwam. Over this fire was placed kettles of meat for the feast. These men were nude, only wearing upon their heads a conical cap made of birch-bark, streaked with paint to represent lightning, and having a girdle of the same material about their loins. While leaping and dancing, with songs and shouts, they would thrust their bare hands into the boiling kettles, and, pulling out pieces of meat, eat them scalding hot. This terrible custom must have required more than common physical endurance, a

"strong will, that being set to boil

The broth of Hecate, would shred his flesh
Into the caldron, and stir deep, with arms

Flayed to the seething bone, ere they default

One tittle from the spell."

After the meat was consumed by the party, they

splashed the water upon each other's backs, at the

same time dancing with the cadence of their song, which bore the exclamation of "How cold it is!" in its concluding measure. This practice may be accounted for by the pretension among them that their manitto will not allow even boiling water to injure them.

Similar is the assertion of the Mohammedan Selftorturing Dervishes of Scutari, that Allah does not permit them to be harmed by their dagger-stabs and skewerwounds, though the blood runs down their naked bodies.

Haokah was renowned for his strength. He was believed to have such a supernatural gleam in his eyes, which were of different colors, that by one glance he could destroy the object looked upon. From this, one might suspect him to be a descendant of those "gyants monstruous," one of whom Spenser, in his "Faery Queen," describes :

His looks were dreadful, and his fiery eies,

Like two great beacons, glared bright and wyde.

Haokah was always represented with a forked crown. His face was of two colors, red and blue. Being an anti-natural god, in summer he was cold; in winter he suffered from heat; hot water was cold to him, and cold water hot.

Self-torture has been universally believed an acceptable offering to the gods. In this oblation the savages assumed that he who offered his body a sacrifice to the gods was beyond physical harm. He not only escaped injury, he received good; he became valiant in war and faithful in peace.

1 Red, symbol of war; blue, of peace.