Between Mad Wolf and his wife Gives-to-the-Sun, who sat on his right,
lay the sacred Beaver Bundle. It contained the skins of beaver and
other wild animals, which were believed to contribute Sun Power to the
Bundle. [2] It was opened in a religious ceremony, given in behalf of
the sick, or on other important occasions. From the lodge-poles hung
beaded clothing and sacred bundles with long leather fringes hanging
from their sides and decorated with painted designs.
Mad Wolf was a noble specimen of Indian chief. His long gray hair fell
loosely over his shoulders, and his face had a kindly and benign
expression. He was large in stature and of majestic presence, with
broad forehead and high cheek bones, keen eyes and firm mouth. From the
waist up his body was bare. He had broad shoulders and chest and his
arms were muscular and well formed, like those of a young man. He wore
leggings of deerskin, moccasins decorated with colored porcupine quills
and necklaces of deer bones and bear claws. A medicine whistle, with
which he led his beaver ceremony, hung by a thong from his neck.
All sat in silence, waiting for the ceremony of adoption to begin. Then
Gives-to-the-Sun, wife of the chief, whispered to a young woman; she
straightway rose and stirred a large kettle of service-berries and
tongue, which was cooking on the fire. Mad Wolf pointed to her and said
to me: “She is your Indian sister, Strikes-on-Both-Sides. We gave her
that name because, in battle, I once struck down enemies on both
sides.”
Gives-to-the-Sun brought forth a forked stick. She went to the fire,
and, lifting out a live coal, placed it in front of Mad Wolf, who
burned dried sweet grass upon it. Soon a fragrant perfume like incense
filled the lodge; and they began to sing a low chant in a minor key, in
which all the Indians joined.
Then Mad Wolf and his wife knelt by the burning sweet grass; they
placed their hands in the rising smoke; they seemed to grasp the smoke;
they rubbed it over their bodies and passed it over their heads,
shoulders and arms; they breathed it in; thus purifying themselves
without and within.
Suddenly the clouds broke and the sun shone into the lodge. Its bright
rays came through the smoke hole and lighted up the ground in front of
Mad Wolf. Again he held his hands in the smoke of the burning sweet
grass. He passed them over his arms and breast for a blessing; and
turning his face towards the sun, he chanted:
“See! Our Father, the Sun, shines into the lodge.
His power is very strong.
At night our Mother, the Moon, shines into the lodge.
Her power is very strong.
I pray Morning Star to shine into the lodge and bring long life.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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