The Medicine-Men of the Apache. (1892 N 09 / 1887-1888 (pages 443-604))Bourke, John Gregory
Religion
The Medicine-Men of the Apache. (1892 N 09 / 1887-1888 (pages 443-604))
Bourke, John Gregory
Apache Indians -- Medicine; Apache Indians -- Religion; Apache Indians -- Rites and ceremonies; Shamans -- New Mexico
The Apache, both men and women, wear amulets, called tzi-daltai, made
of lightning-riven wood, generally pine or cedar or fir from the
mountain tops, which are highly valued and are not to be sold. These
are shaved very thin and rudely cut in the semblance of the human
form. They are in fact the duplicates, on a small scale, of the
rhombus, already described. Like the rhombus, they are decorated with
incised lines representing the lightning. Very often these are to be
found attached to the necks of children or to their cradles. Generally
these amulets are of small size. Below will be found figures of those
which I was permitted to examine and depict in their actual size. They
are all unpainted. The amulet represented was obtained from a
Chiricahua Apache captive. Deguele, an Apache of the Klukaydakaydn
clan, consented to exhibit a kan, or god, which he carried about his
person. He said I could have it for three ponies. It was made of a
flat piece of lath, unpainted, of the size here given, having drawn
upon it this figure in yellow, with a narrow black band, excepting the
three snake heads, _a_, _b_, and _c_, which were black with white
eyes; _a_ was a yellow line and _c_ a black line; flat pearl buttons
were fastened at _m_ and _k_ respectively and small eagle-down
feathers at _k_ on each side of the idol. The rear of the tablet,
amulet, or idol, as one may be pleased to call it, was almost an exact
reproduction of the front.
[Illustration: FIG. 443.--Tzi-daltai amulet (Apache).]
The owner of this inestimable treasure assured me that he prayed to it
at all times when in trouble, that he could learn from it where his
ponies were when stolen and which was the right direction to travel
when lost, and that when drought had parched his crops this would
never fail to bring rain in abundance to revive and strengthen them.
The symbolism is the rain cloud and the serpent lightning, the
rainbow, rain drops, and the cross of the four winds.
These small amulets are also to be found inclosed in the phylacteries
(Fig. 447) which the medicine-men wear suspended from their necks or
waists.
Sir Walter Scott, who was a very good witness in all that related to
prehistoric customs and "survivals" among the Celtic Scots, may be
introduced at this point:
A heap of wither'd boughs was piled
Of juniper and rowan wild,
Mingled with shivers from the oak,
Rent by the lightning's recent stroke.[722]
[Illustration: Front view. Rear view.
FIG. 444.--Tzi-daltai amulet (Apache).]
CHALCHIHUITL.
The articles of dress depicted in this paper are believed to represent
all those which exclusively belong to the office of the Apache "diyi"
or "izze-nantan." Of late years it can not be said that every
medicine-man has all these articles, but most of them will be found in
the possession of the man in full practice.
[Illustration: APACHE MEDICINE SHIRT. Plate VI.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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