The North American Indian, Vol. 1Curtis, Edward S.
History
The North American Indian, Vol. 1
Curtis, Edward S.
Indians of North America
Of the four marginal figures the one in white toward the east is
Hasché̆ltĭ, Talking God, with his pine-squirrel pouch of sacred meal.
Opposite him stands Haschógan, House God. The other two are Gánaskí̆dĭl,
Hunchbacks, Gods of Harvest, with seeds of the field in packs on their
backs. Around the whole is the personified rainbow.
When the dry-painting is in actual use the patient enters upon it over the
feet of Hasché̆ltĭ and sits at the intersection of the logs. A man
personating a god then enters, places his hands upon the various parts of
the many deities represented in the picture, then upon the corresponding
parts of the patient’s body. The whole picture is then destroyed and the
colored sands are carried off to the north in a blanket and strewn under
trees.
_Sixth Day_: This is the first day of the large dry-paintings. The
painting is commenced early in the morning, and is not finished until
mid-afternoon. The one on this day is the whirling log representation.
After it is finished, feathers are stuck in the ground around it, and
sacred meal is scattered on parts by some of the assisting singers. Others
scatter the meal promiscuously; one of the maskers uses a spruce twig and
medicine shell, applying meal to every figure and object in the painting.
Then the medicine-men all gather up portions of the sacred meal, putting
it in their medicine pouches. The patient soon enters and takes his seat
in the centre of the painting. The usual incantations are gone through,
after which the colored sands of the painting are applied to the
corresponding parts of the patient’s body, then gathered up and carried
off to the north. During the day two sets of beggars go out to the
neighboring hogáns. These personate Hasché̆ltĭ, Tónenĭlĭ—Water Sprinkler,
the God of Water, who is really a clown—and as many Haschĕbaád as care to
go out. The beggars carry whips made of yucca leaves, and one who does not
respond to their appeals for gifts is whipped,—if he can be caught,—which
creates a great deal of amusement. The personators act like a company of
clowns, but at the same time they gather a large quantity of food. When
the day is thoroughly taken up with dry-painting and ceremonies, there is
less of the ceremonial at night. The medicine-men, to the accompaniment of
the basket drum, sing for a short time only on this sixth night, while
outside the late evening is spent in dancing by those who are later to
participate in the closing dance.
_Seventh Day_: This day is practically consumed with the making of another
large dry-painting. The masked men go out on another begging tour, also,
and the medicine ceremonies and the destroying of the dry-painting are
practically the same as those of the day before, while during the evening
the medicine-men sing to the accompaniment of the drum.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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