Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-08-14
FOLLOWED By A CURSE,
An Interesting Indian Legend From
the Ottawa.
Manahchinty Tomahawked Mahin-
gan Because the Latter Ate the
Sacred Lamb-A Curse.

subjective. 1t is not surprising. therefore
that an Ojibway chief who once travelled
In the early dawn of Canadian civilization
as far as Montreal. and met there Jesuit
missionary, having received from hun a
lamb as present, mistook it for the Lamb
OF God, concerning whom the missionary
had talked much, and, taking it with him
when he returned to his people, impressed
upon them the SacredneSs of this wonder
full and, to them, strange beast. enjoining
upon them the necessity of worshipping it
with honor and reverence. A small island
was chosen as a suitable dwelling place
for this new manltou. writes a Quebec
correspondent of the Buffalo Express, and
the Indians were happy IN possession of
an animal at once so sacred and 50 easily
kept.
Unfortunately the owner was the object
of much jealousy on the part of one
who had always laid counter claim to the
position of leader of the people. The
name of this man was Mahingan. Hew was
good hunter and bold man, but he had
| the reputation of being called a bad
Indian, a very vague term of disappro-
! nation, but very common among Indians.
He saw that the possession of this lamb
gave much power to his rival and he de-
termined to deprive him of it, and, being
| somewhat of utilitarian, he considered
that the best way to do this was to
eat it, which he did surreptitiously and at
night. On the following day consterna-
ton reigned In the Indian camps-the
sacred lamb was gone.
| The Cwner was furious. but tried to turn
the mishap to account by stating that no
manitou of such importance would stay
| where dad Indians" were allowed to live
with IMMUNITY, which explanation was
accepted as satisfactory until the bones
of the lamb were found, clean picked and
bearing unmistakable evidence of having
been boiled. This upset the supernatural
translation theory altogether, and evil
IDENTIFY pointed to the murder of manitou,
but the question arose: "Who was the
sacriligious wretch who had dared to fill
himself with a god?" Manachinty, the
owner, openly accused Mahingan to his
| face. but Mahingan laughed at him, say
ing:
mo one can eat real manitou The
manitou would more likely eat him. If
your animal was truth. then it would
have saved itself; if fraud, then the
sooner it was eaten the better"
So true did this saving appear that
some of the Indians sided with Mahin-
gan, for all recognized that it was he who
had eaten the lamb, and there were not
wanting those who began to murmur at
Manahchinty for inducing them to wor-
ship false gods; and Manahchinty saw that
strong measures were necessary In order
to maintain his reputation DIS Big In
jun, ~ so he tomahawked his rival on the
! sly, and the people at once returned their
| allegiance. probably fearing least they
themselves should be tomahawked.
Strange to say, after this Manahchinty be-
came listless and depressed: some thought
it was on account of the loss of his sacred
lamb; but finally il leaked out that Ma
hingan, before dying, had found time to
curse his murderer, to threaten him with
his vengeance, even though he were dead,
and to promise him that he would pur-
sue him and his heirs relentlessly for many
generations. Strange to relate, Manah-
chinty soon Joined his victim, having
been upset from his canoe and drowned
during loon hunt. For several genera
tions his descendants in the male line
died violent deaths, and it was generally
conceded among the Indians that a curse
was upon them.
One evening about six years ago, dur
ing the month of July, a small band of In
dams were encamped upon the island
wherein had lived and died the sacred
sheep. The ever encroaching white man
had usurped the heritage of the Indians,
who now had dwindled into few families
in place of the powerful tribe who had
once held undisputed sway In the land.
The curse of Mahinqan had been almost
forgotten, and that very evening as they
sat around the camp fire an old crone with
shaking head related to the younger folk
in substance that which have above writ
ten. Among them stood boy intently
listening with more than ordinary inter
est. He was direct descendant of Man
ahchinty Scarcely had she finished when
a fendish howl was heard in the field close
by.
The Indians started to their feet in
fright and still another cry awoke the
echoes of the summer night; at the same
time an enormous dog, with eyes like balls
of fire, bounded into the midst of them
and, selling the boy, the descendant of
Manahchinty, by the throat, bore him to
the ground. Luckily one man at least,
preserved his presence of mind. He
snatched his rife from his tent and with
good aim sent aSbullet crashing through
the skull of tine weird beast. 1t was all
over in moment and the boy rose up I'M
hurt, except for the wound in his throat
where the dog had seized him.
That night the Indians did not sleep,
but sat discussing the event until day
light, when one of them took the carcass
of the dog and threw it to the pigs of
white man who lived close by. The pigs
made short work of the dog and soon had
it all devoured except the heart, which
they left untouched; and there it lay in
the hot summer sun for two consecutive
days. until, impelled by curiosity,
find out why the pigs would not eat it.
impelled still further by curiosity he took
his ak and cut it in two: What was his
establishment at finding it nothing but
solid lump of ice. The discovery spread
like wildfre and caused great sensation
among Indian circles.
The shaky-headed crone at once pro-
nounced it to be Mahingan and assured
the Indians that the vendetta was ended
by the death of the dog, or, rather, the
second death of Mahingan. Whether
she was right or wrong, the boy still
lives, nor has he experienced any great
and especial Ill luck. So let Us hope
that Mahingan's curse is a thing of the
past, mystery snuffed out by win
chester with the latest modern improve
ments
These things are hard to believe. |
myself doubted if they were true and
these doubts to my informant,
a most respectable and pious Indian, as
Indians 60 | even dared to laugh, but
he treasured me of their truth and re-
buko1 mo for lauohinp saving. ssTt Is