The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1894-05-11
jUGGlEias OF THE SOUTHWEST.
Remarkable Feats OF Magic Performed
BIZ the Pueh,O Indians.


By tho Pueblo Indians.
Apropos of magic. Hindoo or other
WISE Charles Lummis. in his entertain
ing book. Some Stcinge Corners of
Our Country" gives several interesting
accounts of what he has seen in this
particular among the Indian tribes OF
the southwest.
His first statements are to the effect
that the North American Indian re-
CARDS his art as sacred, AMI that his at
titude towards it Is strictly religious
one. Nowhere will he willingly admit
the stranger to his seances, nor will Re
accept n money consideration for the
performance of phenomena, although
from his own tribe he will take largess
in another form. Mr.. Lummis is also
careful TO state that the Indian juggler
has none of the accessories of the mod
ern conjuror-no cabinets, no drawers,
no trap doors, no sleeves. no pockets,
no anything in fact, including clothes,
with the single exception of a breech-
clout. All the feats witnessed by the
writer were performed on the hard
earthen floor of n hut, in plain sight,
| and almost within constant touch Of
the audience. The presence of light is
a g.'Heral thing, q few only Of the
tricks nc luirlng darkness.
THE principal occasions of Pueblo
and Navajo magic" says Mr.. Lummis,
''are at the medicine markings, when
the wise men of the tribe heal sicls-
nesses, foretell events, perform certain
rites, give thanks to the Trues, eto
The sittings are held In great lodge
or hut, generally round, sacred to the
medicine man, or Shaman. as ne h
called, and never profaned by any
other use. In these sittings the dance
and the chant are almost continuous,
one or the other or both going on per
petually. A bowl of water, cigarettes.
eagles feathers, weapons and few
other simple articles constitute the
stage outfit At the healing time of the
day the Shannon dances up to sick
person, puts the tip of the feather
against him, and, with the quill in the
mouth, sucks diligently for moment
The feather seems 30 swell to n great
size, as though some large object were
passing through It. Then it resumes
its natural size, the Shaman begins to
cough, and directly. with his hand.
draws from his mouth a large rag, OF q
big stone, or foot long branch of the
myriad bristling buekhorn cactus, while
the patient feels relieved at the remov-
al of such unpleasant dodgers; no Won
der he felt sicl!''
Sometimes the Shaman does not use
the feather, but with his bare hand
plucks from the body the remarkable
disease and waves it aloft in triumph
Their witch killings are done through
the use of mannikins. precisely as the
waxen images of peopl. were, and still
are, used among the would be sorcerers
of the ''pale-face" races, but these man
nikins of the Navajos actually appeal
to run blood Mr. Lumm.s also wit
messed the fire bath dance, during
which the naked Shamans eat live Goals
with the utmost seeming gusto in plain
view of the audience. Whatever preps-
ton was made for this feat was mads
hours before, as the participants in the
fiery ordeal had already been before
the public that length of time.
Another wonderful phenomenon de-
scribed by the writer is that of magic
thunderstorm in the hut The candles
all put out the awed audience sits
awhile in the gloom in hushed expect
ancy. Then they hear the low grosyi
of distant thunder, which keeps roll
ing nearer and nearer. Suddenly .
binding flash of forked lightning
shoots across the room from side to
side, and another and another. while
the room trembles to the roar of the
thunder and the flash shows terrified
women and children clinging to hus-
bands and brothers. Outside the sky
may be twinkling with a million OF
stars, but in the dark room fearful
storm seems to be raging. This lasts
few minutes and then the room is re.
lighted for performance of other cere-
monies
Mr. Lummis also watched the swal-
lowing of eighteen-inch swords to the
very hilt- The swords were double
edged, sharp pointed, and about two
inches wide. But the browning won
der was the growing of the sacred corn
"a feat the North American counter
part of the Hindoo mango seed phe-
nomenon. At sunrise the kernel Is
planted by the Shaman, who seats
himself before 1t and begins a
weird chanting measure of a song.
The seed sprouts, grows, ripens
to the rhythm of this chant, stopping
when the chant ceases and beginning
again when the song Is renewed. By
A. H. =. g. ID
the leaves are tasseled out, and by sun
set it is mature and perfect plant-a
performance second to none the Hin
doc falsir can show.
This similarity between the magical
feats OF the hoary east and the new
west and between those of other coun-
tries as well wouli seem to indicate
that there was in reality but one occulc
science, and that a knowledge of its
laws was at one time universal, taught,
perhaps, in the form of mysteries"
and never in any case divulged to the
INITIATED. The remnants of this
knowledge are thus to be found even
among our own aborigines. az well as
among those of South Africa. Wher-
ever performed the phenomena are
nearly always suggestive of hypnotic
influence exercised over others; of self
hypnotism, and knowledge of other
| natural forces STILL of which our mod
ern science is yet in ignorance. That
there is anything supernatural about
them cannot be conceded, however mi
raculous they may appear to the unin-
| formed.
The fakir of whatever nation is
pledged to eternal secrecy, and just
what these occult forces are will prob
ABLY never be revealed to the general
/ .o:~-oo Sba1l oman