The record-union., 1899-06-14
ROYAL s;';:.s ssxS.s
- ABSOLUTELY PURE
Makes the food more delicious and wholesome
cHnPEwA soRcERERs.
Queer Dealings With Red-Hot
StoneseThe Thunder Bird.
aovAl sAselNe poMpeR CO., NEW yonx

ddans Of Leech Lake are the sorcerers
OF American savagery, and as an Off
sat to the superior power of Govern
| ment rifles and smOkeless ammunition
| they profess to have means Of fighting
which ordinary human beings may we'll
tremble at Their magicians are able
to render men invulnerable, to draw the
souls out of the bodies of their enemies
and to do a variety of other things
that are calculated to excite dread in
the minds of the soldiers in blue uni
forms sent against them
By the use of certain plants the Chip
| pewa sorcerer is enabled to take uo
| and handle with impunity red-hot
! stones and burning brands, and it is
said that without evincing the slight
est discomfort, he will battle his hands
in boiling water or even in boiling ma
pie syrup Through supernatural
| means he is acquainted with the ideas
| and intentions of men, and by calling
| from any human being his other shad-
| Ow he deprives the victim of reason,
| or in some cases Of life. He holds
special communication with the turtle,
which is the most powerful Of the spir-
| it's. and through him with numerous
other malevolent beings, especially the
1Thunder-bird. When engaged in this
kind Of business he occupies a lodge
which consists of four poles planted in
the ground, around which is wrapped
birch-bark or canvas in such a way as
to form an upright cylinder When the
sorcerer has seated himself inside Of
| this structure the latter begins to sway
violently from side to side; loud
| humping noises are heard within, de-
| r. Of ,iv;fc
| ter and numerous voices are distinctly
| audible to those without
One of the most astonishing feats
performed by the sorcerers, from the
point of view of the uninitiated, con-
| Sists in causing an empty sack-a mag
ic bag, of course-to move uoon the
| ground as if it were alive. This per-
| formance was witnessed more than
once by Dr. W. j. Hoffman, of the
4 United States Bureau of Ethnology,
| who explained il on the theory that a
| mouse or some other small animal was
| confined in the sack. The magician
has the power of changing himself into
| a bear whenever he likes, using that
disguise to wreak vengeance upon un-
believers and upon persons for whose
| destruction he has been literally paid
| by others. Immediately upon the ac
| complishment of such a murder he re-
| sumeS his human form, thus escaping
Identification and detection. 1t is un-
derstood, however, that crimes Of this
sort are committed only by bad sor
cerers; for in this business there are
| benevolent and nlalevolent magicians,
just as was formerly the case in the
sorcery of Europe.
| The Chippewa sorcerers are able to
| transform themselves not only into
bears, but also into wolves, foxes, owls,
bats and snakes. Some of the men,
bers of the secret society are women,
and they possess similar powers. 1t
sometimes happens that such witch,
while in the shape of a bear, is chased
| by hunters, and under such circum-
stances she will run behind a tree or
a hill, so as to be lost sight of for
/ time by her pursuers. Then, instead
of seeing a bear, they behold an old
woman walking quietly along or dig
| ging up roots and looking extremely
| innocent The fox witches are known
/ by the flame of fire which proceeds out
of their mouths every time they bark.
| The magic sack already referred to
is made Of the skin of mink, to tie
nose of which downy white feathers
are fastened as an ornament. In this
bag are carried the sacred objects be-
| longing to the sorcerer, such as colo1s
| for painting the face, peculiar red
powder prepared for hunters charms,
small effigies, amulets and various alb
normal objects. One of these last is
described by DR.. Hoffman as the leg of
a goshawk, out of which had grown,
by freak of nature, supernumerary
limb of smaller size This fetch was
considered of great value, being sup
posed to be medium whereby the
Thunder God might be invoked and
his anger appeased. This deity is rep
resented in the Chippewa picture writ
| ing by the eagle, or frequently by some
other kind of hawk; hence, it was nat
ural that the supeIstitious should lock
with awe upon such an abnormality on
one of the terrestrial Representatives of
the mighty spirit.
For the aid of hunters special com
pound is prepared by the Chippewa sor-
cerer, made up of the leaves and roots
of several plants ground to powder A
small quantity of this compound is put
into a gun-barrel with the bullet, and
sometimes a small pinch of it on the
trail of an animal, to compel it to halt.
When the orthodox Indian contemplates
a hunting trip, he first visits the ma
gician, giving him present of tobac-
co before announcing the purpose of
| his call, and afterward promising to
| him certain portions of the animal
which he may kill. The magician, if
satisfied with the terms, makes an
offering to the appropriate spirit, and
draws with a sharp pointed bone upon
small piece of birch bark an outline
Of the animal desired by the applicant
The heart of the animal is indicated
in the drawing by puncture, upon
which a small quantity of vermilion is
carefully rubbed, this color being very
efficacious toward effecting the death
of the creature.
| 1t is a part of the business of the
| Chippewa sorcerer to make himself fa-
miliar with the hunting grounds of his
neighborhood, ascertaining the best
feeding areas of various game animals
| and their haunts at different seasons
He keeps himself Informed on the SUBJ
| ject also by inquiries of returnins
hunters and thus becomes possessed Of
large amount of valuable information
respecting the natural history Of the
surrounding country, by which means
! he cam with tolerable amount of
certainty, direct a hunter to the best
! localities for such varieties of game
as may be particularly desired by him.
1t is obvious that such knowledge would
go a long way in the business of the
sorcerer who makes a speciality of adj
vice in matters of sport.
AS among other Indians, it is be-