The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1923-11-02
HISTORY AND SUPERSTITlOMS
OF MEDICINE WHEEL ARE TOLD

the mystery or medicine which en-
shrouds it. The outer circle of stones
! is considered the rim of the wheel,
the central circle its hub, and the
lines of stones running from the in
ner to the outer circle is not complete,
for on it's easterly side the rim of the
wheel is interrupted for about two
and half feet, and this interruption
furnishes an entrance or gateway in
to the, scircleaa The opening actually
faces littleIseuth of east.
That, ipiancient times it was
place of resort for great numbers of
people is clearly indicated by very
old and worn travoisl trail, visible at
a distance of two or three miles, looks
like broad white Wagon road run
ming from. the lower foothills up over
the side of the Medicine mountain,
passing along over its whole length,
and descending on the other side to
a narrow saddle which it crosses, and
then climbs again to. the flat Where
the medicine Wheel is built. On this
trayois trail, there are no signs of re-
cent use yet it is that in
times past multitudes of people must
have passed over it. Under the stones
of one of the spokesl was recently
found beads which have been pro-
nounced Venetian beads of the fiji
teenth century.
Legends. Told.
Among the Grows and other local
Indians, various stories are told about
certain mythical people who live un-
der the ground and pass between
their home and the upper air through |
a deep pit, or cave formed by a great |
crack in the limestone to the west of |
the Medicine Wheel. Other Indian
legends, which sound like fiction, are
that the Medicine Wheel was built
by the Sheep Eaters, and chat the % |
spokes represent the 2S tribes of
Sheep Eaters. The Sheep Eaters are
said to have been a group of the
Shoshoni, named such because they
subsisted chiefly as a group and have
been absorbed by the Bannocks.
Some Indians say that the wheel
is the plan of an old-time Cheyenne
medicine lodge. The outer circle of
stones represents the wall of the
odge, they say; the lines leading to-
ward the center, the rafters, and the
81
)ne, from which the spokes radiate,
representing the center pole of the
odge. They add that the building
% the northwest of the entrance and
within the circle is the altar"
Panorama Visible
From Medicine mountain, just
bove Medicine Wheel, panorama of
mountain scenery rivaling
ven that of the celebrated Grand
,anyon of Colorado is revealed to the
pectator. From this point he cam
ee the country for radius of 800
niles in all four directions. He can
ook down into canyon 500 feet
eeper than any view in the Grand ,
anyon. e
From this vantage point the spec
ator can see every town in the Big
Torn basin from Thermopolis to Cody
nd across to the edge of Yellowstone ,
ark. He can see the first, second
nd third ranges of the Continental
wide. @~ .~se.,
From this point Wind River noun
lin, Absaraka mountains, Pryor
and the Owl mountains
re easily visible. So are also DEVILS
anyon, Big Horn canyon, Billings,
lie Soap Greek oil wells, Lodgegrass {
-eek, Wolf mountains, Clouds peak,
lie Black mountains and Little Big +
orn (the stream on which the Gus !;
II fight took place.. The Big Horn
yer and its tributaries for 100 miles
re also clearly visible from Medi-lr
ne mountain. "a a& In
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