The Feast of the Virgins and Other Poems Part 46

[26] The Dakotas believe that the _Aurora Borealis_ is an evil omen and the threatening of an evil spirit (perhaps _Waziya_, the Winter-G.o.d--some say a witch, or a very ugly old woman). When the lights appear danger threatens, and the warriors shoot at, and often slay, the evil spirit, but it rises from the dead again.

[27] _Se-so-kah_--The Robin.

[28] The spirit of _Anpetu-sapa_ that haunts the Falls of St. Anthony with her dead babe in her arms. See the Legend in _Neill's Hist. Minn._, or my _Legend of the Falls._

[29] _Mee-c.o.o.nk-shee_--My daughter.

[30] The Dakotas call the meteor, "_Wakan-denda_" (sacred fire) and _Wakan-wohlpa_ (sacred gift). Meteors are messages from the Land of Spirits warning of impending danger. It is a curious fact that the "sacred stone" of the Mohammedans, in the Kaaba at Mecca, is a meteoric stone, and obtains its sacred character from the fact that it fell from heaven.

[31] _Kah-no-te-dahn_,--the little, mysterious dweller in the woods. This spirit lives in the forest, in hollow trees. _Mrs. Eastman's Dacotah_, Pre. Rem. x.x.xi. "The Dakota G.o.d of the woods--an unknown animal said to resemble a man, which the Dakotas worship: perhaps, the monkey."--_Riggs' Dakota Dic. t.i.t--Canotidan_.

[32] The Dakotas believe that thunder is produced by the flapping of the wings of an immense bird which they call _Wakinyan_--the Thunder-bird.

Near the source of the Minnesota River is a place called "Thunder-Tracks" where the foot-prints of a "Thunder-bird" are seen on the rocks twenty-five miles apart. _Mrs. Eastman's Dacotah_, p. 71.

There are many Thunder-birds. The father of all the Thunder-birds--"_Wakinyan Tanka_"--or "Big Thunder," has his _teepee_ on a lofty mountain in the far West. His _teepee_ has four openings, at each of which is a sentinel; at the east, a b.u.t.terfly; at the west, a bear; at the south, a red deer; at the north, a caribou. He has a bitter enmity against _Unktehee_ (G.o.d of waters) and often shoots his fiery arrows at him, and hits the earth, trees, rocks, and sometimes men.

_Wakinyan_ created wild-rice, the bow and arrow, the tomahawk and the spear. He is a great war-spirit, and _Wanmdee_ (the war-eagle) is his messenger. A Thunder-bird (say the Dakotas) was once killed near Kapoza by the son of Cetan-Wakawa-mani and he thereupon took the name of "_Wakinyan Tanka_"--"Big Thunder."

[33] p.r.o.nounced _Tah-tahn-kah_--Bison or Buffalo.

[34] _Enah_--An exclamation of wonder. _Eho_--Behold! see there!

[35] The Crees are the Knisteneaux of Alexander Mackenzie. See his account of them, _Mackenzie's Travels_, (London, 1801) p. xci to cvii.

[36] Lake Superior. The only names the Dakotas have for Lake Superior are _Mede Tanka_ or _Tanka Mede_--Great Lake, and _Me-ne-ya-ta_--literally, _At-the-Water_.

[37] April--Literally, the moon when the geese lay eggs. See note 71.

[38] Carver's Cave at St. Paul was called by the Dakotas _Wakan_ _Teepee_--sacred lodge. In the days that are no more they lighted their council-fires in this cave and buried their dead near it. See _Neill's Hist. Minn_., p. 207. Capt. Carver in his _Travels_, London, 1778, p.

63, et. seq., describes this cave as follows: "It is a remarkable cave of an amazing depth. The Indians term it Wakonteebe, that is, the Dwelling of the Great Spirit. The entrance into it is about ten feet wide, the height of it five feet, the arch within is near fifteen feet high and about thirty feet broad. The bottom of it consists of fine clear sand. About twenty feet from the entrance begins a lake, the water of which is transparent, and extends to an unsearchable distance; for the darkness of the cave prevents all attempts to acquire a knowledge of it. I threw a small pebble toward the interior parts of it with my utmost strength. I could hear that it fell into the water, and notwithstanding it was of so small a size it caused an astonishing and horrible noise that reverberated through all those gloomy regions. I found in this cave many Indian hieroglyphics which appeared very ancient, for time had nearly covered them with moss so that it was with difficulty I could trace them. They were cut in a rude manner upon the inside of the walls, which were composed of a stone so extremely soft that it might be easily penetrated with a knife: a stone everywhere to be found near the Mississippi. This cave is only accessible by ascending a narrow, steep pa.s.sage that lies near the brink of the river. At a little distance from this dreary cavern is the burying-place of several bands of the Naudowessie (Dakota) Indians," Many years ago the roof fell in but the cave has been partly restored and is now used as a beer cellar.

[39] _Wah-kahn-dee_--The lightning.

[40] The b.l.o.o.d.y River--the Red River was so called on account of the numerous Indian battles that have been fought on its banks. The Ojibways say that its waters were colored red by the blood of many warriors slain on its banks in the fierce wars between themselves and the Dakotas.

[41] _Tah_--The Moose. This is the root-word for all ruminating animals: _Ta-tanka_, buffalo--Ta-toka, mountain antelope--Ta-hinca, the red deer--Ta-mdoka, the buck-deer--Ta-hinca-ska, white deer (sheep).

[42] _Hogahn_--Fish. Red Hogan, the trout.

[43] _Tipsanna_ (often called _tipsinna_) is a wild prairie-turnip used for food by the Dakotas. It grows on high, dry land, and increases from year to year. It is eaten both cooked and raw.

[44] _Rio Tajo_ (or Tagus), a river of Spain and Portugal.

[45]

* * * * "Bees of Trebizond-- Which from the sunniest flowers that glad With their pure smile the gardens round, Draw venom forth that drives men mad."

_--Thomas Moore_.

[46] _Skee-skah_--The Wood-duck.

[47] The Crocus. I have seen the prairies in Minnesota spangled with these beautiful flowers in various colors before the ground was free from frost. The Dakotas call them "frost-flowers."

[48] The "Sacred Ring" around the Feast of the Virgins is formed by armed warriors sitting, and none but a virgin must enter this ring. The warrior who knows is bound on honor, and by old and sacred custom, to expose and publicly denounce any tarnished maiden who dares to enter this ring, and his word cannot be questioned--even by the chief. See _Mrs. Eastman's Dacotah_, p. 64.

[49] Prairie's Pride.--This annual shrub, which abounds on many of the sandy prairies in Minnesota, is sometimes called "tea-plant,"

"sage-plant," and "red-root willow." I doubt if it has any botanic name.

Its long plumes of purple and gold are truly the "pride of the prairies."

[50] The Dakotas consider white cedar "_Wakan_," (sacred). They use sprigs of it at their feasts, and often burn it to destroy the power of evil spirits. _Mrs. Eastman's Dacotah_, p. 210.

[51] _Tahkoo-skahng-skahng_. This deity is supposed to be invisible, yet everywhere present; he is an avenger and a searcher of hearts. (_Neill's Hist. Minn_., p. 57). I suspect he was the chief spirit of the Dakotas before the missionaries imported "_Wakan-Tanka_" (Great Spirit).

[52] The Dakotas believe in "were-wolves" as firmly as did our Saxon ancestors, and for similar reasons--the howl of the wolf being often imitated as a decoy or signal by their enemies the Ojibways.

[53] _Shee-sho-kah_--The Robin.

[54] The Dakotas call the Evening Star the "_Virgin Star_," and believe it to be the spirit of the virgin wronged at the feast.

[55] Mille Lacs. This lake was discovered by Du Luth, and by him named Lac Buade in honor of Governor Frontenac of Canada, whose family name was Buade. The Dakota name for it is _Mde Wakan_--Spirit Lake.

[56] The Ojibways imitate the hoot of the owl and the howl of the wolf to perfection, and often use these cries as signals to each other in war and the chase.

[57] The Dakotas called the Ojibways the "Snakes of the Forest" on account of their lying in ambush for their enemies.

[58] Strawberries.

[59] _See-yo_--The prairie-hen.

[60] _Mahgah_--The wild-goose. _Fox-pups_. I could never see the propriety of calling the young of foxes _kits_ or _kittens_, which mean _little cats_. The fox belongs to the _canis_ or dog family, and not the _felis_ or cat family. If it is proper to call the young of dogs and wolves _pups_, it is equally proper to so call the young of foxes.

[61] When a Dakota is sick he thinks the spirit of an enemy or some animal has entered into his body, and the princ.i.p.al business of the "medicine-man"--_Wicasta Wakan_--is to cast out the "unclean spirit,"

with incantations and charms. See _Neill's Hist. Minn_., pp. 66-8. The Jews entertained a similar belief in the days of Jesus of Nazareth.

[62] _Wah-zee-yah's_ star--The North-star. See note 3.

[63] The Dakotas, like our forefathers and all other barbarians, believe in witches and witchcraft.

[64] The _Medo_ is a wild potato; it resembles the sweet-potato in top and taste. It grows in bottom-lands, and is much prized by the Dakotas for food. The "_Dakota Friend_," for December, 1850. (Minn. Hist. Col.)

[65] The meteor--_Wakan-denda_--Sacred fire.

[66] _Me-ta-win_--My bride.

[68] The _Via Lactea_ or Milky Way. The Dakotas call it _Wanagee Tach-anku_--The pathway of the spirits; and believe that over this path the spirits of the dead pa.s.s to the Spirit-land. See _Riggs' Tah-koo Wah-kan_, p. 101.

[69] _Oonk-tay-he_. There are many _Unktehees_, children of the _Great Unktehee_, who created the earth and man, and who formerly dwelt in a vast cavern under the Falls of St. Anthony. The _Unktehee_ sometimes reveals himself in the form of a huge buffalo-bull. From him proceed invisible influences. The _Great Unktehee_ created the earth.

"a.s.sembling in grand conclave all the aquatic tribes he ordered them to bring up dirt from beneath the waters, and proclaimed death to the disobedient. The beaver and otter forfeited their lives. At last the muskrat went beneath the waters, and, after a long time, appeared at the surface, nearly exhausted, with some dirt. From this _Unktehee_ fashioned the earth into a large circular plain. The earth being finished he took a deity, one of his own offspring, and, grinding him to powder, sprinkled it upon the earth, and this produced many worms. The worms were then collected and scattered again. They matured into infants and these were then collected and scattered and became full-grown Dakotas. The bones of the mastodon, the Dakotas think, are the bones of _Unktehees_, and they preserve them with the greatest care in the medicine-bag." _Neill's Hist. Minn_., p. 55. The _Unktehees_ and the Thunder-birds are perpetually at war. There are various accounts of the creation of man. Some say that at the bidding of the _Great Unktehee_, men sprang full grown from the caverns of the earth. See _Riggs' "Tahkoo Wahkan"_, and _Mrs. Eastman's Dacotah_. The _Great Unktehee_ and the Great Thunder-bird had a terrible battle in the bowels of the earth to determine which should be the ruler of the world. See description in _Winona_.

[70] p.r.o.nounced _Ahng-pay-too-wee_--The Sun; literally the Day-Sun, thus distinguishing him from _Han-ye-tuwee_ (Hahng-yay-too-wee) the Night Sun (the moon). They are twin brothers, but _Anpetuwee_ is the more powerful. _Han-ye-tuwee_ receives his power from his brother and obeys him. He watches over the earth while the sun sleeps. The Dakotas believe the sun is the father of life. Unlike the most of their other G.o.ds, he is beneficent and kind; yet they worshiped him (in the sun-dance) in the most dreadful manner. See _Riggs' Tahkoo Wakan_, pp. 81-2, and Catlin's _Okeepa_. The moon is worshiped as the representative of the sun; and in the great Sun-dance, which is usually held in the full of the moon, when the moon rises the dancers turn their eyes on her (or him). _Anpetuwee_ issues every morning from the lodge of _Han-nan-na_ (the Morning) and begins his journey over the sky to his lodge in the land of shadows.

Sometimes he walks over on the Bridge (or path) of the Spirits--_Wanage Ta-chan-ku_,--and sometimes he sails over the sea of the skies in his shining canoe; but _somehow_, and the Dakotas do not explain how, he gets back again to the lodge of _Hannanna_ in time to take a nap and eat his breakfast before starting anew on his journey. The Dakotas swear by the sun, "_As Anpetuwee hears me, this is true!_" They call him Father and pray to him--"_Wakan! Ate, on-she-ma-da_"--"Sacred Spirit,--Father, have mercy on me." As the Sun is the father, so they believe the Earth is the mother, of life. Truly there is much philosophy in the Dakota mythology. The Algonkins call the earth "_Me-suk-k.u.m-mik-o-kwa_"--the great-grandmother of all. _Narrative of John Tanner_, p. 193.