Part 5 (1/2)

All ye woods that fill (the country) round about me, (do) grasp for me strongly. [This expression beseeches that the logs, sticks, branches, brambles, and vines shall impede the progress of the chased animal.] My fathers, favor me. Grant unto me the light of your favor, do.

The hunter then takes out his fetich, places its nostrils near his lips, breaths deeply from them, as though to inhale the supposed magic breath of the G.o.d of Prey, and puffs long and quite loudly in the general direction whither the tracks tend. He then, utters three or four times a long low cry of, ”Hu-u-u-u!” It is supposed that the breath of the G.o.d, breathed in temporarily by the hunter, and breathed outward toward the heart of the pursued animal, will overcome the latter and stiffen his limbs, so that he will fall an easy prey; and that the low roar, as of the beast of prey, will enter his consciousness and frighten him so as to conceal from him the knowledge of any approach.

The hunter then rises, replaces his fetich, and pursues the trail with all possible ardor, until he either strikes the animal down by means of his weapons, or so worries it by long-continued chase that it becomes an easy capture. Before the ”breath of life” has left the fallen deer (if it be such), he places its fore feet back of its horns and, grasping its mouth, holds it firmly closed, while he applies his lips to its nostrils and breathes as much wind into them as possible, again inhaling from the lungs of the dying animal into his own. Then letting go he exclaims:

Ha! e-lah-kwa! hom ta-tchu, hom tcha-le. Hom ta ta-sho-na-ne, All! Thanks! my father, my child. To me thou seeds (of earth)

k'ia-she-ma an-ik-tchi-a-nap-tu. Hom ta te-k'o-ha-na, o-ne, yathl water (want) meet (grant) do. To me thou light trail over (favor)

k'ok-s.h.i.+, an-ik-tchi-a-nap-tu.

good meet (grant) do.

FREE TRANSLATION.

Ah! Thanks, my father, my child. Grant unto me the seeds of earth (”daily bread”) and the gift of water. Grant unto me the light of thy favor, do.

As soon as the animal is dead he lays open its viscera, cuts through the diaphragm, and makes an incision in the aorta, or in the sac which incloses the heart. He then takes out the prey fetich, breathes on it, and addresses it thus:

Si! Hom ta-tchu, lu-k'ia yat-ton-ne, lithl k'ia-pin-ha-i an k'iah-kwn Si! My father this day here Game animal its life-fluid (blood)

a-k'ia tas i-k'iah-kwi-na, tas i'-ke-i-nan a-k'ia hence thou shalt dampen thyself, thou shalt (thy) hence with, heart with

i'-te-li-a-u-na: add unto:

FREE TRANSLATION.

Si! My father, this day of the blood of a game being thou shalt drink (water thyself). With it thou shalt enlarge (add unto) thy heart:

He then dips the fetich into the blood which the sac still contains, continuing meanwhile the prayer, as follows:

----les-tik-le-a ak'n' ha-i', k'ia-pin-ha-i an k'iah-kwn, likewise cooked being, game being its fluid done raw (of life)

s.h.i.+-i-nan a-k'ia ha's lithl yam i-ke-i-nan i-te-li-a-u-na. flesh hence I shall here my heart add unto (enlarge). with */

FREE TRANSLATION.

--- likewise, I, a ”done” being, with the blood, the flesh of a raw being (game animal), shall enlarge (add unto) my heart.

Which finished, he scoops up, with his hand, some of the blood and sips it; then, tearing forth the liver, ravenously devours a part of it, and exclaims, ”e-lah-kwa!” (Thanks).

While skinning and quartering the game he takes care to cut out the _tragus_ or little inner lobe of its ear, the clot of blood within the heart (a'-te mul u-li-k'o-na), and to preserve some of the hair.

Before leaving, he forms of these and of the black paint, corn pollen, beads of turkois or turkois dust, and sacred sh.e.l.l or broken sh.e.l.l and coral beads before mentioned, a ball, and on the spot where the animal ceased to breathe he digs a grave, as it were, and deposits therein, with prayer-meal, this strange mixture, meanwhile saying the following prayer:

Si! Lu-k'ia yat-ton-ne, k'ia-pin-ha-i, to-pin-ta yat-ton-ne to-pin-ta Si! This day game being, one day, one raw

teh-thli-na-ne, le-we tom o-ne yathl u-lap-na-k'ia tap-te lu-k'ia night, thus much thy trail over circled about though this (even)

yat-ton-ne te-kwn-te te-a-ti-pa, tom lithl ha an-ah-u'-thla-k'ia.