There was a man of the Anishinabeg nation and he was a seer. He was very
holy and had great powers of witchcraft. When he visited people at night, he
would do so by flying through the air. He had three friends, and they too
were witches with the same ability to fly through the air. People greatly
feared them because of their powers. One night the four of them agreed that
they would have a contest to see who could fly best at night.
Among the Hotcâgara there was also a great seer. His name was Mânîxedega
("Great Walker"). He had gained knowledge of what these men were going to
do. On the night of the contest, Mânîxedega used his own night powers to get
there and there he waited for them with great patience. Finally, the four
Anishinabeg arrived at their rendezvous point. Each took off into the night
in turn, and of the first three, Mânîxedega used his powers to ensure they
would be lost. The fourth witch dove down from high in the air and landed on
a strip of land. As he stood there, unexpectedly, he had deer horns on
his head. These Mânîxedega seized and held onto tightly.
The other Anishinabeg materialized, and asked Mânîxedega to pay them a
visit. This he agreed to do. Finally, Mânîxedega came to where the witches
lived. They tried to persuade him to let them give him their powers, but he
refused, asking instead that they might give him the plants and potions that
they used to gain these powers. But they pretended that they did not know
anything about these matters. Finally, he asked them for their
life-engendering greeting and the all power inherent within it. This they
granted him, and it is this greeting that is used to this day in the
Medicine Rite. It is spoken in the language in which it was given.
Paul Radin, The Road of Life and Death: A Ritual Drama of the American
Indians. Bollingen Series V (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1973
[1945]) 138-139.
holy and had great powers of witchcraft. When he visited people at night, he
would do so by flying through the air. He had three friends, and they too
were witches with the same ability to fly through the air. People greatly
feared them because of their powers. One night the four of them agreed that
they would have a contest to see who could fly best at night.
Among the Hotcâgara there was also a great seer. His name was Mânîxedega
("Great Walker"). He had gained knowledge of what these men were going to
do. On the night of the contest, Mânîxedega used his own night powers to get
there and there he waited for them with great patience. Finally, the four
Anishinabeg arrived at their rendezvous point. Each took off into the night
in turn, and of the first three, Mânîxedega used his powers to ensure they
would be lost. The fourth witch dove down from high in the air and landed on
a strip of land. As he stood there, unexpectedly, he had deer horns on
his head. These Mânîxedega seized and held onto tightly.
The other Anishinabeg materialized, and asked Mânîxedega to pay them a
visit. This he agreed to do. Finally, Mânîxedega came to where the witches
lived. They tried to persuade him to let them give him their powers, but he
refused, asking instead that they might give him the plants and potions that
they used to gain these powers. But they pretended that they did not know
anything about these matters. Finally, he asked them for their
life-engendering greeting and the all power inherent within it. This they
granted him, and it is this greeting that is used to this day in the
Medicine Rite. It is spoken in the language in which it was given.
Paul Radin, The Road of Life and Death: A Ritual Drama of the American
Indians. Bollingen Series V (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1973
[1945]) 138-139.
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