Page:The International Folk-Lore Congress of the World's Columbian Exposition, Chicago, July, 1893.djvu/269

 Rh the blessing of his God through some one of his attributes. He usually selects a most impressive and conspicuous yet lonely spot for his hope for a communion with one of the Great Mystery's mediators. Here he pours out from his simple heart the most devout prayer, then sings, and finally weeps that his God may hear that one of his children is seeking him in tears. Thus he sojourns for two or three days, until all his physical forces are exhausted, for he fasts all the time, then when he is delirious he imagines that he had heard his voice. While there have been remarkable coincidences in regard to what such a young man predicts and prophecies after one of these fastings, I am inclined to believe that in most cases a delusion resulted from exhaustion of the body and mind. Much faith is wasted in dreams.

Occasionally an Indian without seeking hears a voice, either disclosed to him some mysteries of life, by means of which he becomes a great "medicine-man" or a great "war-chief," or a great prophet. But human nature is so prone to deceive that it was hard to believe all such claims, unless they were verified.

There are certain implements of war and the "medicine-man's" pouch, rattles, etc., which may be considered as idols. Yet they are not purely so. For they are only considered as the gift of the Great Mystery effected through one of his attributes, therefore they must be respected and reverenced in the remembrance of the giver. It is in fear of him that the implement is kept and observed as sacred.

The savage belief is that the more powerful elements often contended for the exhibition of strength. The thunder-bird, the war-chief, is supposed to have often waged war against the "people of the deep," or the "water demons"—more definitely the fishes, in which, of course, their chief, the Unktehé, leads them. Very often the thunder-bird punishes some animal here on earth. The more peaceful Sun, the great father, even occasionally displays his wrath by sending down from heaven a fiery missile—such as a falling star or a comet.

These few hurriedly collected facts concerning the mythology of the Sioux Nation will tend to show that the American Indian, before the coming of the whites, had a great faith in