Timagami Folk-Lore.
(1)
It is not proper to tell stories in summer, lest one die; but, if stories are told, they must be told for ten successive evenings in order to prevent the evil.
(2)
In order to foretell the sex of the child about to be born, the first vertebra of a moose or deer may be used. The appearance of one side of this bone resembles a man’s face, while the other resembles a woman’s. The seeker for information may place this bone on top of his head and let it drop to the ground. Whichever face turns upward like a die indicates the sex of the child. This bone is called uta′backo‵k·e “back neck-bone”. [[79]]
(3)
A little device to bring rain: suck the flat side of a green leaf until it snaps, or slap one hand with the palm of the other, holding the leaf in the fist of the first.
(4)
Northern Lights: Wase′tibik·an, “light of night.”
(5)
Bine·′s·i·wi·mi·′k·‵an, “birds’ path”. This is the Milky Way, which is believed to be the guide to the birds in their spring and autumn migrations.
(6)
Wətα′gwanobi·‵s·an “mist from the water” (?). This is the rainbow, which is thought to be caused by mist generated in the air by waves of some great sea.
(The Matachewan Indians of Montreal river call the rainbow Ani′miki·unujea‵bi “thunder’s legging string”!)
(7)
The whippoorwill (wa′hone·‵s·i) is very rarely heard in Bear island, although the bird frequents some parts of the lake. Its cry is considered an omen of ill fortune or of death. Another idea connected with the whippoorwill’s cry is that it is the signal cry of the Iroquois (Ma′djina‵dowes·i “bad Iroquois,” referring to the tribes of the League as distinct from those of Caughnawaga) and that it indicates the proximity of enemies.
(8)
When robins (gwi·′ckwe) sing noticeably during the day it is a sign of coming rain. The toad’s (omα′k·αki) song in the daytime has the same portent. [[80]]
(9)
To kill blue-bottle flies will bring rain.
(10)
If anyone finds or sees a live mole it is a sign that some member of the family will die soon. Moles are very rare in the Timagami neighbourhood and quite a stir is raised when one is encountered.
(11)
Hiccoughing is a sign that the victim has been stealing something. If it is true and the victim is accused of it, he will stop hiccoughing from fright.
(12)
If a child is born feet first he is gifted with curing powers for people with sore backs. They let him jump on the patient’s back.
(13)
The method of cooking squirrels (dji·′tɔ′mǫ) has an influence upon the weather forces. Squirrels are usually cooked by splitting the carcass, after it has been skinned, and roasting it in the flames until done. Should the animal, however, be boiled instead, it will bring rain. When rain is needed, squirrels are boiled purposely to bring it.
(14)
To bring on a snowstorm an infant is allowed to make its moccasin print in the snow.
(15)
If an infant warms its hands before the fire, it is a sure sign of cold weather coming. [[81]]
(16)
A red sunset with red clouds is a sign of wind.
(17)
A whirling buzzer, made by spinning a bone or wooden disk on a string operated by the two hands, will cause the wind to rise.
(18)
A divination device is used before the hunt to foretell what kind of game is going to be killed. It is as follows. The metacarpal bone of a beaver’s hind leg, with its sinew covering, is taken and cut nearly through, so that it will break easily.
This is stuck upright in the ground near the fire and a series of lines radiating from it are traced in the ashes or ground, each line being named for some game animal: moose, beaver, caribou, deer, bear, otter, martin, fisher, etc. Then, as the heat shrinks the sinew, it breaks the bone at the cut and the upper piece points along one of the lines marked. This answers what kind of game is going to be gotten. The lines sometimes also are used to denote the direction to be followed to get the animals designated.
(A variation of this operation was noted from the Mattagami band. Here a stick is used instead of a beaver bone and the base of the stick is burned. When this falls, it denotes the direction to be taken to secure game).
(19) Supernatural Creatures.
Pa·′gαk. This is a personification of a human skeleton without the flesh, which wanders about the country. When he travels, he goes as fast as he thinks. When he wishes himself to be in a place, he is there as soon as he thinks of it. When he is heard by the people, it is a sign that someone will die. It is thought that he is heard occasionally three times in succession, making his peculiar noise, once at the horizon, once at the zenith, and again at the opposite horizon. [[82]]
Me·′megwe·‵s·i. A species of creature which lives in the high remote ledges. They are small and have hair growing all over their bodies. The Indians think they are like monkeys, judging from specimens of the latter they have seen in the picture-books. These dwarf-like creatures have ugly faces and seek to hide them when they meet with people. A little narrative of a meeting with these creatures is told by some Timagami Indians who had been to Lake Timiskaming. The Indians were passing the high ledge of rock a few miles below Haileybury, where the water was very deep and where they had set their nets. They found that somebody had been stealing fish. They proceeded to watch the nets and soon saw three Me·′megwe·‵s·i come out astride of an old log for a canoe, using sticks for paddles. The Indians pursued them, the fairies meanwhile hiding their faces. Finally the Indians caught one. Then one Indian said, “Look behind!” When the fairy turned quickly they got a glimpse of how ugly he was. The Indians then took a knife from this fairy and the rest disappeared, riding their log through the rock wall to the inside, where they could be heard crying, as this was where they lived. The Indians then threw the knife at the rock and it went right through to the inside to its owner.
Figure 2. Markings on birch bark.
[[83]]
[1] This is the version of the Kingfisher clan of the Timagami band. [↑]
[2] This refers to the old custom of seclusion during puberty. [↑]
[3] By doing so she became pregnant. Magical conception occurs in the culture-hero story of the Algonkian, Iroquoian, and Yuchi tribes. [↑]
[4] An episode strikingly similar to one found among the Penobscot and other Eastern Algonkians. [↑]
[6] Onomapoetic term in diminutive. [↑]
[7] Rock-tripe, an edible fungus made into soup and eaten in time of famine. Nenebuc had this experience on a ledge near the eastern shore of Smoothwater lake (see map). [↑]
[8] This big snake became a high rocky ridge on the portage south of Smoothwater lake (see map above referred to). [↑]
[9] The lake is Smoothwater lake, Cųcawa′gami “smooth lake” (see map above referred to). This is the scene of the world transformation. [↑]
[10] The cave is in a high bluff on the west shore of Smoothwater lake. On the eastern shore is where Nenebuc fell down the rocks and made wa′kwan. [↑]
[11] The medicine people always do that now. [↑]
[12] Abi·ndəsa′gan “something to sit or lie on the water with.” The event occurred near the previously mentioned cave. [↑]
[13] This is called Koko‵kowikwe·‵tuɔk “Owl bay,” now known as Kokoko bay, the northeastern arm of Lake Timagami (see map). The event occurred on the western shore of the bay. [↑]
[14] This fragment has probably come from some neighbouring band of Ojibwa, possibly Mattagami. [↑]
[15] This is a fragment of the culture-hero cycle of the Mattagami band of Ojibwa, which has become known among the Timagami people, but does not form a part of their own version. [↑]
[16] Every wigwam has horizontal poles crossing near the smoke hole. This is a drying rack and support for the pot hook. [↑]
[17] The Ojibwa formerly cooked in stone vessels as well as in birch bark. [↑]
[18] A very scarce animal in northern Ontario. [↑]
[19] The Indians often had much trouble to get food in the winter and looked forward eagerly to spring, when the ice leaves the rivers, making “open water,” thus enabling them to seek new hunting places. [↑]
[20] An opening in the ice near the camp for the supply of water in winter. [↑]
[21] An affair resembling a megaphone or moose call. [↑]
[22] By doing this he would prevent them from travelling and cause them to freeze or starve to death. [↑]
[24] The hole is a circle composed of seven stars (Pleiades). This was the first mite′win or “conjuring” lodge. Seven poles are necessary to build this lodge. Unless seven are used, the conjurer’s tent will not rock. The old woman tends the mite′win. When she moves from the hole, there is sure to be mite′win somewhere here below. The stars form the rim of the hole through which she lowered the two girls. [↑]
[25] Etiam hodie castor saepe pedit. [↑]
[26] Kcki·′man, a magic fetish which will secure the owner his wish. [↑]
[27] Also called Mici·′ci·ga‵k “Monster Skunk”. [↑]
[28] In winter-time, the Indians keep a hole chopped through the ice near their camp for the water supply. [↑]
[29] If he had obeyed her and not looked until the third day, she would still have been there. [↑]
[30] It is the custom for a hunter returning to hand his game bag to his wife before he enters the wigwam, without speaking, so that she can see for herself whether he has had good luck or not. [↑]
[31] The constellation Ursa Major is called wətci·′gan·αŋg “Fishing Star.” The story accounts for this constellation name. [↑]
[32] This is the bend in the handle of the Great Dipper. The small star Alcor in this constellation is the wound. [↑]
[33] Night lines are set for lake fish. The hook of bone formerly was fastened into a shank of wood and this tied to a line by a leather leader which the teeth of the fish could not sever. Then the line was fastened to another line adjoining the two float sticks by a knot and wrapping, which would pay out after a little jerk. The float sticks were anchored by a stone. The bait was tied to the hook, which later was kept horizontal by a line running from the leader to a pin stuck in the bait. This ingenious device is shown in [Figure 1]. As the story mentions, when the float sticks are together it is a sign that a fish is on the hook. [↑]
[35] To drive beaver is to hunt them by driving them from their cabins beneath the ice. [↑]
[36] At this time Lynx testes habuit just like those of animals, but now they are like those of the cat, invisible. [↑]
[38] They used to suspend the beaver by a swinging string and roast him, saving all the bones from the dogs in order to throw them into the lake, as they thought that there would be just as many beavers there again in the autumn as the number of bones thrown in. This story explains the ceremonial treatment of beaver remains. [↑]
[39] This intestine sausage is a great delicacy among the Indians. [↑]
[40] One of the ranks of shamans. [↑]
[41] Mi·te‵ʻkwe, “medicine woman”. [↑]
[43] Gitcikwe′we intended to assume this guise. [↑]
[44] Seven poles are always required for this kind of a wigwam. See story of Ciŋgibis. [↑]
[45] The usual procedure of the conjurer. [↑]
[46] This is related as a true story. One of Gitcikwe′we’s daughters is still living in the Timagami band; she is known as Pi·dje′ʻkwe. [↑]