He taku nagi knayan, niyake wata nunwe.”
TRANSLATION.
I hie mysteriously across the lake.
I hie mysteriously across the lake.
It is that decoying some soul, I may eat him alive.
The medicine-feast and the medicine-dance, have been received from this god, and the chants above are much used in both.
The sacrifices which are required by them, are the soft down of the swan rouged with vermilion, deer skins, tobacco, dogs, medicine-feasts and medicine-dances.
Their subordinates are the serpent, lizard, frog, ghosts, owl and eagle. These all obey their will. The Onktehi made the earth and men, and gave the Dakotas the medicine-sack, and also prescribed the manner in which some of those pigments must be applied, which are daubed over the bodies of his votaries in the medicine-dance, and on the warrior when he goes into action. They are believed to possess a wakan and an amuletic power.
Among all the myriads of the Dakota gods, there are none more respectable, or more respected, than the one above mentioned.