The Mide'wiwin or "Grand Medicine Society" of the Ojibwa / Seventh Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1885-1886, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1891, pages 143-300

by Walter James Hoffman

Plate XIII.a. Mnemonic Song.

	Hi´-na-wi´-a-ni-kan. (As sung.) We´-me-a´ ni-kan mi´-sha man´-i-dō I am crying my colleague great spirit. ni-wa´-ma-bi-go´ ma´-wĭ-yan´. He sees me crying. [The singer is represented as in close relationship or communion withKi´tshi Man´idō, the circle denoting union; the short zigzag lineswithin which, in this instance, represent the tears, i.e., “eye rain,”directed toward the sky.]
	Ki-nŭn´-no, hē´, ki-mun´-i-dō´-we, hē´, esh´-i-ha´-ni. (As sung.) Gi-nŭn´-dōn ni-kan´ ē-zhi-an. I hear you, colleague, what you say to me. [The singer addresses the Otter Spirit, whose figure is emerging fromthe Midē´wigân of which he is the chief guardian.]
	Tē´-ti-wâ´-tshi-wi-mō´ a-ni´-me-ga´-si. (As sung.) Tē´-ti-wâ´-tshŏ-tâg´ ni-mī´-gĭ-sĭm. He will tell you (—inform you) [of] my migis. tē´-ti-wa´-tshĭ-mo-ta´ âg. He it is who will tell you. [The reference is to a superior spirit as indicated by the presence ofhorns, and the zigzag line upon the breast. The words signify thatKi´tshi Man´idō will make known to the candidate the presence within hisbody of the mī´gis, when the proper time arrives.]
	Rest, or pause, in the song.

During this interval another smoke offering is made, in which the Midē´ priest is joined by the candidate.

	Hĭu´-a-me´-da-ma´ ki´-a-wēn´-da-mag man´-i-dō´-wĭt hĭu´-a-wen´-da-mag. (As sung.) Ki-wĭn´-da-mag´-ū-nan man´-i-dō´-wid. He tells us he is [one] of the man´idōs. [This ma´nidō is the same as that referred to in the above-named phrase. This form is different, the four spots denoting the four sacred mī´gis points upon his body, the short radiating lines referring to the abundance of magic powers with which it is filled.]
	Wa´-sa-wa´-dī, hē´, wen´-da-na-ma´, mĭ-tē´-win. (As sung.) Wa´-sa-wa´-dŭn´-da-na-ma´ I get it from afar mi-dē´-wi-wĭn´. The “grand medicine.” [The character represents a leg, with a magic line drawn across the middle, to signify that the distance is accomplished only through the medium of supernatural powers. The place “from afar” refers to the abode of Ki´tshi Man´idō.]
	Ki-go´-na-bi-hin ē´-ni-na mi-tē´. (As sung.) Kin-do´-na-bī-in´ mi-dē´-wi-wĭn-ni-ni´ I place you there “in the grand medicine” (among the “Midē´ people”) a-bit´-da-win´. Half way (in the Midē´wigân). [The Midē´ priest informs the candidate that the second initiation will advance the candidate half way into the secrets of the Midē´wigân. The candidate is then placed so that his body will have more magic influence and power as indicated by the zigzag lines radiating from it toward the sky.]
	Hi´-sha-we-ne´-me-go´, hē´, nē´. Ni-go´-tshi-mi, hē´. (As sung.) Ni´-sha-we´-ni-mi-go´ ĕ´-ne-mâ´-bi-dzhĭk. They have pity on me those who are sitting here. [This request is made to the invisible man´idōs who congregate in the Mide´wigân during the ceremonies, and the statement implies that they approve of the candidate’s advancement.]

Another smoke offering is made upon the completion of this song, after which both individuals retire to their respective habitations. Upon the following day, that being the one immediately preceding the day of ceremony, the candidate again repairs to the sudatory to take a last vapor bath, after the completion of which he awaits the coming of his preceptor for final conversation and communion with man´idōs respecting the step he is prepared to take upon the morrow.

The preceptor’s visit is merely for the purpose of singing to the candidate, and impressing him with the importance of the rites of the Midē´wigân. After making the usual offering of tobacco smoke the preceptor becomes inspired and sings a song, the following being a reproduction of the one employed by him at this stage of the preparatory instruction. (See [Pl. XIII, B].)

Plate XIII.b. Mnemonic Song.