From Pawnee Folklore
The man went on to find his camp. He could see clearly in the night. He came to his tipi and went in with the stone, which he set at the west side; then he hung his skins on the tipi poles above the stone. He lay down and went to sleep. In the morning one of the women arose and made a fire. She saw the things hanging upon the tipi poles, and also saw the stone and the man. She woke up some of the other women and pointed to where the man lay. The women were glad when they knew that he was back. They cooked some corn. They knew that the man would make an offering. He awoke and went out, taking with him his pipe and pouch. He went up on a high hill and filed his pipe, and said, “Now, Father Sun, you shall smoke.” The man filled the pipe and held it in his hand until the sun came up in the east, then lighted the pipe. He drew a few whiffs, then held the pipe, stem towards the east, where the Sun was coming up, and said: “Father, smoke, and make true all these things that I have heard and seen. The heavens took my daughter. She is dead, but I think she now stands in the heavens as a star. Give me your power so that I may understand mysteries.” He emptied the pipe and passed his hand over the pipestem, then made motions with his hand toward the Sun. He went home and took his seat by the stone and other sacred things. He again filled his pipe and smoked, giving a few whiffs to the stone, then a few whiffs to the things that were hung upon the pole.
The people lingered at Swimming-Mound for some time. The man disappeared nearly every day, and when he came home he brought roots and herbs. The man told the people not to pay any attention to him, for he would be take care of by the animals. One day he went off and did not return for some time. When he did return he could not understand the people. He was under the influence of some mysterious power. When he went away the next day, the woman watched him. They once saw him appear as a deer, then as a coyote, and again he flew like an eagle. They learned that by mysterious power he was guided to where there were herbs and roots which he dug up. For many days he was under this influence. When the man recovered, he said, “It is now time that we go to our people.” The woman brought their ponies and packed their things upon them; then they all started for their home in the east. Each night, after the people had pitched the tipi, the man placed the stone in the west and hung the things upon the pole. Then he sat down and smoked. After he had smoked and eaten, he sang songs that the woman had never heard. He kept up the singing nearly all night. At last they came to the village.
The people were glad to see them and gave them many presents. In the night the man invited his male relatives and told them all that he had gone through, what he had seen int eh animals’ lodge and what powers he had received. The man told his friends that he came after presents and native tobacco. The men soon gathered the things and gave them to him. He thanked them and went out, leaving the lodge. For some time he did not come in. When he did return he told the people that the animals had received the presents and were glad to get the smoke. He then told his friends that he wanted them to help him to build a lodge that winter; and they agreed to build a medicine-man’s lodge.
In the fall several men went and cut the forks for the circle in the lodge. All of the timber was cut and brought to the village and piled up. The women brought elm-bark strips to tie it with. These strips were tied and hung up to dry. Willows were also brought and piled up. The people all went hunting buffalo. While on the hunt, winter set in. The people were successful; they found many buffalo and brought much meat home. Then the man invited his male relatives to his lodge, where he taught the the songs of the medicine-men. The men liked the songs. The man told them about the lodge that they were to build, and the men looked forward to the time when they should build the lodge.
Early in the spring a place was selected in the center of the village for the new lodge. Ten forks were set in a circle to support the poles. The lodge was completed at about the same time the corn was planted.
The corn came up. The people began to get ready for a hunt. The old men held their bundle ceremonies to secure from the gods success in hunting. When the man heard that the chiefs had given orders for the people to get ready to go on the buffalo hunt, he sent for his relatives. When they were seated in the lodge he told them to kill several kinds of snipe and crane, for he wanted their skins. He also told them to kill many buffalo, so that much meat would be dried and used in his new ceremony. With these instructions in their minds the people went on the buffalo hunt. It was summer, and they did not go very far before they found many buffalo. Much buffalo meat was brought to the man’s lodge.
In the night the man invited the chiefs and braves of the tribe, and when they were all seated he said: “We are seated in my lodge. The young men are roasting some ribs by the fire. What I have in my mind the chiefs and braves must know. My daughter was killed by the heavens, and the thing that killed her is here with us.” The man rose and took up the stone and placed it in front of the chiefs and braves. “I have talked with this stone in my sleep for a long time, and now I have done all that it told me to do. I was placed upon Swimming-Mound and stayed there for several days. By the help of this stone I went into the animals’ lodge. The animals taught me many wonderful things and also taught me their songs. They also told me to have sleight-of-hand performances in my lodge that you have helped me build. Now my friends have killed many buffalo; you see the meat in front of my lodge. The meat will be jerked and dried, put in parfleches and kept for the sleight-of-hand performances which we shall have for our people. When we return to our village corn will be plentiful as well as meat. We shall have plenty to eat while we give the sleight-of-hand performances. I want the chiefs and braves to know that I will have something that will be new to our people.” The chiefs and braves were glad to hear what the man had to say; they now knew why so many men took meat to this man’s lodge. After they had eaten, they went home.
When all of the people had returned from the hunt to the village, preparation was made to have sleight-of-hand performances. The women went to their fields and fathered corn to cure, and fires were made everywhere to roast the corn. After the corn was cured the man sat down in his lodge. He sent for some of his relatives, from whom he selected two young men to act as errand men; the other men were seated. The two errand men were told to put their robes over their bodies, with the hair outside; then they were told to take eagle wings and brushes of wild sage and sweep out the lodge. When the lodge was swept out the man told the errand men to get some wild sage. They brought the wild sage and piled it up in the west, inside of the lodge. The man then placed the skin of a beaver upon the wild sage and put the stone in front of the beaver. The rest of the wild sage he spread around the circle of the lodge. Other men came in the skins of birds. Two sticks, one of which extended from the head to the tail, and another which crossed the first stick and supported the wings, pierced the birds. The two sticks were bound at the crossing by means of a sinew string. The birds were hung up in the lodge; one was hung up in the west, another in the north, another in the east, and another in the south. There were other species of snipe that hung around the lodge. There was something wonderful about these birds, as the medicine-men saw and heard afterwards.
The two errand men were told to get dry ash wood and four dry ash limbs. The first was a large timber, from which the bark was peeled and in which notches were made. The small limbs were shaved down smooth and were about the length of a man’s arm. The pole with the notches was placed in front of the altar, and the sticks were placed across the pole. Old medicine-men also took part, so that there was a great company of men in the lodge. The medicine-men’s wives brought in many kettles of corn. At each meal a parfleche was untied and dried meat placed by the fireplace to be cooked. Those of the medicine-men who had learned secrets of different animals or heavenly bodies, came into the lodge and begged that they be allowed to take part in the ceremonies. The man thanked them and told them to come and select their seats in the lodge.
When all things were completed the man placed two water drums in front of the altar. A procession was formed inside the lodge. The man then told the men that they were to go into the timber to cut young cottonwood trees and willows. The cottonwood trees were to stand one on the west side of the altar, one of the north side, and another on the south side, and two were to be set near the entrance. The willows were to be placed about inside of the lodge so that there would be little lodges around within the lodge; the other procession started toward the timber. As they went along the man yelled and grunted at them and threw them down. Sometimes when they arose, the men vomited corncobs; sometimes a piece of stick or a piece or root. They kept on going until they came to a creek. Then the man began to wave his eagle wing, and all the men ran into the water and began to swim. The man told them that they must was clean, for they were to do many wonderful things, and that they must wash themselves every day. After they had washed, they went into the timber and cut two cottonwood trees which were to be carried by the two errand men. The other two cottonwood trees were cut, and two other men were selected to carry them. Willows were cut, and the other men, according to their place in the lodge, carried them. The two errand men were placed in the lead; then followed the willow men; then, last of all, came the two men with the cottonwood trees. The man then headed the procession. As they neared the village the man began to wave his eagle wing and shout and grunt. Every time he shouted and grunted the men fell to their knees. This was to show the people that each man had power in his stomach that was being taken from him. The man also did this to find out to what animal clan the men belonged; for the only time the people could tell what clan the men belonged to was when they were wounded, for then they would imitate the animal of the clan to which their belonged.
When they came to the lodge they stopped in front of it, and a song about entering the lodge was sung. The march was resumed and they went four times around in a circle, then entered the lodge. As they went in great noises went up, for as they circled around the fireplace each man imitated his kind of animal. Four times they went around the fireplace, then the two errand men stopped, one on the north side and the other on the south side of the entrance. The others went to their places under the willows. The other two men stopped west of the lodge. At the altar sat only the four singers; the rest o the space was filled with willows which were so arranged inside the lodge that each animal group had a booth or lodge of its own. Then the men went out after their animal skins, medicine, and paints. Meat was served to the different men, and preparation was made for the rubbing which belongs to the powers of the stone and symbolized several thunderings at one time. The next day each man was told to go out upon the hills to mourn, sleep, or do anything, then eat wild sage and take a swim; then rub the wild rage over his body. They were neither to go home nor to touch a woman.
This new lodge of the medicine-man had not yet received the cedar tree. On the next day, when all the men got together, they sang, and in the night the owner sang. At daylight the owner arose and called the other men to follow him, as many as wished to go with him. They went far into the country and came to some cedars. Those who followed were told to remain at a distance. The owner went alone, while the other men sat down and waited. After a time they thought they heard many cubs and they were about to run when they heard the man coming with the tree. He did not let anyone go, for he wished to keep secret the way he got the cedar tree. When the cedar tree was brought to the village there was great rejoicing. The cedar tree stood on the south side of the lodge where the Bear family was. This was the only cedar in the medicine-lodge. In the night the medicine-men did many wonderful things. The owner of the stone and ceremony was among the first who, though the powers of the stone, made lightning. The fire was put out, so that it was dark in the lodge. The medicine-men stood up on the west side of the fireplace; a dyed and tanned buffalo hide was waved through the air, and then the stone was waved by the owner in front o the hide, while several o the other men squirted water with their mouths upon the stone. In this way lightning was made. Others performed sleight-of-hand tricks.
The first night of the sleight-of-hand performances, the leader placed the water drums in front of the altar; then he spoke and said: “All put mud, downy feathers, and animal skins on your bodies. We want now to throw up the animal power from our insides. We want the people to see these powers.” The owner and the three men ran around the fireplace, each taking up a handful of ashes and throwing them up to the four world-quarter gods. They stood in a line, and as each stamped with his feet he fell tot eh ground, face downward. The things called “powers” were seen sitting upon the ground. The men left them lying there and went and took their seats in the west. Now the drums were taken up and the men began to sing. Each man came out from his willow lodge and danced. When they stopped singing, all of the men fell to the ground and in a few minutes all was quiet.
As each man revived, he went and stood in front of his willow lodge. The owner told the errand man to place a wooden bowl of water west of the fireplace. The owner and the other three then went to the powers which looked much like ice or glass. The owner was the first to pick up this. He held the power up with his thumb and finger so that the people could see it, then he dropped it into the water and lifted it to his mouth and swallowed it. He then stamped his feet on the ground and beat the sides of his body with his palms, then stood up straight and said, “Now, medicine-men, this power that I have within me I shall keep. I shall not throw it up any more.” The other three men went through the same movements, which were then repeated by the other medicine-men.
Night after night they performed, until all the people became interested. Other medicine-men who had never before taken part came into the lodge and asked permission to take part in the ceremony. One night, just before they began their sleight-of-hand performances, a warrior of distinction walked in and stood in the lodge and said: “Medicine-men, I came to ask your permission to take part in your ceremonies. I wish to perform some sleight-of-hand tricks, and I wish these brother medicine-men to see my perform them.” All of the medicine-men said: “Nawa, it is well. Let our brother come and play in this lodge.” The warrior then said: “For three days I will make preparation, and the fourth night I will come and perform.” The warrior then went out. He was known as a great warrior. He had gone into the enemy’s country and had captured many ponies, for it was an easy thing for him to bring ponies home. His face was always painted red upon the forehead, and when he appeared at the medicine-lodge his mouth was daubed with clay, which extended toward his ears; and white clay was about his eyes. He had a little soft downy feather on top of his head, and a downy feather stuck in his scalp-lock. His hair was covered with white clay. He had a robe about his shoulders, and a belt with eagle legs filled with native tobacco about his waist; and he wore an otter collar with an ear of corn on it.
One day after going to the lodge, he went through the village and saw a boy who was very poor. He said to the boy: “Come with me to my lodge; I have something to say to you.” The boy followed the warrior to his lodge, and when they were seated a bowl of soup with dried meat in it was placed before him and he was told to eat. The boy ate, for he was very hungry, and after he had eaten the warrior said: “Boy, I want your help. I am about to perform in the medicine-men’s lodge. Will you help me and perform with me?” The boy arose, walked to the man, and passed his hands over the man’s head and said: “You took pity upon me. I am poor, and I will do whatever you wish me to do.” In the afternoon the two went off into the hills. They came to a high hill, and on the side of this hill they dug until they came to some sticky mud, which they took up and carried to the warrior’s lodge. The next day the lodge was sept out. The boy was told to make mud ponies and to make them as nearly perfect as he could. He began to make the mud horses, and he made four, all of the same size and build. When the boy finished a pony he set it in the rays of the sun that came through the hole in the lodge.
On the fourth day, when he had completed the four ponies, they stood in the rays of the sun; and the boy sat by them, moving them as the rays of the sun moved around the lodge. The warrior told the boy that they were now to try the sleight-of-hand tricks. He sang and danced round. The magic worked and the warrior was satisfied. Int he night they went to the lodge. The warrior, with the assistance of the boy, made the mud ponies walk around the lodge. The warrior, with the assistance of the boy, made the mud ponies walk around the lodge. The warrior sang, and every time he moved his robe the ponies trotted. When he stamped his feet the ponies stopped. The warrior was satisfied. The medicine-men wondered, for the warrior was not a medicine-man. The spectators were impressed and they gave many presents to the warrior. After the performance the warrior told the boy to gather up his ponies and to go with him. The boy gathered the ponies and placed them in his robe. They went out of the lodge toward the creek, and when they got to the creek the warrior told the boy to throw the ponies into the water. When the boy had thrown the ponies into the water, they went home. The warrior never after this was known to have a pony. His power went from him and he became a poor man. Whoever it was that had given him the power had become displeased with him for throwing the ponies into the creek. He should have stood the mud ponies upon dry land in some cave. The ceremony of sleight-of-hand performance lasted several days, but finally it was over. Ever after that the people made great preparation for this ceremony. The participants were known as “medicine-men,” or “stone-medicine-men.”
One summer the people went out hunting. The owner of the stone went and took the stone with him. It was now covered with skunk’s hide, a handkerchief, calico, and cotton. The coverings were offerings the people had made to it. When they reached the head of the Republican River they were attacked on all sides by the enemy and were finally driven into a small ravine. One of them while out sat that all of his people were about to be killed, and rode east to the camp of the Potawatami. He went to their chief and told him that his people were surrounded by the enemy. The chief sent for the medicine-man and told him to select twenty young men, with their medicine-bags, and have them mounted on horses. The young men were selected and started. Soon they came to the place where the Pawnee were surrounded and were about to be killed. The twenty men rode in a line, and the enemy saw them coming and turned upon them. Ten Potawatami stepped forward and shot. Each shot brought down a man. The enemy rushed at them, but the other ten men went forward, took aim, and again each shot brought down a man. The other ten men had reloaded and they went forward, for the enemy had again made an attack. Again ten of the enemy were killed. The other ten went forward to meet the enemy. Finally they came to the dead bodies of the enemy. They took out their knives and cut out the hearts from the bodies and put them into their medicine-bags. Then they dipped blood and spread it upon their faces. They also rubbed some of the blood upon their guns. The enemy watched them and became scared. They let the Kitkehahki alone and turned upon the Potawatami, who kept making every shot count. Finally the enemy retreated. The Potawatami kept on after the enemy and saved what few Kitkehahki were left. The owner of the stone was alive. He went to the place where he had packed his pony to look for the bundle with the stone upon it. He could not find the bundle; it was lost. All the people who knew the Stone-Medicine-Man’s ceremony have died and the ceremony no longer exists.
Source:
The Pawnee Mythology: Part 1, George A. Dorsey, 1906
Kotharian Lightning 