retold by Richard L. Dieterle

There was a village, a Hočąk village. It was at Red Banks. In the village lived the heads of the four divisions of the Medicine Rite. They all bore the friendship relation, one to the other. There was nothing they would not do for one another. Then in the course of time, one of these Great Plate Holders died. The news was taken to his wife. Her heart ached so much that she could not cease from crying. Over time her crying did not abate. Then one day two of her grown sons had the same dream. In their vision they saw that the three remaining friends of their father had come for their mother in the darkness and took her to a secluded place. The first approached her and said, "Have you not been sore in your heart since your husband died?" She replied, "Yes." Then he said, "If you wish to know this rite, then lay upon the ground and make your body available to me." She did as she was bidden. Each man in succession was granted the same request, but when it was over, she said, "I do not want to know of this request."

Just after this dream, even though their mother had ceased crying just recently, the two sons now noticed that once again she was in tears. They said to her, "You were not such as this just recently, how can you now be in tears again? Has some man insulted you?" Then she told them her story, and unexpectedly, everything that happened to her was just as the two young men had dreamt it. The two sons told their mother, "Do not cry anymore. You will soon obtain these great powers, for these men are not the only ones who possess them." So they took their mother to the edge of the lake. There near the edge there stood a stand of jack oaks. Right in the middle of the jack oak grove was a giant rock that rose up like a hillock in their midst. On this rock they had their mother sit, and the two boys began to run in a circle around this rock. This they did repeatedly. As they rushed around the great rock, a rumbling noise could be heard. It seemed to come from within the hill. So they ran in their circle faster and faster. Then — werakirakuni! — the jack oaks all suddenly turned upside down, and where they had been, now there was a lake. Even so, the two young men kept running as the water reached their ankles. It made the shells on their ankles jingle. As they ran, they shouted to their mother, "Do not be afraid. Whatever happens, do not run away!" they said. Although the earth had capsized about her and waters surrounded her, she kept singing an encouraging song to her sons. Then, one by one, valuable things began to surface from the depths of the waters. Each time the woman thought, "This one must be the one that I should keep." Yet none of these was she to possess. Then various animals began to rise to the surface, the last of which was a great serpent. All this time the lake's waters had roiled turbulently with ceaseless violence. Suddenly, unexpectedly, the surface became calm. There upon this still lake reclined a brilliant, white Waterspirit. Under its red, round armpits, there it carried the holy medicine of its kind. In accord with its wishes, the two boys butchered the Waterspirit, and from it made many good medicines. Then they first sang the song still sung today in the Medicine Rite; then they also gave the first greetings, the greetings that are used yet today in the Rite.

From the body of the Waterspirit, they took the shells that are now used to make the anklets worn by the dancers. These shells were made to rattle whenever they danced. They also fashioned from his body the bells that jingle when they dance. They made from his flesh the iron ornaments that are sewn to their moccasins. Finally, they made from its body the great poisons that selfish people use against those who make their hearts to ache. This was the first time such poisons had ever been used in connection with the Medicine Rite. [1]

(XV) The young members of the Medicine Rite, and the older members of the Rite, tied on anklets to jingle, and when they tramped hard, on they jingled; and when they went, they used to like it, when they shook those sorts of things.

He said, "My ancestors were the first to see the Waterspirit. They got the jinglers from him. The Waterspirit will have appeared. This lake began to roar. The wind now began to make itself felt. There began to appear a great animal, a giant snake, also embers and smoke. The waters were in a mighty turmoil. When it stopped, the waters became calm. It was like a small plate that grew until it filled this lake. And then they saw it. The man saw certain things running around the lake, running with jinglers on. As they looked at him, the shells on their ankles were jingling. For that reason they do this. They do it taking it from here. (XVI) All their parents jingle small bells at their ankles.

If sometime someone buys a jingler from you, you may speak to him of this. [2]

Commentary. "Red Banks" — Red Banks (Mógašúč) is located on Green Bay, Wisconsin. It was the traditional place of origin for the Hočąk nation. See The Creation Council.

"Great Plate Holders" — a ritual name for the high ranking members of the Medicine Rite who occupy the seats of the cardinal directions. [3]

"jack oaks" — the oak is the tree most often struck by lightning. Waterspirits themselves are a favorite target of lightning, as the Thunderbirds who are responsible for striking with this weapon are the enemies of the Waterspirits. Therefore, the oak is a kind of counterpart of the Waterspirit. Waterspirit creation is inverted, so it is appropriate that the jack oaks be turned upside down. This is also reflected in the fact that certain Waterspirits fight back against the Thunders by shooting jets of fire upwards.

"a circle" — the circle is a particularly holy form, since it has neither beginning nor end. When Earthmaker created the world, it spun in a circle (see The Creation of the World [versions 1, 5, 6, 7, 11a, 11b]). In the Medicine Rite tradition, when Hare attempted to achieve immortality for humanity, he did so by walking in a circle around the edge of the world (see The Necessity for Death).

"selfish people" — an oblique reference to witches and warlocks. The anklets, bells, and iron ornaments, as well as the poisons, are all artefacts associated with witches (evil medicine men). [4]

"they do this" — the pronouns refer to members of the present Medicine Rite when they use the jinglers in their activities.

Links: Waterspirits, Tree Spirits, Snakes, Witches.

Stories: pertaining to the Medicine Rite: The Medicine Rite Foundation Myth, The Journey to Spiritland, Holy Song, Holy Song II, Maize Origin Myth, The Necessity for Death, Hog's Adventures, Great Walker's Warpath, see also Other Stories from Jasper Blowsnake's account of the Medicine Rite; in which Waterspirits occur as characters: Waterspirit Clan Origin Myth, Traveler and the Thunderbird War, The Green Waterspirit of Wisconsin Dells, The Lost Child, River Child and the Waterspirit of Devil's Lake, A Waterspirit Blesses Mąnį́xete’ų́ga, Bluehorn's Nephews, Holy One and His Brother, The Seer, The Mulberry Picker, The Creation of the World (vv. 1, 4), Šųgepaga, The Sioux Warparty and the Waterspirit of Green Lake, The Waterspirit of Lake Koshkonong, The Waterspirit of Rock River, The Boulders of Devil's Lake, Devil's Lake — How it Got its Name, Old Man and Wears White Feather, Waterspirits Keep the Corn Fields Wet, The Diving Contest, The Lost Blanket, Redhorn's Sons, The Phantom Woman, Įčorúšika and His Brothers, Great Walker's Warpath, White Thunder's Warpath, The Descent of the Drum, The Daughter-in-Law's Jealousy, Snowshoe Strings, The Thunderbird, Hare Retrieves a Stolen Scalp (v. 2), The Two Children, The Twins Join Redhorn's Warparty, Earthmaker Sends Rušewe to the Twins, Paint Medicine Origin Myth, Waruǧápara, Ocean Duck, The Twin Sisters, Trickster Concludes His Mission, The King Bird, The Medicine Rite Foundation Myth, Great Walker's Medicine (v. 2), Peace of Mind Regained, How the Thunders Met the Nights, The Boy who was Captured by the Bad Thunderbirds, The Shaggy Man, The Woman who Married a Snake (?), Hare Secures the Creation Lodge, Ghost Dance Origin Myth I, The Sacred Lake, Lost Lake; mentioning white Waterspirits: Waterspirit Clan Origin Myth, White Thunder's Warpath, Great Walker's Medicine (v. 2); mentioning snakes: The First Snakes, The Woman who Married a Snake, Blessing of the Yellow Snake Chief, Snake Clan Origins, The Omahas who turned into Snakes, A Snake Song Origin Myth, The Serpents of Trempealeau, Rattlesnake Ledge, The Medicine Rite Foundation Myth, The Twins Disobey Their Father, The Two Boys, Wears White Feather on His Head, Creation of the World (vv. 2, 3, 4), The Twins Retrieve Red Star's Head, Waruǧápara, The Green Man, Holy One and His Brother, The Man who was Blessed by the Sun, The Warbundle of the Eight Generations, Turtle and the Merchant, The Lost Blanket, A Waterspirit Blesses Mąnį́xete’ų́ga; mentioning trees or Tree Spirits: The Creation of the World, The Twins Retrieve Red Star's Head, The Children of the Sun, Visit of the Wood Spirit, The Boy who would be Immortal, The Commandments of Earthmaker, The Woman who Became a Walnut Tree, The Old Woman and the Maple Tree Spirit, The Oak Tree and the Man Who was Blessed by the Heroka, The Pointing Man, The Abduction and Rescue of Trickster, The Baldness of the Buzzard, Trickster Eats the Laxative Bulb, Trickster Loses His Meal, The Journey to Spiritland (v. 2), Thunderbird Clan Origin Myth, Waruǧápara, The Chief of the Heroka, The Red Man, The Annihilation of the Hočągara I, Baldheaded Warclub Origin Myth, The Blessing of the Bow, Pete Dupeé and the Ghosts, The Spirit of Gambling, Peace of Mind Regained, The Necessity for Death; mentioning oak: Thunderbird Clan Origin Myth, The Oak Tree and the Man Who was Blessed by the Heroka, Wolf Clan Origin Myth, The Twins Retrieve Red Star's Head, The Children of the Sun, Turtle's Warparty, Old Man and Wears White Feather, Waruǧápara, The Creation Council, The Man Who Would Dream of Mą’ųna, Young Man Gambles Often, Morning Star and His Friend (v. 2), Sun and the Big Eater, Spear Shaft and Lacrosse, The Roaster, Little Human Head, The Shaggy Man, Wears White Feather on His Head, Peace of Mind Regained, The Dipper (leaves); in which dancing plays a role: Ghost Dance Origin Myth I, Ghost Dance Origin Myth II, Buffalo Dance Origin Myth, Mijistéga and the Sauks, Little Priest's Game, How Little Priest went out as a Soldier, Migistéga’s Magic, The Four Slumbers Origin Myth, Įčorúšika and His Brothers, Trickster and the Dancers, Wolves and Humans, Bluehorn Rescues His Sister, The Blessing of Kerexųsaka, Pete Dupeé and the Ghosts; mentioning poisons: Hare Visits the Blind Men, The Creation of Evil, The Island Weight Songs, The Seer, The Shaggy Man, The Medicine Rite Foundation Myth (v. 3), Thunder Cloud Marries Again, Ocean Duck, The Diving Contest, A Wife for Knowledge, Great Walker's Medicine (antedote); mentioning shells: The Gift of Shooting, The Markings on the Moon, The Arrows of the Medicine Rite Men, Otter Comes to the Medicine Rite, The Wild Rose, Young Man Gambles Often (wampum), Morning Star and His Friend (v. 2) (wampum), Wolves and Humans (oyster), Bird Clan Origin Myth, The Lost Child, The Medicine Rite Foundation Myth (v. 2), Turtle's Warparty, The Lost Blanket (mussel), The Annihilation of the Hočągara I, Hare Visits the Bodiless Heads (crab); set at Red Banks (Mógašúč): The Creation Council, Annihilation of the Hočągara II, The Great Lodge, Thunderbird Clan Origin Myth (vv. 1, 2, 3, 5), Bear Clan Origin Myth (vv. 2a, 3, 8, 11, 12), The Winnebago Fort, Blue Bear, Waterspirit Clan Origin Myth, The Hočąk Arrival Myth, The Creation of Man (v. 10), Hawk Clan Origin Myth, Pigeon Clan Origins (fr. 1), Eagle Clan Origin Myth, Elk Clan Origin Myth (v. 1), Deer Clan Origin Myth (v. 1), Buffalo Clan Origin Myth, Blessing of the Yellow Snake Chief, Šųgepaga, Gatschet's Hočank hit’e ("St. Peet", "Hočąk Origins"), The Seven Maidens, First Contact, Big Thunder Teaches Čap’ósgaga the Warpath.

Stories from Jasper Blowsnake's account of the Medicine Rite (The Road of Life and Death) in notebook order: Keramaniš’aka's Blessing, The Woman's Scalp Medicine Bundle, The Blessing of Kerexųsaka, Historical Origins of the Medicine Rite, Hare Secures the Creation Lodge of the Medicine Rite, Lifting Up the Bear Heads, East Enters the Medicine Lodge (v. 1), The Creation of the World (v. 12), The Creation of Man (v. 8), Otter Comes to the Medicine Rite, The Journey to Spiritland (v. 4), East Enters the Medicine Lodge (v. 2), Testing the Slave, South Enters the Medicine Lodge (v. 2), The Descent of the Drum (v. 1), The Commandments of Earthmaker, The Coughing Up of the Black Hawks, The Animal Spirit Aids of the Medicine Rite, The Arrows of the Medicine Rite Men (v. 2), East Shakes the Messenger, The Medicine Rite Foundation Myth (v. 4), The Messengers of Hare (v. 2), North Shakes His Gourd, Grandmother's Gifts, South Seizes the Messenger, Four Steps of the Cougar, The Messengers of Hare (v. 1), The Island Weight Songs, The Petition to Earthmaker, A Snake Song Origin Myth, The Completion Song Origin, Great Walker's Medicine (v. 2), Great Walker and the Anishinaabe Witches, The Diving Contest, The Sweetened Drink Song, The Plant Blessing of Earth, Tobacco Origin Myth (v. 3), The Tap the Head Medicine, The Claw Shooter, Tobacco Origin Myth (v. 4), Peace of Mind Regained, The Journey to Spiritland (v. 5), A Wife for Knowledge, The Descent of the Drum (v. 2), South Enters the Medicine Lodge (v. 1), Death Enters the World.

Themes: someone is disconsolate over the death of a relative: White Flower, Ghost Dance Origin Myth II, The Blessing of Kerexųsaka, The Lost Child, The Shaggy Man, Holy One and His Brother; a seer makes true predictions down to unusual details: The Shawnee Prophet — What He Told the Hočągara, Witches, The Fox-Hočąk War, How Little Priest went out as a Soldier, A Prophecy, Pete Dupeé and the Ghosts, The Claw Shooter; many objects float to the surface of a lake just before a Waterspirit rises from the depths: The Seer, A Waterspirit Blesses Mąnį́xete’ų́ga; something is of a (symbolic) pure white color: White Bear, Deer Spirits, The Journey to Spiritland (v. 4), White Flower, Big Eagle Cave Mystery, The Fleetfooted Man, Thunderbird and White Horse, The Orphan who was Blessed with a Horse, Worúxega, The Two Boys, The Lost Blanket (white spirits), Skunk Origin Myth, He Who Eats the Stinking Part of the Deer Ankle, White Wolf, A Man and His Three Dogs, The Messengers of Hare, The Brown Squirrel, The Man Who Fell from the Sky, Bladder and His Brothers, White Thunder's Warpath, The Dipper, Great Walker's Medicine (v. 2), Creation of the World (v. 12), Hare Secures the Creation Lodge, The Descent of the Drum, Tobacco Origin Myth (v. 5), The Diving Contest, Otter Comes to the Medicine Rite, The Arrows of the Medicine Rite Men, The Animal Spirit Aids of the Medicine Rite, Grandmother's Gifts, Four Steps of the Cougar, The Completion Song Origin, North Shakes His Gourd, Lifting Up the Bear Heads, Thunder Cloud is Blessed, Peace of Mind Regained; red as a symbolic color: The Journey to Spiritland (hill, willows, reeds, smoke, stones, haze), The Gottschall Head (mouth), The Chief of the Heroka (clouds, side of Forked Man), The Red Man (face, sky, body, hill), Spear Shaft and Lacrosse (neck, nose, painted stone), Redhorn's Father (leggings, stone sphere, hair), The Sons of Redhorn Find Their Father (hair, body paint, arrows), Wears White Feather on His Head (man), The Birth of the Twins (turkey bladder headdresses), The Two Boys (elk bladder headdresses), Trickster and the Mothers (sky), Rich Man, Boy, and Horse (sky), The Blessings of the Buffalo Spirits (Buffalo Spirit), Bluehorn Rescues His Sister (buffalo head), Wazųka (buffalo head headdress), The Baldheaded Warclub Origin Myth (horn), The Brown Squirrel (protruding horn), Bear Clan Origin Myth (funerary paint), Hawk Clan Origin Myth (funerary paint), Deer Clan Origin Myth (funerary paint), Thunderbird Clan Origin Myth (stick at grave), Pigeon Clan Origins (Thunderbird lightning), Trickster's Anus Guards the Ducks (eyes), Hare Retrieves a Stolen Scalp (scalp, woman's hair), The Race for the Chief's Daughter (hair), The Daughter-in-Law's Jealousy (hair), Redhorn Contests the Giants (hair), Redhorn's Sons (hair), The Woman's Scalp Medicine Bundle (hair), A Wife for Knowledge (hair), Eats the Stinking Part of the Deer Ankle (hair), The Hočągara Contest the Giants (hair of Giantess), A Man and His Three Dogs (wolf hair), The Red Feather (plumage), The Man who was Blessed by the Sun (body of Sun), The Man Whose Wife was Captured (v. 2) (body of the Warrior Clan Chief), Red Bear, Eagle Clan Origin Myth (eagle), The Twins Join Redhorn's Warparty (Waterspirits), The Roaster (body paint), The Man who Defied Disease Giver (red spot on forehead), The Wild Rose (rose), The Medicine Rite Foundation Myth (warclub), Įčorúšika and His Brothers (ax & packing strap), Hare Kills Flint (flint), The Twins Retrieve Red Star's Head (edges of flint knives), The Mulberry Picker (leggings), The Seduction of Redhorn's Son (cloth), Yųgiwi (blanket).

Notes

[1] Paul Radin, The Road of Life and Death: A Ritual Drama of the American Indians. Bollingen Series V (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1973 [1945]) 89-91.

[2] "Hinašax Ruwiná," in Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society) Winnebago III, #2, Section 7: XV-XVI.

[3] Radin, The Road of Life and Death, 336 nt 26.

[4] Radin, The Road of Life and Death, 337 nt 29.