Tokulki’s mother was waited upon during her period of seclusion6 by her own mother and another old woman of the clan, reputed most skillful in midwifery. Although it was late in the autumn this old woman took the infant immediately to the bank of the river and plunged8 him into it, after which he was strapped9 securely into a cradle, made of canes11, by means of bark cords about the shoulders and thighs12. Here Tokulki spent the next few months of his life, sometimes carried on his mother’s back, sometimes propped13 up against the wall of the house while his mother was engaged in her household duties. But whenever he was so placed, the cradle was allowed to rest upon a panther skin, for his father and his uncles had all been famous warriors15 and it was expected that he would follow in their footsteps. Therefore he must have that about him which would communicate a warlike essence and make him fierce and bold.
Tokulki passed through the period when his principal experience of life was that there was something in it that gave him food and warmth, which was “mother,” and when there was something light in which dark objects moved, or something dark in which light objects moved. There was one particular light object that he gazed upon continually, and which resolved itself into the house door, and another, red and hot, which he saw when he awoke at night and which resolved itself into the house fire.
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The home into which he gradually came to consciousness was the winter house of his family. The framework was of hickory poles, set in a circle of perhaps twenty-five feet in diameter, with their slender ends gathered together at the top and supported by a central element of four wooden columns. Interwoven with this were thin, flexible pieces of wood plastered thickly with mud mixed with dry grass, and the whole covered inside and out with mats. The floor was excavated17 a couple of feet below the general level of the ground, and a shallow trench18 dug about it a little farther back, so that water would be carried off without entering. The doorway19 which had so early attracted Tokulki’s attention was to the east where the first rays of the sun could steal into it, but it was seldom that it found any one but very young babies to awaken20, for the duties of the day were assumed early and ended soon, except in times of merry-making or the great ceremonials. There was no vent5 for the escape of smoke which sometimes accumulated to an extent which would render the inside unendurable to a white man; but this was partly provided against by the judicious21 selection of wood,—old sticks of oak and hickory which would fall apart with little smoke, and leave a glowing bed of coals to radiate heat during much of the night. Around the walls of the house was a continuous seat made of matting, raised a foot and a half to two feet from the floor and covered with bearskins upon which most of the household slept.
The household consisted of Tokulki’s father and mother, a brother and sister, his mother’s mother, a married sister of his mother, her husband and two children, a younger brother of his mother, and an old man of the Wind clan, not closely connected with the family but making this his temporary home. More important in Tokulki’s life than most of these, was an old man, living a short distance away, but a frequent visitor in the cabin, a man whom we should call “maternal uncle” in English; yet he was “uncle” not only to Tokulki and Tokulki’s brother and sister and the children of his mother’s sister, but to a large number of other boys and girls—boys and girls whom we should not consider related in the least. Tokulki, however, as he grew older, learned to call them “elder brothers,” “younger brothers,” and “sisters,” and he learned that most of these were called “Wind people,” like himself, but that some were called “Skunk people,” and some “Fish people.”
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While still on his mother’s back, Tokulki was taken down to the river every morning, and his mother dashed water over him and over herself even when the weather was bitterly cold. One of his earliest memories was of this cold douche after his warm night’s rest. All of the inhabitants of the village except a few of the sick and decrepit22, took this morning bath, the men and boys plunging23 in, the women and children contenting themselves in cold weather with a little splashing.
And it was the “uncle” of each band who saw to it that none evaded25 this regulation. He was always present, encouraging the smaller boys, scolding the timorous26, and sometimes correcting the unruly by means of a stout27 stick. As he did so he poured good advice into their ears, and Tokulki soon learned that his “uncle” was the man to whom he must appeal in time of trouble, whose approbation28 he must win, and whose displeasure he must be careful to shun29. Often, on winter evenings the uncle would gather his “nephews” and “nieces” together and instruct them, and he would tell them in particular of the deeds of their ancestors, sometimes assisting his memory by means of little strings30 of beads31, or by referring to notches32 cut in sticks.
But when the old people were talking with one another, Tokulki’s mother would by no means allow him to go near them, and sometimes, when his curiosity had gotten the better of him, she would box his ears soundly. In after life Tokulki learned that this was not because such behavior was considered disrespectful of the old people or annoying to them, but because old people have uncanny powers and may bewitch a child who hangs about them too closely. There was not much temptation to do this except in winter, for during the rest of the year the elders would be working or talking apart by themselves, or the old men would be in the square.
This “square” loomed33 larger in Tokulki’s life the older he grew. It was only a short distance from his home. He was not allowed to play there, but he could walk all around the edge, marked by a ridge34 of earth which had been piled up by successive scrapings of its surface in preparation for the ceremonials. Near its western end were four long, narrow buildings plastered with mud and outlining a hollow square with entrances at the corners. They were open in front, and each was divided into three equal sections by transverse walls, which did not, however, reach to the roof. The middle 130 section of the western cabin was slightly different, in that the back part was separated by another wall parallel to the walls of the building, and, closely shut up in the room thus formed, Tokulki knew that the ceremonial pots, rattles35, drums, the dried medicines, and all of the most sacred possessions of the tribes were kept. In front the town chief or miko and his principal councilors had their seats. On the northwestern edge of the grounds loomed the tshokofa, the indoors council house, constructed precisely37 like a winter house except that it was very much larger. To the eastward38 extended a wide, open space kept bare of grass by intermittent39 hoeing and the pressure of many feet. In the middle of it rose a ball post, and at the farther corners stood two shorter posts where captives taken in war were burned. Almost every morning Tokulki could watch the leading men of his town assemble in this square, and between the buildings catch glimpses of the medicine-bearers carrying asi (an infusion40 of ilex vomitoria) in conch shells to regale41 the councilors. All that they had in their stomachs they forthwith ejected, that they and their minds might both be clear for the matters about to be discussed.
Frequently Tokulki accompanied his mother when she went in quest of firewood, or he would sit on the edge of the garden patch while his mother, his grandmother, and the other women of the household were at work, and sometimes he was given the temporarily congenial task of driving off crows. This garden was planted principally with pumpkins43 and beans, but most of the corn was in the great town garden farther off from the village, and thither44 all of the people marched in the spring, headed by their miko, with hoes made of hickory limbs over their shoulders, to prepare the ground for planting. Each household had its own patch separated from the rest by a narrow strip of grass, but the work was in common: first so-and-so’s strip, next some-one-else’s until all was completed. After that it was largely the duty of the women and children to keep weeds down and drive away birds, and there were little watch-houses on the edges of the fields for the accommodation of the guardians46. The days when all worked were as much holidays as days of labor47. The participants began early but worked only until shortly after noon. Then they partook of their principal meal in common, and after that there was usually a ball game followed by a dance around a big131 fire in the square, the light of which was reinforced by cane10 torches.
The ball game was usually played about a single post, though not the one in the square-ground, and it was indulged in by both men and women, who played against each other, the women throwing the ball with their hands, the men with their ball sticks. Single tallies48 were made by striking the pole above a certain mark, but five points were counted if the carved bird which surmounted49 it was touched. Sometimes, however, the men played their own game, a game similar to lacrosse except that two small ball sticks took the place of the one large one. Each side strove to bring the ball home to its own goal, marked by two straight poles set up a couple of feet apart, and twenty points constituted a game, ten sticks being stuck into the ground by the scorer of each side and then drawn50 out again. In dividing up, the Wind, Bear, Bird, Beaver51, and some other clans52, called collectively “Whites,” played against the Raccoon, Fox, Potato, Alligator53, Deer, and certain others who were known as “People-of-a-different-speech.” But these games were only practice games, or make believe games. The regular games were always between certain towns, and they were very serious matters conducted with the deliberation and ritualism of a war expedition. Each game was preceded by careful negotiations54: the players fasted and were scratched with gar teeth, they enlisted55 the aid of the supernatural by employing a medicine man, they marched to the appointed place as if to meet an enemy, wagered56 quantities of property on the result, and conducted it so energetically that serious injuries were sometimes inflicted57.
In winter Tokulki’s mother and the other women busied themselves making baskets and mats, twisting bison hair into garters for the leggings, and weaving cloaks—worn only by women—out of the inner bark of the mulberry. In the summer they made pottery58 and dressed skins, and the preparation of food kept them busy, of course, at all seasons. They must prepare their own flour by pounding the corn in a wooden mortar59, at which they sometimes worked two and two. Sometimes they would relax their labors60 long enough to play a sort of dice61 game in which sections of cane took the place of our bits of bone. The men spent most of their winters seemingly to less advantage, much of it in smoking and recounting to one another tales of their hunting or war excursions, humorous sketches62 frequently132 revolving63 about the Rabbit, and sometimes myths of a more serious and sacred character. However, they devoted64 many hours in the aggregate65 to the repair of their hunting and fishing outfits66, and to the manufacture of axes, arrow points, and other articles of utility, material for which had been laid aside during the preceding fall.
When Tokulki was able to run about freely by himself, his uncle made him a blowgun out of a long, hollow cane which he provided also with cane arrows with their butt67 ends wrapped in thistledown. He sent him out to try his skill upon the birds and smaller game animals, and more than once Tokulki came home proudly with birds, squirrels, and even an occasional rabbit. A little later they made him a bow and arrows, with which he attacked rabbits, and wild turkeys, and upon one happy occasion, he succeeded in creeping near enough to a young deer to dispatch it. He came home in triumph to his mother, telling her where the animal was to be found, and listened to the praises of his entire household, particularly those of his uncle, with flushing cheeks.
Upon this Tokulki’s father and uncle began to instruct him in the arts of woodcraft. They took the head of a deer and placed splints inside of it so as to restore it as nearly as might be to its original shape, and showed him how to use it in stalking the living animal. They taught him how to make traps for the smaller animals, and where game was to be found. They also taught him that a piece of flesh must be cut out of every deer that was killed, and thrown away so that the deer might not be offended and leave the country. They taught him that he must not cast bones of game animals far off, when they fed them to their dogs, lest the animals afterward68 become shy. He was told that a sprig of old man’s tobacco must be put under every fire made by the hunting party so that malevolent69 spirits would not follow them. Still later he was to learn about certain medicines and formul? to insure success in the chase.
As soon as spring came, hunting of a somewhat desultory70 character began, but the families did not move far from town until after the annual ceremonies were over and the corn had been harvested, unless driven to it by famine, or drawn to certain points on the rivers by runs of fish. During this time Tokulki accompanied a hunting party to the bear preserve, a section of forest not far from Tulsa where bears were numerous and which was the common property of 133 all the citizens. When the party approached a tree in which a bear had been located, Tokulki stood at one side to watch the method of procedure. He saw that one man climbed into a tree not far from that containing the animal they sought, and was given blazing slivers71 of pitch pine which he threw successively into the tree den16. When its occupant was driven out, he was quickly dispatched by the hunters disposed below. The meat was distributed throughout the town for immediate7 consumption, but the fat was tried out and poured into bags made of whole deerskins which were then packed away for the winter season. Meanwhile, the women were hunting through the forests for roots, particularly groundnuts and the roots of a smilax which they called kunti. They also collected the seeds of a pond lily; a little later a profusion72 of berries enables them to vary their diet.
In April the miko called his leading men together and shortly afterwards was held the first ceremony of the season accompanied by fasting and the drinking of the red willow73 and button-snake root. At the time of the corresponding full moons in May and June, similar ceremonies took place, but these were merely in preparation for the great Fast (poskita), the culmination75 of the Southeastern religious season. And so it was that about the middle of July a messenger appeared at Tokulki’s home, and delivered to the house chief a little bundle of sticks tied with deer sinew. Before handing it over, he drew one stick from the bundle and threw it away. Every morning thereafter the house chief did the same until but one stick remained and on that day the ceremony began. Similar bundles were carried to every household of Tulsa Indians far or near, all of whom synchronized76 their movements in such a way as to converge77 on the square-ground at the time appointed. Failure to come in then was both impiety78 and treason, and it was severely79 punished by the warrior14 class known as tastanagalgi, who would handle the absentee severely, and destroy or confiscate80 his property.
The poskita was the type of all the ceremonials of the tribes of the Southeast. The active participants were those men who had been on war expeditions and had received new names in consequence, names usually ending hadjo, fiksiko, imala, tastanagi, or yahola, and containing often the names of the clan animals, the towns of the Creek81 confederacy, or even foreign tribes. Generally speaking, the 134 miko and the members of his clan sat in the west cabin, the “second men,” or henehalgi, who were devoted to peace, in the south cabin, the higher classes of warriors on the north, and the common warriors on the east. Each cabin or “bed” contained from two to four “honored men,” retired82 warriors who constituted the inner council in charge of the ceremony. This poskita was distinctly a peace ceremony when old enmities were forgotten, all but the most heinous83 crimes pardoned, and new resolutions made for the ensuing year.
At least one day was devoted to feasting, but after that a rigid84 fast was observed by all the active participants. Then those who had performed brave actions received new names and new war honors, while novitiates were shut up in the tshokofa and a strict fast was imposed upon them preparatory to their admission into the class of warriors and induction85 into adult life. During this ceremony, too, all of the fires, which were supposed to have become corrupt86 from contamination with worldly things during the year, were extinguished, and a new fire was lighted by the “Medicine Maker87,” the high priest of the town, in the most impressive manner by means of the common fire drill. This new fire was first used to replace the fires in the square-ground and the tshokofa, and afterwards it was taken to one side of the square where the women stood ready to receive it and carry it to their several homes. The rituals extended over eight days, and on the last, just at sunset, the men marched in single file to the river, led by one of the Fish clan bearing a feather wand, and all plunged into its waters. They returned in the same order, the miko made a short farewell address, and the ceremony was over.
From this time until the harvest had been gathered in, Tokulki’s people, and most of the others, did not stray far from town. In October was a sacred ceremony called the “Polecat dance,” and afterward the people began to scatter88 rapidly for their fall hunting. Some proceeded to their camps overland, the women serving as beasts of burden; but the greater number, including Tokulki’s family, had their hunting lodges90 near the rivers and reached them by means of canoes made of single trees, fire-felled and fire-excavated. Some parties went as many as seventy-five or a hundred miles from home, especially when they desired to hunt the woodland bison. This135 season was devoted especially to the preparation of quantities of dried venison against the coming of winter.
When game was plentiful91, a series of merry-makings were indulged in. This usually began with the presentation of a ball, made of buckskin, to one of the men by his sister-in-law, who at the same time intimated that she desired venison, bear meat, or occasionally squirrels. Upon receiving this challenge, the man communicated the intelligence to all of the other men in camp and they set out on a grand deer, bear, or squirrel hunt as the case might be. Meantime the women busied themselves pounding corn, or perhaps kunti roots, into flour and preparing various sorts of dishes. When the men returned they also took the meat in hand and a great feast followed, with a ball game of the single pole type, and a dance to close the day. They would light a great fire and two men would station themselves near it, one with a drum made by stretching a deerskin over an earthen pot or cypress92 knee, the other with a gourd93 rattle36, while the dancers went around the fire, usually sinistrally, in single file or two-and-two, under the charge of one or two leaders. The dances were usually named after animals, real or imaginary, and the steps and other motions were supposed to be in imitation of them. The men did most of the singing.
After a few days there would be another presentation of a ball and the same feasting, ball playing, and dancing would follow, and this was frequently kept up until the weather was very cold.
Sometimes sickness came upon a member of Tokulki’s camp, and then Tokulki’s mother’s younger brother, who was doctor of the band, and at the same time Medicine Maker of the town, would be called in. Before prescribing, such a doctor often consulted the kila, or “knower,” who seems to have combined the functions of prophet and diagnostician, but Tokulki’s uncle never did this because he united the two functions in himself. Having determined94 the nature of the disease, he would go in quest of various herbs, or sometimes send members of the household after them. These he put into a great pot, poured water over them, and placed the pot over the fire. After the contents were sufficiently95 heated, he gave it potency96 by breathing into it through a hollow cane, while repeating a magical formula. This was done four times, the doctor meantime136 facing east. Sometimes, however, he prescribed sweat bathing in a lodge89 made of blankets thrown over poles, and containing heated rocks on which water was poured, and sometimes he declared the trouble was caused by witchcraft97 which he proceeded to cure by sucking the witching object out of the affected98 part by means of a bison horn.
If, in spite of all his efforts, death supervened, all of the people in that house and in the neighboring settlements began shouting and making loud noises so that the soul of the deceased would not stay about the dwelling99 but start upon its journey to the country of spirits. They removed the body to the house in town, wrapped in dressed deerskins and, after wailing100 over it, buried it in an oblong trench about four feet deep, excavated beneath the floor, lined with cypress bark, and covered with sticks upon which a thick layer of mud was plastered. The face of the deceased was painted red, he was seated facing the east, his most important implements101, such as his bow and arrows, his war club, his paints, his pipe and tobacco pouch102, were buried with him, and for four days the women of his family bewailed his death with loud howlings. The faces of all the mourners were painted black. The hair of a widow was unbound for four years, she discarded all ornaments103, and was compelled to absent herself from all merry-makings. At the fourth poskita she was formally released by her husband’s sister and either provided with a new husband from the same clan,—or clan connection,—or set free to marry whomever she chose. For a widower104 the period of mourning was only four months.
The medical practices of his uncle possessed105 a fascination106 for Tokulki who was present whenever he was tolerated. He had seen similar performances in the square-ground at the time of the annual ceremonies, and his mind, which had a mystical bent107, eagerly fed upon them.
At intervals108 during all this time Tokulki had seen bands of warriors, including sometimes his father and uncles, march out against their enemies, and in particular there was an enemy to the westward109, not large in numbers but led by a chief of rare size, strength, and sagacity, whose activities were constantly more threatening, and who was aided and abetted110 by a much more numerous people beyond him called Long Hairs. At last, raids from this quarter became 137 so numerous and so many injuries were suffered that a great council was held in Tulsa and it was determined to draw their settlements closer together and erect111 a strong stockade112 about them. Tokulki, although still too young for the heavier work, was called upon to render such assistance as he could in the completion of the structure. While the older men marked out the course of the wall and planted in the ground good-sized tree trunks a few feet apart, Tokulki and the other young men brought together numbers of long, flexible branches or young trees which they wove from one post to another, covering the whole with a plastering of mud. About a hundred feet apart little watchtowers were raised above the top of the wall, projecting forward slightly in order to defend the intervening spaces against attempts of an enemy to scale or burn them. On the river side there was but one row of palisades, but elsewhere it was doubled. Toward the river, too, was the only opening, made by allowing the walls slightly to overlap113. To approach this an enemy must creep along a narrow path between wall and water, exposed to certain death should he be discovered.
About two years after this fort was completed, Tokulki went upon his first war expedition. The “uncle” of his group was to be one of the party, and took this occasion to initiate114 his nephew into the cardinal115 tribal116 institution, man-killing, the one great avenue for the attainment117 of personal glory and social standing118. The leader of the party was to be none other than the tastanagi lako, the head warrior of the town, and therefore when he sent out to drum up volunteers there was a great outpouring of the ambitious youth of the nation. For four days they remained shut up in the tshokofa, fasting, taking war medicine, dancing, and singing war songs to lash24 themselves up to the proper degree of martial119 fury. Each was provided with a war club, a bow, and a quiver of arrows, a shield of cane or bison-hide, and a sack containing fire sticks, paints, and a slender ration4 of parched120 corn meal. The ceremonies completed, they set out quietly in single file very early in the morning. With them they carried a sacred box made of splints which was usually borne on the back of the chief’s assistant, and at every camp was placed upon a log, or hung upon a tree or post. Among other things it contained some of the painted bones of an enormous panther which the ancestors of this people had slain121 on their way from the138 far western country, and a part of one of the horns of an aquatic122 horned serpent. On occasion it was believed that this box gave forth42 oracular utterances123, informing the party in what direction to proceed, or warning them of an attack.
On this occasion the spirit guardian45 appears to have been favorable, for they surprised four outlying camps of their enemies, took a dozen scalps, and carried off fifteen women and children as captives besides two grown men whom they subjected to the death penalty by fire. During this action Tokulki had the good fortune to save the life of the war chief’s servant by engaging an enemy, about to strike him from behind. Therefore, after the triumphant124 return, he received the much coveted125 feather headdress, his first war name, and a seat in the eastern cabin of the square.
He had stepped upon the first rung of the social ladder and could attend all but the most secret and important meetings to decide the actions of the nation. It was not long before he received another name and left the cabin of the tasikaias for that of the imalas at the east end of the north cabin. Later deeds entitled him to the rank of tastanagi, the highest war grade, but being by birth a member of the white Wind clan he was assigned instead to a seat of honor in the peace cabin on the other side.
In spite of his prowess, however, Tokulki took less pleasure in warfare126 than most of his companions. He had, as we have noted127, a mystical type of mind. The great ceremonies had a powerful influence over him, and the practices of his uncle, the Medicine Maker, proved a constant fascination. Blessed with a retentive128 memory, he rapidly picked up a fund of tribal lore129 which presently attracted the attention of the old men,—the custodians130 of the sacred legends and the keepers of the rituals. They talked earnestly about him with the Medicine Maker, as of one to whom his people might look for spiritual leadership in future days, and at his uncle’s suggestion he and three other of the most promising131 youths of the Wind connection agreed to undertake the young men’s poskita, “the first degree in medicine” if we may so term it.
Calling these youths into his house the Medicine Maker talked to them earnestly and then made an appointment to meet them at a remote spot in the forest, on the bank of a small stream away from the frequented trails. At the time and place agreed upon, he presented 139 himself before them and directed them to make a sweat lodge by the bank of the rivulet132. Then he began his instructions, going over as much of his more elementary knowledge as he thought they could grasp at one time, and, when he returned to his house, telling them to memorize all he had said carefully, until the fourth day, after when he would visit them once more. He repeated his visits and instructions at similar intervals for the better part of a month when he was satisfied with their progress and told them to go back to their homes. “Now,” he said, “you understand how to heal wounds made by arrows and are entitled to wear buzzard feathers in your hair.”
This degree was taken by Tokulki shortly after his first war expedition, but for some time other events interposed to prevent the continuation of his initiation133. In the first place his family had decided134 that it was time for him to take a wife and assume a position in the tribe as the responsible head of a household of his own. He fell in with this arrangement as part of the natural order of things, and consequently his mother, accompanied by two or three of her clanswomen, visited the “uncle” of the Raccoon clan to which the chosen girl belonged. The recipient135 of the visit was not unaware136 of the offer about to be made and had called to his house some of the other leading men of his clan, the mother of the girl, and, as a matter of courtesy, her father. A few days thereafter the Raccoon people returned the visit and formally announced that the suit was accepted. The wedding might have been consummated137 then and there, by conducting the groom138 to his betrothed’s house and holding a feast and dance, but Tokulki and his parents were ambitious to have him reach a high position in the tribe as soon as possible, and accordingly they delayed the ceremony until he could erect a house, garner139 a crop of corn, and lay by a supply of venison.
Word was sent to all of the male members of the Wind clan residing in that town to go into the forest and bring together a supply of poles, bark, bark rope, and other articles sufficient for the proposed house. The planting season was beginning, and when the town field was laid out, an extra plot was sowed for the new household. When this was ready to harvest, a corncrib raised on posts was put up near the site of the projected dwelling, and filled from Tokulki’s new plot. The harvest being over, and the days cool enough for comfortable work out-of-doors, the men of the Wind clan came together again 140 and appointed a day upon which the new house was to be raised. This work was carried out much like an old New England husking bee. It was placed under the direction of the one considered most skilled in such matters who assigned the various processes to all the rest. They worked with such a good will that it was practically complete by the middle of the afternoon. Afterward a common meal was served followed by a game of ball and the usual dance after dark. Sofkee, prepared like our “hulled corn,” stood ready in pots at the service of any of those present.
A little later Tokulki went hunting and brought back dried venison to add to his winter’s stores. It was only then that he and his bride were brought to their new home, where a final feast was partaken of by all together, speeches exchanged by the leading men of the Wind and Raccoon clans, and the new couple left in possession.
During this period Tokulki was too busily occupied to think of his earlier ambitions, but after his first child was born and the routine of his new life had become well established, they began to recur140 to him. He communicated his thoughts to the three young men with whom he had been associated before, and he found that they too were prepared to continue in their course. They approached the Medicine Maker again, and again submitted to the fasts, the sweat baths, and the repeated instructions, more rigorous now than before. This time they learned among other things the treatment proper for snake bite, and how, as they believed, to detect objects clearly on the darkest nights.
Tokulki was still unsatisfied. Every fresh revelation awakened141 new ambitions. His companions, however, were content with what they had acquired and with the prestige they had attained142, and were wearied with the long and exhausting fasts. Therefore when Tokulki presented himself as a candidate for the third degree he went entirely143 alone. In fact, so rigorous was the ordeal144 to which he was at this time subjected, that he debated within himself whether he should not stop there. As it was, he had penetrated146 farther into the mysteries than all except ten or a dozen men in the fifty allied147 Muskogee towns.
He allowed two years to slip away before making up his mind to undertake the fourth and crowning ordeal. Finally, however, he set himself to the task, and he came triumphantly148 through, though the periods of fasting were doubled, and the memorizing more severe 141 than any which he had before experienced. He returned to his house a mere74 shadow of a man, with hollow cheeks, sunken eyes, and almost fleshless bones, but with a position and influence in the Nation shared by none except the Medicine Makers149 of a few of the leading towns.
With the Medicine Maker of Tulsa, his instructor150 and uncle, Tokulki now came to be on the most friendly terms. It was natural that a man of such advanced mentality151 as Tokulki and such steadfastness152 of purpose should excite interest in his superior. It became evident that when the Medicine Maker died or gave up his spiritual headship his position would fall to Tokulki. Many were the talks which the two men had together, talks in which the older man unfolded whatever knowledge his long life of physical activity and spiritual contemplation had given him. Some was not new to Tokulki, some had been suggested to him by the other learned men, but much was novel and strange.
The world envisaged153 by the Tulsa sage154 was about like this: The middle earth which mankind knows, is flat and square and lies afloat upon “the wide white waters.” There is a world above it and a world below it, and these are inhabited by beings like ourselves. Below are those left behind when the races now on earth found their way to its surface; above, those who had lived on earth but, having undergone the experience called death, had traveled westward, crossed a narrow point in the ocean stream, upon a foot log, and either remained with the malevolent spirits in that quarter or ascended155 to the fortunate region directly overhead, presided over by Hisakita-imisi, “the breath holder156.” The white streak157 in the sky which we call “the milky158 way” was said to be the very road which they traversed. Unavenged souls of those who had been killed in wars, however, were unwilling159 to begin their journey until scalps from the offending tribe were brought in, and meanwhile they remained about the eaves of the houses, moaning. Some said that bad spirits were reincarnated160 into beasts, but about this men differed. However, they were agreed that human beings might acquire such malevolent power as to become witches and assume the forms of animals while still living on earth. Their evil dispositions161 were attributed to lizards162 who had taken up their abode163 inside of the witch, but might be expelled by the proper medical rites164.
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The stars were thought to be attached to the under surface of the solid vault165 above, along which the sun and moon traveled each day. An eclipse of the sun was usually attributed to a great toad166 who might be frightened off by hostile demonstrations167 on the part of human beings. To an eclipse of the moon people paid little attention. The moon was inhabited by a man and a dog. The rainbow was a big, celestial168 snake which had power over rain.
The world and all that it contained were the products of mind and bore everywhere the marks of mind. Matter was not something which had given birth to mind, but something which had formerly169 been mind, something from which mind had withdrawn170, was quiescent171, and out of which it might again be roused. This mind was visibly manifested in the so-called “living things,” as plants, and, still more, animals. Nevertheless, latent within inorganic172 substance no less than in plants and animals, was mind in its highest form, i. e., human mind. This might come to the surface at any time but it did so particularly to the fasting warrior, the “knower,” and the doctor. Indeed, the importance of these two last lay in their ability to penetrate145 to the human life within the mineral, plant, and animal life of nature, and bring back from that experience knowledge of value in ordering the lives of their fellow beings. Not that mind was attributed to one individuality, but that it was recognized as everywhere of the same nature.
Its manifestations173 were not in all cases equally powerful. Its manifestation174 in the panther, bear, and bison was more powerful than its manifestation in the raccoon, the rabbit, and the squirrel. Some “inorganic” powers,—as, for instance, the wind, the rivers, and the sea,—were, however, even more powerful. Peculiarly powerful were the thunder and the lightning, which were produced by two sets of animals. The dangerous kind, the kind that “struck,” was made by huge birds from whose eyes flashed fire, and this they flashed down at the other fire-producing creatures, enormous, horned serpents, who in turn shot the blue, harmless lightning upward. Bones of these earth serpents were sometimes found after a rainstorm. Besides there were long serpents who lived in the waters and who, rearing their huge lengths straight upward at intervals, would allow themselves to fall over with a gigantic splash. There were the sharp-breasted snakes, suggested to native imagination by the tracks 143 of lightning, snakes supposed to run straight along the surface of the ground, cutting through roots and bushes as they went. There were bodiless snakes which rose whirling into the air on still mornings. There were creatures like bison which went by fours, each resting for a minute in the tracks of its predecessor175. There were very little people who sometimes deprived travelers of their senses, and very big people who ate them.
Besides the embodied176 power in nature there was power not altogether differentiated177 from it, which was unembodied, or indistinctly conceived as embodied. This power could be invoked178 by the use of charms and the repetition of certain formul?. “By a word” wonderful things could be accomplished179; “by a word” the entire world could be compressed into such a small space that the medicine man who was master of the word could encircle it in four steps. It was power of this kind which was imparted to medicines, yet the source of this power was after all the anthropomorphic powers, which, at the very beginning of things, declared what the diseases were to be and also appointed the remedies to be employed in curing them. But when the doctor had prepared these remedies and placed them in a pot in front of him, they were not efficacious until he had repeated the prescribed formul?, or prayers, four times, while breathing into the medicine through a hollow cane. In this way the spirit that made the medicine powerful passed into it through the breath of life in the doctor.
From this conception it came about that the supreme180 being of the Creeks181, a kind of sky god, was known as Hisakita-imisi, “the breath holder.” While he did not necessarily interfere182 actively183 in the relations between the lesser184 powers and mankind, his primacy was recognized, and they were spoken of as his servants; he was their miko.
What took place for the individual in time of sickness happened for the entire tribe annually185 at the time of the poskita. It had been given to men by Hisakita-imisi for their health and for the annual renewal186 of the life of the tribe, as well as the individual lives of those composing it. The square-ground fire was but a detached fragment of the sun, the sky fire, and both of these meant life, for both were necessary to the lives of men. The renewal of the fire was the renewal of life, an act by means of which, the connection 144 between human lives and the life of the universe was restored, and the corruption187, which had accumulated about the fire obtained the previous year, gotten rid of. Similarly the participants were cleansed188 internally by means of the poskita medicines, one of which was to make good the defects of the system and heal its diseases, the other to insure the enjoyment189 of positive benefits. Hence it was that a little of each was carried home by every household and hung up by the door, some of it being used occasionally in medicines until the next annual ceremony.
As to the origin of things, the Muskogee had obscure traditions. They believed that the solid land had come from the expansion of a bit of earth brought from the edges of the world or from the bottom of the ocean. They also told of a flood, but their story of human origins did not concern any tribes except their own and a few believed to be related closely to theirs. They thought that after their ascent190 from the world beneath at the point in the far west called “the navel of the world,” they had traveled toward the southeast for a long time, led by their Medicine Maker, who, in turn, was guided by a staff, stuck upright in the ground every night and found inclining in the direction to be taken every morning. In the meantime, four “light beings” from the corners of the world had brought the knowledge of the poskita to them and had lighted their first poskita fire. During this period, ties of friendship sprang up between the several Muskogee tribes, and some that were not Muskogee. Two of the leading tribes, the Kasihta and Coweta, formed an agreement by which they were to play ball with each other at intervals, but were never to fight and as other towns or tribes became allied with these, they also became allied in the ball games until there came to be two classes of towns with about twenty-five on a side. Those headed by Kasihta were dedicated191 to peace and those headed by Coweta to war....
One day—it was toward the end of summer—Tokulki and the Medicine Maker strayed some distance eastward of the town and sat down upon the side of a hill, where the older man reviewed the more important particulars of his teaching more impressively than ever before. After a time he paused, and then he said: “I have told you all that I know; this is what the Medicine Maker who was before me, and all of the knowers and the doctors have told me. It145 must be so. I believe it. Yet perhaps it is not all the truth. I think we are not to understand some of the things that they tell just as they sound; they have another meaning. Sometimes we can see what this other meaning is; sometimes we can not. Perhaps, too, like the poskita fire, it has become fouled192 by much contact with common things, by much repeating. Perhaps Hisakita-imisi did not tell our grandfathers all that he had in mind to tell. But much of it is good, and it is for the good of our people. So use what seems to you good! And the rest you need not use. And if Hisakita-imisi seems to tell you something that is better, if you think it is better for your people, use it! It is what he must have intended from the beginning. I tell you this because I feel that your times will not be like my times. The plant dies. In the spring the plant comes up again. It is the same plant, and yet it is not the same plant. It is like, but it is unlike.
“Have you not heard of the people who come across the wide, white water in canoes with wings? Even now I hear that a great number of them are marching through our country and that they are coming in this direction. Maybe the old things are to pass away.” He stopped, and just then out of the east came a low noise, a noise strange to that country until then, but one which a white man of the time would have recognized as the discharge of a harquebus. It was a harquebus in the army of De Soto.
John R. Swanton
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1
clan
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| n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派 | |
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scout
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| n.童子军，侦察员；v.侦察，搜索 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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4
ration
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| n.定量(pl.)给养，口粮；vt.定量供应 | |
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vent
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| n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄 | |
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seclusion
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| n.隐遁，隔离 | |
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7
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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8
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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9
strapped
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| adj.用皮带捆住的，用皮带装饰的；身无分文的；缺钱；手头紧v.用皮带捆扎(strap的过去式和过去分词)；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带 | |
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10
cane
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| n.手杖，细长的茎，藤条；v.以杖击，以藤编制的 | |
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11
canes
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| n.（某些植物，如竹或甘蔗的）茎( cane的名词复数 )；（用于制作家具等的）竹竿；竹杖 | |
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12
thighs
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| n.股，大腿( thigh的名词复数 )；食用的鸡（等的）腿 | |
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13
propped
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| 支撑，支持，维持( prop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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14
warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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16
den
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| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
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17
excavated
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| v.挖掘( excavate的过去式和过去分词 )；开凿；挖出；发掘 | |
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18
trench
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| n./v.(挖)沟，(挖)战壕 | |
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19
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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20
awaken
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| vi.醒，觉醒；vt.唤醒，使觉醒，唤起，激起 | |
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21
judicious
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| adj.明智的，明断的，能作出明智决定的 | |
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22
decrepit
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| adj.衰老的，破旧的 | |
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23
plunging
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| adj.跳进的，突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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24
lash
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| v.系牢；鞭打；猛烈抨击；n.鞭打；眼睫毛 | |
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25
evaded
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| 逃避( evade的过去式和过去分词 )； 避开； 回避； 想不出 | |
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26
timorous
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| adj.胆怯的，胆小的 | |
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28
approbation
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| n.称赞；认可 | |
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29
shun
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| vt.避开，回避，避免 | |
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30
strings
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| n.弦 | |
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31
beads
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| n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链 | |
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32
notches
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| n.（边缘或表面上的）V型痕迹( notch的名词复数 )；刻痕；水平；等级 | |
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33
loomed
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| v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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34
ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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35
rattles
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| （使）发出格格的响声， （使）作嘎嘎声( rattle的第三人称单数 )； 喋喋不休地说话； 迅速而嘎嘎作响地移动，堕下或走动； 使紧张，使恐惧 | |
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36
rattle
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| v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓 | |
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37
precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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38
eastward
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| adv.向东；adj.向东的；n.东方，东部 | |
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39
intermittent
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| adj.间歇的，断断续续的 | |
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40
infusion
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| n.灌输 | |
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41
regale
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| v.取悦，款待 | |
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42
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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43
pumpkins
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| n.南瓜( pumpkin的名词复数 )；南瓜的果肉，南瓜囊 | |
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44
thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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45
guardian
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| n.监护人；守卫者，保护者 | |
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46
guardians
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| 监护人( guardian的名词复数 )； 保护者，维护者 | |
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47
labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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48
tallies
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| n.账( tally的名词复数 )；符合；（计数的）签；标签v.计算，清点( tally的第三人称单数 )；加标签（或标记）于；（使）符合；（使）吻合 | |
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49
surmounted
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| 战胜( surmount的过去式和过去分词 )； 克服（困难）； 居于…之上； 在…顶上 | |
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50
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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51
beaver
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| n.海狸，河狸 | |
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52
clans
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| 宗族( clan的名词复数 )； 氏族； 庞大的家族； 宗派 | |
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53
alligator
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| n.短吻鳄(一种鳄鱼) | |
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54
negotiations
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| 协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过 | |
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55
enlisted
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| adj.应募入伍的v.（使）入伍， （使）参军( enlist的过去式和过去分词 )；获得（帮助或支持） | |
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56
wagered
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| v.在（某物）上赌钱，打赌( wager的过去式和过去分词 )；保证，担保 | |
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57
inflicted
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| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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58
pottery
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| n.陶器，陶器场 | |
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59
mortar
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| n.灰浆，灰泥；迫击炮；v.把…用灰浆涂接合 | |
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60
labors
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| v.努力争取(for)( labor的第三人称单数 )；苦干；详细分析；（指引擎）缓慢而困难地运转 | |
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61
dice
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| n.骰子；vt.把（食物）切成小方块，冒险 | |
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62
sketches
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| n.草图( sketch的名词复数 )；素描；速写；梗概 | |
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63
revolving
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| adj.旋转的，轮转式的；循环的v.（使）旋转( revolve的现在分词 )；细想 | |
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64
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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65
aggregate
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| adj.总计的，集合的；n.总数；v.合计；集合 | |
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66
outfits
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| n.全套装备( outfit的名词复数 )；一套服装；集体；组织v.装备，配置设备，供给服装( outfit的第三人称单数 ) | |
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67
butt
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| n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶 | |
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68
afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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69
malevolent
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| adj.有恶意的，恶毒的 | |
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70
desultory
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| adj.散漫的，无方法的 | |
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71
slivers
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| （切割或断裂下来的）薄长条，碎片( sliver的名词复数 ) | |
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72
profusion
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| n.挥霍；丰富 | |
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73
willow
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| n.柳树 | |
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74
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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75
culmination
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| n.顶点；最高潮 | |
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76
synchronized
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| 同步的 | |
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77
converge
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| vi.会合；聚集，集中；(思想、观点等)趋近 | |
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78
impiety
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| n.不敬；不孝 | |
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79
severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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80
confiscate
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| v.没收(私人财产)，把…充公 | |
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81
creek
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| n.小溪，小河，小湾 | |
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82
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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83
heinous
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| adj.可憎的，十恶不赦的 | |
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84
rigid
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| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
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85
induction
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| n.感应，感应现象 | |
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86
corrupt
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| v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的 | |
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87
maker
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| n.制造者，制造商 | |
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88
scatter
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| vt.撒，驱散，散开；散布/播；vi.分散，消散 | |
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89
lodge
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| v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆 | |
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90
lodges
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| v.存放( lodge的第三人称单数 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属 | |
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91
plentiful
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| adj.富裕的，丰富的 | |
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92
cypress
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| n.柏树 | |
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93
gourd
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| n.葫芦 | |
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94
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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95
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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96
potency
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| n. 效力，潜能 | |
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97
witchcraft
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| n.魔法，巫术 | |
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98
affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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99
dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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100
wailing
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的现在分词 )；沱 | |
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101
implements
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| n.工具( implement的名词复数 )；家具；手段；[法律]履行（契约等）v.实现( implement的第三人称单数 )；执行；贯彻；使生效 | |
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102
pouch
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| n.小袋，小包，囊状袋；vt.装...入袋中，用袋运输；vi.用袋送信件 | |
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103
ornaments
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| n.装饰( ornament的名词复数 )；点缀；装饰品；首饰v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的第三人称单数 ) | |
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104
widower
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| n.鳏夫 | |
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105
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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106
fascination
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| n.令人着迷的事物，魅力，迷恋 | |
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107
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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108
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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109
westward
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| n.西方，西部；adj.西方的，向西的；adv.向西 | |
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110
abetted
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| v.教唆（犯罪）( abet的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；怂恿；支持 | |
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111
erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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112
stockade
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| n.栅栏，围栏；v.用栅栏防护 | |
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113
overlap
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| v.重叠，与…交叠；n.重叠 | |
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114
initiate
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| vt.开始，创始，发动；启蒙，使入门；引入 | |
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115
cardinal
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| n.(天主教的)红衣主教；adj.首要的，基本的 | |
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116
tribal
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| adj.部族的，种族的 | |
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117
attainment
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| n.达到，到达；［常pl.］成就，造诣 | |
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118
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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119
martial
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| adj.战争的，军事的，尚武的，威武的 | |
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120
parched
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| adj.焦干的；极渴的；v.（使）焦干 | |
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121
slain
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| 杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词) | |
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122
aquatic
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| adj.水生的，水栖的 | |
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123
utterances
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| n.发声( utterance的名词复数 )；说话方式；语调；言论 | |
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124
triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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125
coveted
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| adj.令人垂涎的；垂涎的，梦寐以求的v.贪求，觊觎(covet的过去分词)；垂涎；贪图 | |
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126
warfare
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| n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突 | |
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127
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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128
retentive
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| v.保留的，有记忆的；adv.有记性地，记性强地；n.保持力 | |
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129
lore
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| n.传说；学问，经验，知识 | |
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130
custodians
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| n.看守人，保管人( custodian的名词复数 ) | |
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131
promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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132
rivulet
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| n.小溪，小河 | |
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133
initiation
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| n.开始 | |
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134
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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135
recipient
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| a.接受的,感受性强的 n.接受者,感受者,容器 | |
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136
unaware
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| a.不知道的，未意识到的 | |
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137
consummated
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| v.使结束( consummate的过去式和过去分词 )；使完美；完婚；（婚礼后的）圆房 | |
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138
groom
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| vt.给（马、狗等）梳毛，照料，使...整洁 | |
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139
garner
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| v.收藏；取得 | |
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140
recur
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| vi.复发，重现，再发生 | |
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141
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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142
attained
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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143
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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144
ordeal
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| n.苦难经历，（尤指对品格、耐力的）严峻考验 | |
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145
penetrate
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| v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解 | |
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146
penetrated
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| adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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147
allied
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| adj.协约国的；同盟国的 | |
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148
triumphantly
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| ad.得意洋洋地；得胜地；成功地 | |
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149
makers
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| n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式） | |
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150
instructor
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| n.指导者，教员，教练 | |
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151
mentality
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| n.心理，思想，脑力 | |
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152
steadfastness
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| n.坚定，稳当 | |
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153
envisaged
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| 想像，设想( envisage的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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154
sage
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| n.圣人，哲人；adj.贤明的，明智的 | |
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155
ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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156
holder
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| n.持有者，占有者；(台，架等)支持物 | |
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157
streak
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| n.条理，斑纹，倾向，少许，痕迹；v.加条纹，变成条纹，奔驰，快速移动 | |
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158
milky
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| adj.牛奶的，多奶的；乳白色的 | |
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159
unwilling
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| adj.不情愿的 | |
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160
reincarnated
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| v.赋予新形体，使转世化身( reincarnate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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161
dispositions
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| 安排( disposition的名词复数 )； 倾向； （财产、金钱的）处置； 气质 | |
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162
lizards
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| n.蜥蜴( lizard的名词复数 ) | |
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163
abode
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| n.住处，住所 | |
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164
rites
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| 仪式，典礼( rite的名词复数 ) | |
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165
vault
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| n.拱形圆顶，地窖，地下室 | |
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166
toad
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| n.蟾蜍，癞蛤蟆 | |
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167
demonstrations
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| 证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威 | |
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168
celestial
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| adj.天体的；天上的 | |
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169
formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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170
withdrawn
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| vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出 | |
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171
quiescent
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| adj.静止的，不活动的，寂静的 | |
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172
inorganic
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| adj.无生物的；无机的 | |
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173
manifestations
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| n.表示，显示（manifestation的复数形式） | |
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174
manifestation
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| n.表现形式；表明；现象 | |
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175
predecessor
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| n.前辈，前任 | |
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176
embodied
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| v.表现( embody的过去式和过去分词 )；象征；包括；包含 | |
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177
differentiated
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| 区分，区别，辨别( differentiate的过去式和过去分词 )； 区别对待； 表明…间的差别，构成…间差别的特征 | |
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178
invoked
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| v.援引( invoke的过去式和过去分词 )；行使（权利等）；祈求救助；恳求 | |
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179
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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180
supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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181
creeks
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| n.小湾( creek的名词复数 )；小港；小河；小溪 | |
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182
interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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183
actively
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| adv.积极地，勤奋地 | |
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184
lesser
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| adj.次要的，较小的；adv.较小地，较少地 | |
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185
annually
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| adv.一年一次，每年 | |
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186
renewal
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| adj.(契约)延期，续订，更新，复活，重来 | |
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187
corruption
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| n.腐败，堕落，贪污 | |
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188
cleansed
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| 弄干净，清洗( cleanse的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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189
enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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190
ascent
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| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
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191
dedicated
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| adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的 | |
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192
fouled
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| v.使污秽( foul的过去式和过去分词 )；弄脏；击球出界；（通常用废物）弄脏 | |
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