While we know our northern friends may not feel it, in the South, Spring is
here. So we thought we'd share a few of our gardening sites appropriate
for this time of the year. Along with gardening, there's grilling, and getting
ready to diet so that you can fit back into that bathing suit this summer!
The rite of expiration is observed in cures. The curer blows into the
palm of the patient's hand or on his forehead--tsit'ano'a, I blew on him.163
Mooney relates that when he was visited by Moon-head, the Ghost dance
leader, Moon-head began the interview by blowing upon him, afterwards explaining
that this was to blow evil things away before beginning to talk on religion.164
At the same time Moon-head passed his hands in front of Dr. Mooney's face.
One's
palms are held towards or passed over something and then down (aahatdaut'a,
good do). This rite of communicating an influence, as we might say, is very
common. It occurs thrice in Peyote ceremonial, when the hands are raised to the
rising sun, when the hands are passed over the peyote in the "road" and then
down oneself and after the peyote is eaten and a forcible spit-like expiration
is made on one's hands which are then passed down oneself. The rite occurs also
in the Ghost dance. On the occasion of Moon-head's visit to Dr. Mooney, the
Ghost dance leader, relates Dr. Mooney, "laying one hand on my head, and
grasping my own hand with the other prayed silently for some time with bowed
head, and then lifting his hand from my head, he passed it over my face, down my
shoulder and arm to the hand, which he grasped and pressed slightly, and then
released the fingers with a graceful upward sweep."165 This rite of
laying or passing hands was performed by twenty or more visitors the next day in
connection with all the inmates of the household of which Dr. Mooney was a part.
According to White Moon, in intertribal greeting, after shaking hands
with the foreigner, you pass your palms over him and then over yourself.166
The rite of hand pass is observed over a corpse or at the grave.167
As already noted, songs may be heard first in dreams. One who has such a
dream is expected to remain at home for a while, away from people. Mr. Wing told
Dorsey that animals to give power might appear in dreams169 and the
dreamer would remain at home, in silence, refusing to talk, thinking on his
experience.170
___________________________________________________ 163 Cp. Dorsey 2: 22; Kiowa, Parsons, 137; widespread. 164 The Ghost Dance Religion, 905. 165 Ibid. 166 This is a characteristically Southeastern greeting (Swanton 2:
702). 167 Possibly it was this rite which was performed at the installation
of chiefs by the Choctaw in 1807 (Sibley, 26). It occurs among Pawnee (Murie,
565, 566, 627; Grinnell, 115; Dorsey 3: 26) and Kiowa (Parsons, 135). 168 Dorsey 2: 58. Animal dance masks were reported among Choctaw-
(Swanton 3: 221222) and among Creeks who also used masks of old men and of
foreigners (Swanton 1: 551, 556), Southwest style, also Mexican, early and late. 169 Cp. Choctaw, Swanton 3: 214. 170 Traditions of the Caddo, 20.
