Additional Caddo Rites

Breath Rite

     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.

Hand Pass

     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

Masking

     Mr. Wing referred to the use of a mask in one of the tales he told Dorsey.¹⁶⁸ Moon appears never to have even heard of the use of masks.

Dreaming

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

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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.

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Notes on the Caddo

Notes About the Book:

Source: Notes on the Caddo, Memories of the American Anthropological Association, Elsie Clews Parsons, 1921.

Online Publication: The manuscript was scanned and then ocr'd. Minimal editing has been done, and readers can and should expect some errors in the textual output.

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