M. R. HARRINGTON — SACRED BUNDLES OF THE SAC AND FOX INDIANS. 255

by the Me-shaum. It was formerly considered so sacred, that it was hung upon the limbs of a tree outside of the lodge lest it should be polluted by an unclean woman. It was formerly death for a white man to open and examine it. Some years ago a white man near the De Bukes mines on the Mis- sissippi seeing one hung upon a tree, was led by curiosity to take it down and examine it in the absence of the Indians. As soon as he took it down and opened it the children began to cry to see their fathers’ Me-shaum profaned in such a manner. When the Indians returned and found out what had been done, they pursued after the man and he was obliged to leave the country in order to save his life.
Names of Their Gods.
We-sah-kah — god of the earth.
Nah-pat-tay — brother of W. who being slain by the gods of the sea, W. sent him to the land of shades or Che-pah-munk, where he still exists as chief of the shades.
Mah-she-ken-a-peck and Nah-me-pa-she — gods who in- habit both land and water; and the
Ai-yam-woy — men of terrible size or giants.
Besides these inferior deities they recognize a Supreme Being whom they call KA-shuh-mah-nu-too — Great Spirit.
The Ai-yam-woy were a race of supernatural beings, descendants of the gods of the sea and inhabited the ancient world.
Traditions of the Me-shaum.
In process of time the Great Spirit addressed the spirits on earth in the following manner: “Spirits of my breath I have created you all to enjoy the earth and wide-spreading waters, and with you I shall now make a division of them. We-sah-kah shall possess the dry land and Nah-me-pa-she and Mah-she-ken-a-peck the waters. But We-sah-kah shall be chief and you shall obey him in all things, for to him I have
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given my terrestrial sphere to make war and peace with whom- soever he will. At length he will become elated and say within himself, I am the Great Spirit. Moreover, in memory of this eventful day I shall create a race of beings after his own like- ness.” Accordingly mankind were created in the image of We-sah-kah. After this the legions of spirits flew from the presence of the Great Spirit and inhabited their destined places. To mankind was given knowledge and fire as a com- pensation for their nakedness. To the beasts of the forest, hair and fur and to the birds of the air, feathers.
Such were the times of old when mankind were under the protection of We-sah-kah.
At length the Ai-yam-woy became very numerous and overran both elements at their pleasure, so that the children of We-sah-kah were in danger of being totally destroyed by those terrible demi-gods.
We-sah-kah seeing this sent his brother to the gods of the sea to remonstrate against the depredations committed by their children amongst the race of the chief god of the earth. But instead of listening they slew Nah-pat-tay; his blood, however, ran out of the gulf and reached the dry land. Immediately a drop formed itself into a body and the shade of Nah-pat-tay being present entered it and he became as before.
He then sought safety by flight, but was met by the Ai- yam-woy who devoured him, leaving only one drop of blood. We-sah-kah upon hearing of the death of his brother fasted ten days 1 and vowed destruction to the gods of the sea. At the end of the tenth day We-sah-kah heard the voice of his brother’s shade at the Door of Life crying for entrance. But he answered, “Go to the land of shades and there be chief of men that shall die like yourself.” (Nah-pat-tay, they suppose, was the first who died and so was constituted chief of the shades of mortals.)
1 This it is said is the reason why the Indians fast ten days, in order that, as We-sah- kah did, they may obtain signal revenge upon their enemies.
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