Traditions of the Arapaho by George Amos Dorsey

Author:George Amos Dorsey
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: s. n.

That is the reason that the people still crush the dead bones of people when they accidentally meet with them, killing the bad and evil desires, or driving away the visiting plague. It is said that the owls are bad people, for they carry off many sick people, i. e., influence the people to die.

So the mother and the boy left Big Owl and continued their return journey. Reaching a divide they saw the camp-circle, covered with blue smoke.

"There, over yonder, comes the woman with her boy!" said the people, standing outside and gazing at them. "Yes, that is she, with the boy, for she said to us before leaving, to watch the divide closely." said the interested ones. At last they returned and went back to their own tipi. While the boy was walking to the tipi, people overtook him from all sides, and shook hands with him. Even after he was taken inside the tipi many entered and saw him. Thus the family was complete again.

When children are quite young and very distressing at meal time, or during the night, their parents would scare them by saying that the Owner-of-Bag was around, "Here, Owner-of-Bag, take this child, we cannot make it quiet.'' "Be still, for he might come and take you!" Of course the young children do not know the party, but they do get frightened and hold their peace.

When a person is sick or any one sees bad visions or signs of troubles, a pledge or vow is made by the friend to make any of the things mentioned in the story. Of course there are a good many things that are quilled and ornamented for taste and fashion. They think that doing those things on behalf of friends brings them purity, strength, and above all, leads them to health and prosperity.

This woman traced the boy and was aided by a voice of a person, and on her return, aided by her works in porcupine quills. Sometimes a woman during pregnancy makes the vow and makes the tipi designs, in order that she may have an easy delivery.—D.

Told by River-Woman.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.