Sacred Texts Native American California Index Previous Next
Everybody sang a song. One of them sang a song. The cloud of disease went back a little way. He stopped and another sang a song. It went back a little way. While he was singing it went farther back. Again one of them sang a song and it went back a little way. Three of them had sung. "Come, you sing." When he had sung he saw it had gone back a little way. Four had sung. When he had finished that song another one sang. And when he looked he saw it had gone back a little way. He found out it would do that way. Six had sung. Again another one sang. Seven had sung. It had gone back a little way, it was afraid of that one's singing. "A little way it has gone back," he said. Again another sang. Eight had sung. Again another one sang. Nine had sung. He was surprised to see it had gone back a little way.
The sticks of wood were leaning up. Then when the tenth on had sung he put the stick in the fire and leaned the bark around it. Then they sang another song and danced, circling around the fire. The ceremony lasted ten days. Five days the priest built the fire and five days they danced. He carefully avoided saying anything wrong. When they stopped after ten days, he looked. He was surprised to see that the sickness which had been in the world had gone. It had melted away. "This way it will be when Indians become. If they sing this way it will be afraid. If they dance around the fire this way the people will live happily again."
234:1 Told at Hupa, December 1901, by Senaxon.
This formula is repeated by the priest while he collects the bark used for the fire of the dance. He goes alone, or with a virgin, to the mountainside west of the TakimiLdiñ, setting out in the middle of the afternoon and returning after dark.