--- title: Timagami Folk-lore. — Myths and Folk-lore of the Timiskaming Algonquin… · full text with trees description: Timagami Folk-lore., «Myths and Folk-lore of the Timiskaming Algonquin and Timagami Ojibwa» by Frank G. Speck: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: (1) --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66509/19/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/) / [Myths and Folk-lore of the Timiskaming…](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66509/) / Timagami Folk-lore. # Timagami Folk-lore. Timagami Folk-lore. of «Myths and Folk-lore of the Timiskaming Algonquin and Timagami Ojibwa» by Frank G. Speck: the whole text, 81 sentences and 1136 words. 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(1)[1](1/ "tree and pragmatics") It is not proper to tell stories in summer, lest one die; but, if stories are told, they must be told for ten successive evenings in order to prevent the evil.[2](2/ "tree and pragmatics") (2)[3](3/ "tree and pragmatics") In order to foretell the sex of the child about to be born, the first vertebra of a moose or deer may be used.[4](4/ "tree and pragmatics") The appearance of one side of this bone resembles a man’s face, while the other resembles a woman’s.[5](5/ "tree and pragmatics") The seeker for information may place this bone on top of his head and let it drop to the ground.[6](6/ "tree and pragmatics") Whichever face turns upward like a die indicates the sex of the child.[7](7/ "tree and pragmatics") This bone is called uta′backo‵k·e “back neck-bone”.[8](8/ "tree and pragmatics") (3)[9](9/ "tree and pragmatics") A little device to bring rain: suck the flat side of a green leaf until it snaps, or slap one hand with the palm of the other, holding the leaf in the fist of the first.[10](10/ "tree and pragmatics") (4)[11](11/ "tree and pragmatics") Northern Lights: Wase′tibik·an, “light of night.”[12](12/ "tree and pragmatics") (5)[13](13/ "tree and pragmatics") Bine·′s·i·wi·mi·′k·‵an, “birds’ path”.[14](14/ "tree and pragmatics") This is the Milky Way, which is believed to be the guide to the birds in their spring and autumn migrations.[15](15/ "tree and pragmatics") (6)[16](16/ "tree and pragmatics") Wətα′gwanobi·‵s·an “mist from the water” (?).[17](17/ "tree and pragmatics") This is the rainbow, which is thought to be caused by mist generated in the air by waves of some great sea.[18](18/ "tree and pragmatics") (The Matachewan Indians of Montreal river call the rainbow Ani′miki·unujea‵bi “thunder’s legging string”!)[19](19/ "tree and pragmatics") (7)[20](20/ "tree and pragmatics") The whippoorwill (wa′hone·‵s·i) is very rarely heard in Bear island, although the bird frequents some parts of the lake.[21](21/ "tree and pragmatics") Its cry is considered an omen of ill fortune or of death.[22](22/ "tree and pragmatics") Another idea connected with the whippoorwill’s cry is that it is the signal cry of the Iroquois (Ma′djina‵dowes·i “bad Iroquois,” referring to the tribes of the League as distinct from those of Caughnawaga) and that it indicates the proximity of enemies.[23](23/ "tree and pragmatics") (8)[24](24/ "tree and pragmatics") When robins (gwi·′ckwe) sing noticeably during the day it is a sign of coming rain.[25](25/ "tree and pragmatics") The toad’s (omα′k·αki) song in the daytime has the same portent.[26](26/ "tree and pragmatics") (9)[27](27/ "tree and pragmatics") To kill blue-bottle flies will bring rain.[28](28/ "tree and pragmatics") (10)[29](29/ "tree and pragmatics") If anyone finds or sees a live mole it is a sign that some member of the family will die soon.[30](30/ "tree and pragmatics") Moles are very rare in the Timagami neighbourhood and quite a stir is raised when one is encountered.[31](31/ "tree and pragmatics") (11)[32](32/ "tree and pragmatics") Hiccoughing is a sign that the victim has been stealing something.[33](33/ "tree and pragmatics") If it is true and the victim is accused of it, he will stop hiccoughing from fright.[34](34/ "tree and pragmatics") (12)[35](35/ "tree and pragmatics") If a child is born feet first he is gifted with curing powers for people with sore backs.[36](36/ "tree and pragmatics") They let him jump on the patient’s back.[37](37/ "tree and pragmatics") (13)[38](38/ "tree and pragmatics") The method of cooking squirrels (dji·′tɔ′mǫ) has an influence upon the weather forces.[39](39/ "tree and pragmatics") Squirrels are usually cooked by splitting the carcass, after it has been skinned, and roasting it in the flames until done.[40](40/ "tree and pragmatics") Should the animal, however, be boiled instead, it will bring rain.[41](41/ "tree and pragmatics") When rain is needed, squirrels are boiled purposely to bring it.[42](42/ "tree and pragmatics") (14)[43](43/ "tree and pragmatics") To bring on a snowstorm an infant is allowed to make its moccasin print in the snow.[44](44/ "tree and pragmatics") (15)[45](45/ "tree and pragmatics") If an infant warms its hands before the fire, it is a sure sign of cold weather coming.[46](46/ "tree and pragmatics") (16)[47](47/ "tree and pragmatics") A red sunset with red clouds is a sign of wind.[48](48/ "tree and pragmatics") (17)[49](49/ "tree and pragmatics") A whirling buzzer, made by spinning a bone or wooden disk on a string operated by the two hands, will cause the wind to rise.[50](50/ "tree and pragmatics") (18)[51](51/ "tree and pragmatics") A divination device is used before the hunt to foretell what kind of game is going to be killed.[52](52/ "tree and pragmatics") It is as follows.[53](53/ "tree and pragmatics") The metacarpal bone of a beaver’s hind leg, with its sinew covering, is taken and cut nearly through, so that it will break easily.[54](54/ "tree and pragmatics") This is stuck upright in the ground near the fire and a series of lines radiating from it are traced in the ashes or ground, each line being named for some game animal: moose, beaver, caribou, deer, bear, otter, martin, fisher, etc. Then, as the heat shrinks the sinew, it breaks the bone at the cut and the upper piece points along one of the lines marked.[55](55/ "tree and pragmatics") This answers what kind of game is going to be gotten.[56](56/ "tree and pragmatics") The lines sometimes also are used to denote the direction to be followed to get the animals designated.[57](57/ "tree and pragmatics") (A variation of this operation was noted from the Mattagami band.[58](58/ "tree and pragmatics") Here a stick is used instead of a beaver bone and the base of the stick is burned.[59](59/ "tree and pragmatics") When this falls, it denotes the direction to be taken to secure game).[60](60/ "tree and pragmatics") (19) Supernatural Creatures.[61](61/ "tree and pragmatics") Pa·′gαk.[62](62/ "tree and pragmatics") This is a personification of a human skeleton without the flesh, which wanders about the country.[63](63/ "tree and pragmatics") When he travels, he goes as fast as he thinks.[64](64/ "tree and pragmatics") When he wishes himself to be in a place, he is there as soon as he thinks of it.[65](65/ "tree and pragmatics") When he is heard by the people, it is a sign that someone will die.[66](66/ "tree and pragmatics") It is thought that he is heard occasionally three times in succession, making his peculiar noise, once at the horizon, once at the zenith, and again at the opposite horizon.[67](67/ "tree and pragmatics") Me·′megwe·‵s·i. A species of creature which lives in the high remote ledges.[68](68/ "tree and pragmatics") They are small and have hair growing all over their bodies.[69](69/ "tree and pragmatics") The Indians think they are like monkeys, judging from specimens of the latter they have seen in the picture-books.[70](70/ "tree and pragmatics") These dwarf-like creatures have ugly faces and seek to hide them when they meet with people.[71](71/ "tree and pragmatics") A little narrative of a meeting with these creatures is told by some Timagami Indians who had been to Lake Timiskaming.[72](72/ "tree and pragmatics") The Indians were passing the high ledge of rock a few miles below Haileybury, where the water was very deep and where they had set their nets.[73](73/ "tree and pragmatics") They found that somebody had been stealing fish.[74](74/ "tree and pragmatics") They proceeded to watch the nets and soon saw three Me·′megwe·‵s·i come out astride of an old log for a canoe, using sticks for paddles.[75](75/ "tree and pragmatics") The Indians pursued them, the fairies meanwhile hiding their faces.[76](76/ "tree and pragmatics") Finally the Indians caught one.[77](77/ "tree and pragmatics") Then one Indian said, “Look behind!”[78](78/ "tree and pragmatics") When the fairy turned quickly they got a glimpse of how ugly he was.[79](79/ "tree and pragmatics") The Indians then took a knife from this fairy and the rest disappeared, riding their log through the rock wall to the inside, where they could be heard crying, as this was where they lived.[80](80/ "tree and pragmatics") The Indians then threw the knife at the rock and it went right through to the inside to its owner.[81](81/ "tree and pragmatics") - ← previous: [Myths and Folk-lore of the Timagami Ojibwa., part 8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66509/18/) - next →: [Appendix: Notes on Timagami Folk-lore.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66509/20/) - ↑ back to [Myths and Folk-lore of the Timiskaming Algonquin and Timagami Ojibwa](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66509/)