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origin of were wolf

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IO UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI STUDIES [262<br />

plishments seem to have arisen from the imitation <strong>of</strong> the motions<br />

and cries <strong>of</strong> animals, 32 at first to lure them, when acting as a<br />

decoy. With growth <strong>of</strong> culture came growth <strong>of</strong> supernaturalism,<br />

and an additional reason for acquiring dance and song was to<br />

secure charms against bodily 33 ills, and finally enlivenment. 34 In<br />

both dance and song, when used for a serious purpose, the performers<br />

imagined themselves to be the animals they <strong>were</strong> imi-<br />

^Ethn. Rep. 1897-98, I. 352: Tradition says the Iroquois derived the<br />

music and action <strong>of</strong> the Buffalo dance while on an expedition against the<br />

Cherokee, from the bellowing and the movements <strong>of</strong> a herd <strong>of</strong> buffalo<br />

which they heard for the first time 'singing their favorite songs,'<br />

i. e.<br />

bellowing and snorting." Also note 33.<br />

^Ethn. Rep. 1897-98, I. 266, gives a song to prevent frostbite. The<br />

<strong>wolf</strong>s, deer's, fox's, opossum's feet it is held never become frostbitten.<br />

After each verse <strong>of</strong> the song, the singer imitates the cry and the action <strong>of</strong><br />

the animal. The words used are archaic in form and may be rendered<br />

"I become a real <strong>wolf</strong>, etc." The song runs:<br />

1. Tsun' wa'

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