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Indian Lore Three
Native American Folklore & Superstition: Healing & Natural Phenomena
Native American Lore & Superstition:
Healing & Natural Phenomena
Healing
Arctic tribes- The soul of a sick child is conjured into an amulet which is then kept by the shaman, to prevent harm to it during healing.
Iroquois, others- Hot ash is a common ingredient in healing rituals.
Navajo- Soot made from the ashes of specific plants is rubbed on a sick person’s body to form a sort of armor against evil spirits.
Tlingit- Evil sorcerers used dolls to cause sickness.
Huron, others- Cures are found by medicine men in dreams.
Iroquois- Offerings of corn mush and tobacco are given to the spirits of the woods to prevent illness.
Iroquois- Plants that grow upright can cure humans, while plants that grow horizontally are used for harm.
Iroquois- Ridiculing or disrespecting a mask will cause illness involving the face, such as boils & measles.
Pequot- Cow dung is applied to the face as a toothache cure.
Pequot- Sheep dung mixed with the urine of the youngest child will cure measles.
Various tribes- Women’s menstrual blood has powerful healing properties.
Apache- Laughter frightens away illness.
Various tribes- Ill people are often renamed so as to confuse the evil spirits causing the illness.
Cree- An affliction which can’t be cured is thought to originate in the hidden or forgotten misdeeds of the patient.
Arapaho- When a person is ill, a friend can promise to quill a piece of clothing for the sick person, and when they do the quilling, the sickness diminishes, and the prosperity of the quiller is enhanced.
Natural Phenomena
Iroquois- The turtle upon whose back the Earth rests causes earthquakes by moving around trying to get comfortable.
Tillamook- Lunar eclipses are caused by the Moon becoming distracted from shining when talking to spirits.
Southeastern tribes- A rainbow indicates dry weather is coming.
Navajo- Rainbows are a bridge from this life to the next.
Native American Lore-
Native American Lore-
Native American Lore-
Native American Lore-
Native American Lore-