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Mircea Eliade - The making of the Mide' and the Jes'sakkid
Identifier
022983
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
The Mide', and the Jes'sakkid', or the Wâbeno', are terms used by Native Americans to mean a shaman “it is generally employed to designate that class of persons who professed the power of prophecy, and who practiced incantation and administered medicinal preparations”.
This role still exists among the leading classes of a number of the Algonkian tribes, and especially among the Ojibwa, many bands of whom have been more or less isolated and beyond the antagonistic and destructive reach of the Church.
The giving of crystals represents symbolically the acquisition of the functions of the shaman/magician – and also the functions which support controlled visionary experience.
A description of the experience
Mircea Eliade – Shamanism Archaic techniques of ecstasy
The initiation of candidates follows the general pattern of all shamanic initiations. It includes revelation of the mysteries …………. The death and resurrection of the candidate, and the insertion into his body of a large number of migis – which is strangely reminiscent of the ‘magical stones’ with which the apprentice magician’s body is stuffed in Australia and elsewhere……………
The second initiation takes place at least a year after the first. The initiate’s magical power is now increased by the large number of migis with which his body is stuffed [migis are symbolic stones], especially about the joints and heart.
With the third initiation, the mide obtains power enough to become a full jes’sakkid, that is, he is able to perform all the various shamanic ‘juggleries’ and especially he is now officially a master of healing.
The fourth initiation introduces still more migis into his body