siOBX; - Smithsonian Institution

232 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 103
Mrs. McCurtain, widow of a former chief of the Choctaw Nation
in Oklahoma, remembered that when a doctor was treating the sick,
he danced, sang, and beat upon a drum, calling sometimes on the
four quarters of the earth, the sun and the moon. The neighbors
were summoned to witness this and afterwards they had a feast
supposed to be for the benefit of the patient. She remembered that
for biliousness the medicine used was called " thunder medicine "
(hilo'ha ikhi"'sh).
Cushman was made personally aware of a native belief that white
twins "possessed the magic power of dispelling all depredating
worms and insects from cornfields, gardens, etc." This was undoubtedly
only one of several peculiar beliefs regarding twins whom
primitive people usually credit with having peculiar power for good
or evil. In the case above mentioned Mr. Cushman's parents were
persuaded to allow the use of himself and his twin brother to secure
immunity to the Choctaw gardens from the attacks of corn worms.
At once we giilloped off iu the direction of their village three miles distant
called Okachiloho fah [oka chilofa]. (Water falling, or Falling Water.)"
When we arrived in sight, their success [iu obtaining the use of the twins]
was announced by a shrill whoop to which the villagers responded their joy
by another. As soon as we rode into the village, we were immediately surrounded
by an admiring throng, and being tenderly lifted from our positions
on the horses, we were handed over to the care of several old men, who took
us in their arms and with much gravity carried us into a little cabin, which
had previously been set in order for our reception, where we found prepared
a variety of eatables, to us seemingly good enough to excite the appetites of
the most fastidiDus twin epicures; after which the venerable old seers of the
village instructed us in the mystic rites and ceremonies of their tribe, prepara-
tory to calling into requisition the magic power of our twinship in all its
bearings upon the duties of the day. Then they showed us our weapons, which
consisted of iron, wood and fire, the two former in the shape of a frying-pan,
in which we were to burn the worms after picking them from the corn, and a
blazing chunk of fire, two stout and straight sticks about six feet in length,
with the proper instructions in regard to the manner of using them effectually.
Having been thoroughly drilled in these preliminaries, the line of march was
taken up toward the field where the enemy were said to be strongly entrenched
; in profound silence and with unfeigned gravity, the Palokta Tohbi
[Polukta tohbi], (Twins White, or White Twins) led the van, borne upon
the shoulders of two powerful warriors closely followed by three others bearing
the arms, while the villagers, headed by the veteran seers, brought up the
rear presenting an imposing appearance with a considerable smack of the
ridiculous. . . .
When the field was reached a halt was made, and two venerable looking
old men, whose hoary locks and wrinkled faces bespoke their earthly pilgrimage
had extended many years beyond their allotted three score years
and ten, came to the front and, with solemn mien, lifted us from our perches
** This name does not appear in my list. It evidently belonged to one of the smaller
villages.