40. Magic Paint

Onaman.

Magic Paint.

from Ojibwa Texts collected by William Jones (1919).

(1) Giishpin awiya oshkinawe misawenimaad oshkiniigikwen giishpin zhiingenimigod, wonaazikawaan akiwenziiyan onandotamawaan iniw onamanan.

In case some youth should desire a maiden, and if he should be disliked by her, he goes to an old man (and) asks of him some magic paint.

(2) Mii dash egod: “Niizh mazininiinsag ozhi’, da-agaashii'iwag – bezhig giin, bezhig idash a’aw oshkiniigikwe.

Thereupon he is told: "Two little images do you make, let them be small, —one (to represent) yourself, and one the maiden.

(3) Giga-wiinaa a’aw ezhinikaazod.

You shall mention her by name.

(4) Aw idash onaman bangii gigad-asaa gwayak ode’ing gaye dash imaa dabashiish mayaa ezhi-misawenimad.

And of this magic paint a little shall you place directly over her heart, and also down there at the place where you desire her.

(5) Gigad-inaa a’aw mazininiins: “Mii iw noongom ezhi-banaajitooyaan giiyaw gidinendamowin gakina.”

You shall say to the little image: “Therefore now do I render you helpless in body and mind.”

(6) Mii iw baabige aapiji inendang wii-ganoonaad iniw shkinawen.

Whereupon at once is she very eager to speak with the youth.

(7) Naaningodinoo gaye akiwenziiyag odaabajitoonaawa wii-beshwenimaawaad oshkiniigikwen.

Sometimes old men too make use of (the magic paint) when they desire intimate knowledge with a maiden.

(8) Giishpin gaye anishinaabe aabaji’aad onamanan wii-nisaad awesiiyan moozoon, adikwan gaye, giishpin maada’anaad aapiji oshkinaminid, – zhebai aabidinang a’aw awesii, – mii iw ezhi-aaba’ang i’iw onaman.

And if a man also wishes to use the magic paint for the purpose of killing game-animals, a moose, or a caribou, if he is following close upon a fresh trail they have just made, — as, for instance, the trail of a game-animal made this morning, — then he unties (the covering of) the magic paint.

(9) Mitigoons odaabajitoon; mii dash ezhi-daangisidood i’iw mitigoon i’imaa onamaning; awesii dash bimikawed mii imaa ezhi-daadaangisitood gomaa gaye imaa gii-zaaga’ang a’aw awesii.

A small stick he uses; accordingly he so places the stick as to touch the magic paint; and there where the game-animal has left a track he rubs (the stick), or else there where the game-animal has left a dropping.

(10) Apii dash odisaad ayaanid iniw awesiiyan obi-naazikaagoon; gaawiin ogikendanziin ji-wazhimod a’aw awesii; gaawiin aapiji mikawisii.

And when he arrives at where the game-animal is, it comes to him; no sense to flee away has the game-animal; it is without any wits whatever.

(11) Mii dash imaa ezhinisaad.

And so there he slays it.

(12) Igiw dash nayaazikawaawaad iniw awesiiyan aanind ininiwag; giishpin idash ikwe wiiji’iwed zhingobiinsan odasaan imaa okaading.

And they that go after the game-animal are part of those men; and should a woman also go along, she places some cedar-boughs upon her legs.

(13) Giishpin asaasig mamaanjigoskaa; baagisininiwan okaadan.

If she fails to put them there, she will find it difficult to walk; weak will become her legs.

(14) Mii iw ezhi-naniizaang i’iw doowa mashkiki i’iw “onaman” edaming.

That is the danger of that sort of medicine, that which is called “magic paint.”