DCHP-3

medicine rattle

DCHP-1 (pre-1967)

Entry from the DCHP-1 (pre-1967)

This entry may contain outdated or offensive information, terms, and examples.

a rattle used by the Indians in medicine rituals and to accompany singing and dancing. [See picture at shishiquoi.]

Quotations

1842
The medicine-bag, rattle, and juggling tricks of the priest were, however, the ordinary hopes of restoration.
1934
For days he (medicine man) had howled and shouted, waved his medicine-rattle and pounded his tom-tom close to the girl's body in hopes that the noise would drive the evil spirits out, but all to no avail.