Purified by smoke...

[CDNBear]

In my culture, smoke plays a very large part. In the past as well as the present, it aids in the preservation of foods, is the byproduct of heat and the in the Hollywood version of my peeps, the earliest form of telecommunications...:laugh:

I can't tell you when or where we began to preserve food with smoke, but I can explain the science behind the mystical nature of it. Woods contains nature antiseptics/biotics. Birch bark for instance, can be used to cover wounds and aids in healing. On top of that, if you scrape the dust off of the bark, it can be used as a remedy for headaches.

Wood cutting boards have been long coveted by Chef and home chef alike. The anti septic properties of wood aid in keeping harmful bacteria at bay.

This is the same in the act of smoking foods. So it isn't any wonder that early man would see some mysticism in wood and smoke.

This leads me to the use of smoke to purify things and people...

Hunting is very much a huge part of my life, let alone my culture. It is slowly coming upon us. Deer season is less then a week away. And as we run around replacing lost or depleted items, we are also mindful of the last step in the count down to our opening day. Purifying ourselves and our weapons, with smoke.

Several of my friends and fellow hunters balk at this idea and practice. But It's something I have always done. Long before I took up bow hunting, my Grandfather would start a fire of wet maple wood and proceed to bathe his rifles and himself, later I to would get a bath of smoke. This is completed with an offering of tobacco and a prayer to the Great Spirit. To make our bullets swift and our sight and hearing keen.

I still do this today, this coming Friday night, in the backyard, I will light a fire and burn wet maple, bathe our weapons, and ourselves. Burn tobacco, light my pipe and share Kinicinic with my family and friends, in preparation for the coming hunts.

It makes no difference, that the next morning I will wipe down all our weapons with scent eliminating wipes, and we'll shower with scent eliminating body wash, lol, the act of purifying has been completed, our prayers have been said, our offerings made.

Oh Great Spirit whose breath fills
the great forest with life
and whose voice I hear riding the wind
hear me.

I sit humbly at your feet
I come to you to ask
that you smile upon me
as I embark on the hunt.

Let me see
like the Hawk
let me hear
like the wolf
Let my arrow be as swift
as the Fox.

Take not what I will not eat
take lightly without respect I shall not
for I will become one with my animal brothers
I will hold their spirit with mine eternal.

Oh Great Spirit
hear my prayer.

[Sal]

Geez Muz I think that was a tad bizarre given the nature of the thread. I don't know if you noticed but I pushed thanks and both my name and yours appeared instantly.

[anonymouse]

Geez Muz I think that was a tad bizarre given the nature of the thread. I don't know if you noticed but I pushed thanks and both my name and yours appeared instantly.

Well there's a logical explanation to this synchronicity, Sal, and it has everything to do with your subconscious urge to masturbate Muz with your feet. :whistle:

:?D

[Sal]

Loved the post Bear.

As well as cleaning and purifying, I think of smoke as also distorting/changing I think that adds to it's mystical properties.

There is also the saying "where there is smoke, there is fire". Thus, if one begins to analyse that "fire" is life giving (cooking, warmth) death producing or purifying then smoke is also a beacon for warm, safety or warning/destruction.

[Unforgiven]

Ah, the ritual. There is far more to it than we understand even now.
I find one of the most interesting aspects of ritual is that in one culture the concept of timing was grasped and utilized long before the invention of time keeping.

While I am a bit more familiure with the making of Katana and tea, your ritual strikes me as something very much alike. Thanks for sharing it with us.

[Owl]

I always thought that the smoke was to cover up the human smell..
My father would constantly be puffing on his pipe while hunting and it never seemed to scare the moose...but he always used raw leaf tobacco that he chopped himself.

[Muz]

Geez Muz I think that was a tad bizarre given the nature of the thread. I don't know if you noticed but I pushed thanks and both my name and yours appeared instantly.

Weird! My reply didn't go through either...

I'm engaging in some purification of my own right now!:whistle:

Bear, may the hunt be long and challenging, the kill quick and sure.

Muz

[CDNBear]

I always thought that the smoke was to cover up the human smell..
My father would constantly be puffing on his pipe while hunting and it never seemed to scare the moose...but he always used raw leaf tobacco that he chopped himself.

I've had Deer wheeze and run while smoking during recon season. I know they didn't see me, they're used to the human scent where we hunt, so it had to be the smoke.

I find Moose puzzling, they have all sorts of quarks and not one is anything like another.

We're hoping to get a Moose tag next year. How's the Moose hunting up your way? Is there any open area's to hunt, or will I need to contact some land owners?

[Mark]

I read in a novel about twenty years ago about Natives climbing into a hole and using a fire and smoke to brink about visions.

Do you know anything of these rituals Bear, is there an actual ritual with smoke used to try and have a vision? I find the whole premise fascinating, and of course you know I am acting as a sponge for other reasons.

[Owl]

I've had Deer wheeze and run while smoking during recon season. I know they didn't see me, they're used to the human scent where we hunt, so it had to be the smoke.

I find Moose puzzling, they have all sorts of quarks and not one is anything like another.

We're hoping to get a Moose tag next year. How's the Moose hunting up your way? Is there any open area's to hunt, or will I need to contact some land owners?

I almost choked when I read the highlighted portion of your post:laugh:
If you look at Google maps anywhere from Cochrane to Thunder Bay and zoom in anywhere more than five miles off highway 11 and you see very few roads.......it means there ain't any:whistle:
My area consists of WMU 23, 24 and 30...
Years ago the special archery season used to be in area 23 and started weeks ahead of the firearm season....but yo will have to check the regulations because I haven't hunted big game in 8 years and rules change.....
One good place for an out of towner to have a base camp would be Rufus lake lodge in area 23 http://www.rufuslakeoutfitters.com/accommodations.html
I've stayed there years ago when a friend owned the place....It's about 60 miles,,,100 klicks west and south of Kapuskasing and all the gravel bush roads can be navigated with a GPS...(The local lumber company has them well mapped)
I can get you more information as you need it when you have your location picked..