Shaman Dog

Wojciech Cejrowski:

"The dogs of wild tribes are usually poor: skinny, suppurated, often sick. But Indians usually look poor too. You don’t see fat people among them. They’re regularly undernourished and the life in the jungle requires a lot of effort. An Indian doesn’t have much time to rest because he’s fighting to survive every day. So if he doesn’t eat and rest enough, he doesn’t have time to grow fat. So Indian dogs are skinny just like their owners.

With the exception of the shaman’s dog.

No one refuses to give food to the shaman’s dog. It’s wiser to deny oneself and give this dog a piece of meat, bone or at least a baked fish as soon as he comes – SO HE WOULD GO AWAY. Because when he’s standing at the threshold of the shelter… and is looking searchingly… people feel uncomfortable. And if he growled… children would start crying of fear.

The shaman’s dog isn’t a welcomed guest, just like a witch’s cat. Never and nowhere.

It’s mainly because this animal is trained to deliver special messages and it usually turns out that when the message is good, the shaman comes personally. But when there’s a more nasty case, he sends his dog. A dog that’s wiser than some people. He’s as cunning as the shaman himself. And he’s trained, which is an unknown and distressing thing in the jungle.

It’s very easy to recognize it (not only because of the overweight) – the shaman’s dog carries a characteristic pouch with “sanctities” around his neck.

These “sanctities” can be used for the protection of the dog. So we would say that they’re his good luck charms. But it could be that the dog got a task to drag the evil eye, sorrows or even death. In that case they won’t be good luck charms, but “bait” that “attracts” the Bad Power (and then leave the power on the doorstep on which the dog pisses.)

I didn’t know all of this when the shaman’s dog came to my shelter for the first time.

Listen... " ...
http://www.cejrowski.com/en/stories/index.php?p=2&PHPSESSID=1c997f98d5455d914924b1a28d9