The izze-kloth or medicine cord is a sacred cord worn by Apache medicine man that is believed to confer strength and special powers of healing to the wearer.
Etiquette
The
izze-kloth holds great sacred symbolism and people regarded as unbelievers in the cord are almost never permitted to view, touch or discuss it.
Nineteenth-century ethnological reports on Native American beliefs often commented on the difficulty in understanding the purpose and use of the
izze-kloth because "
the Apache look upon these cords as so sacred that strangers are not allowed to see them, much less handle them or talk about them."
See also
