Part 3

1. Verily, at that time and place, it has been said, in this house, 2. The Hoⁿ´-ga, a people who possess seven fireplaces, 3. Spake to one another, saying: Lo, we have nothing of which to make our bodies. 4. Then, at that very time, 5. They spake to the bird that has no stains (evil disposition), 6. Saying: O, grandfather, 7. The little ones have nothing of which to make their bodies. 8. Then, at that very time, 9. The bird that has no stains (evil disposition) 10. Spake, saying: When the little ones make of me their bodies, 11. They shall always live to see old age, as they travel the path of life. 12. Again the bird spake: 13. Behold my toes that are gathered together in folds, 14. Which I have made to be the sign of my old age. 15. When the little ones make of me the means of reaching old age, 16. They shall always live to see old age, as they travel the path of life. 17. Behold, also, the wrinkles upon my shins, 18. Which I have made to be the sign of my old age. 19. When the little ones make of me the means of reaching old age, 20. They shall always live to see old age, as they travel the path of life. 21. The bird that has no stain 22. Again spake, saying: Behold the wrinkles upon my knees, 23. Which I have made to be the sign of my old age. 24. When the little ones make of me the means of reaching old age, 25. They shall always live to see old age, as they travel the path of life. 26. Behold the flaccid muscles of my inner thigh, 27. Which I have made to be the sign of my old age. 28. When the little ones make of me the means of reaching old age, 29. They shall always live to see old age, as they travel the path of life. 30. Behold the muscles of my breast, gathered together as in a fold, 31. Which I have made to be the sign of my old age. 32. When the little ones make of me the means of reaching old age, 33. They shall always live to see old age, as they travel the path of life. 34. Behold the flaccid muscles of my arms, 35. Which I have made to be the sign of my old age. 36. When the little ones make of me the means of reaching old age, 37. They shall always live to see old age, as they travel the path of life. 38. Behold the bend of my shoulders, 39. Which I have made to be the sign of my old age. 40. When the little ones make of me the means of reaching old age, 41. They shall always live to see their shoulders bent with age, as they travel the path of life. 42. Behold the flaccid muscles of my throat, 43. Which I have made to be the sign of my old age. 44. When the little ones make of me the means of reaching old age, 45. They shall always live to see old age, as they travel the path of life. 46. Behold the folds in the corners of my eyelids, 47. Which I have made to be the signs of my old age. 48. When the little ones make of me the means of reaching old age, 49. They shall always live to see the corners of their eyelids folded with age, as they travel the path of life. 50. Behold my eyelids that are gathered into folds, 51. Which I have made to be the signs of my old age. 52. When the little ones make of me the means of reaching old age, 53. They shall always live to see their eyelids gathered into folds with age, as they travel the path of life. 54. Behold the hair on the crown of my head, now grown thin, 55. Which I have made to be the sign of my old age. 56. When the little ones make of me the means of reaching old age, 57. They shall always live to see the hair on the crown of their heads grown thin with age, as they travel the path of life.

WI´-GI-E OF THE WA´-ṬSE-ṬSI GENS

At the close of the recital of the wi´-gi-es by all the Noⁿ´-hoⁿ-zhiⁿ-ga, the Sho´-ḳa places before the head of the Ṭsi´-zhu Wa-shta-ge gens a bowl of water into which had been put fronds of the red cedar. The red cedar and the water are the life symbols of the Wa´-ṭse-ṭsi, the people who came to earth from the stars. The following is an epitome of their wi´-gi-e:

I am a person who is fit for use as a symbol, Behold the female red cedar, Verily, I am a person who has made of that tree his body. When the little ones make of me their bodies, They shall always live to see old age. Behold the male red cedar, The little ones shall always use this tree as a symbol. When the little ones use it for a symbol, They shall always live to see old age. Behold these waters, That we shall make to be companions to the tree. When the little ones make use of these waters As the means of reaching old age, They shall always live to see old age.

—(See 36th Ann. Rept. Bur. Amer. Ethn., p. 95.)

WI´-GI-E OF THE BOW PEOPLE

The E-noⁿ´ Miⁿ-dse-ṭoⁿ, a people who belong to the same great tribal division as the Wa´-ṭse-ṭsi, use a similar wi´-gi-e, which is as follows:

I am a person who is fitted for use as a symbol. Verily, in the midst of the rushing waters Abides my being. Verily, I am a person who has made of the waters his body. Behold the right side of the river, Of which I have made the right side of my body. When the little ones make of me their bodies And use the right side of the river To make their bodies, The right side of their bodies shall be free from all causes of death.

Behold the left side of the river, Of which I have made the left side of my body. When the little ones also make of it the left side of their bodies, The left side of their bodies shall always be free from all causes of death.

Behold the channel of the river, Of which I have made the hollow of my body. When the little ones make of me their bodies, The hollow of their bodies shall always be free from all causes of death.

A bowl of shelled corn, the life symbol of the Tho´-xe gens, was also placed before the head of the Ṭsi´-zhu Wa-shta-ge gens. (For the Maize Wi´-gi-e of the Tho´-xe gens, see 36th Ann. Rept. Bur. Amer. Ethn., p. 135, lines 57 to 113; also p. 277, lines 83 to 110.)

When the bowls of water and cedar fronds and shelled corn are placed before the Ṭsi´-zhu Wa-shta-ge, the Sho´-ḳa puts in his arms the child to be blessed and named. The head of the Ṭsi´-zhu Wa-shta-ge gens then passes the tips of the fingers of his right hand over the bowl of water and cedar fronds, and the bowl of the life-giving corn, then touches with the tips of his fingers the lips, head, arms and body of the child. The two bowls and the child are then passed on to the head of the Wa´-ṭse-ṭsi Wa-shta-ge gens, who goes through the same motions with the child. The child and the two bowls are then passed on to the heads of each of the other gentes who make the same motions over the child as were made by the heads of the first two gentes.

These ceremonial acts performed by the heads of the gentes officiating, by which the child is brought into touch with the ever-flowing waters, the red cedar, an everlasting tree, and the life-giving corn, are supplicatory acts by which the aid of Wa-ḳoⁿ´-da is sought for the child who is to go forth to take part in the great life activities. Not only is the attainment of old age desired for the child but also the continuity of its life by a never-ending line of descendants.

At the close of these ceremonial acts a sacred gentile name is conferred upon the child without further ceremony. If, however, there are two or more names to choose from, as is the case in some of the gentes, the mother of the child has the privilege of making a choice from two or three names. This privilege is given by the Xo´-ḳa, who offers to the mother two small sticks prepared for this purpose, each of which represents a name mentioned in the origin ritual of the gens naming the child. The mother usually chooses the stick representing the name which to her has the greater religious significance and is the most euphonious.

EARTH NAMES AND WI´-GI-ES

It was stated (see p. 33) that earth names as well as sky names were used by both the Iⁿ-gthoⁿ´-ga and the Wa-ça´-be gentes as distinctive birth names for their children.

In the course of a conversation concerning the gentile names, classed as sky and earth names, Wa-xthi´-zhi, of the Puma gens, remarked that: When the Hoⁿ´-ga people were coming from the sky to the earth they chose two persons (gentes) to act as official messengers. One of these persons was called Hoⁿ´-ga Wa´-ṭse-gi-ṭsi, The-sacred-one-from-the-stars, and the other Hoⁿ´-ga Wa-ṭse-ga-wa, The-sacred-radiant-star. These messengers were expected to find some way of dispersing the waters that submerged the earth and of exposing the ground beneath so as to make it habitable for all living creatures.

Wa´-ṭse-gi-ṭsi and Wa´-ṭse-ga-wa, the two messengers, found on the still waters the water spider, the water beetle, the white leech, and the dark leech, of whom they asked for aid which they could not give, but promised to help the people to reach old age. (See 36th Ann. Rept. Bur. Amer. Ethn., p. 163, lines 200 to 273.) The two messengers went on and they met O´-poⁿ-ṭoⁿ-ga, the Great Elk, and appealed to him for aid. The Great Elk threw himself upon the waters four times and splashed about until the ground was exposed and ready to receive men and animals. He then called to the four corners of the earth for the life-giving winds to come. Next he threw himself upon the ground and rolled about; then, as he arose, the hairs of his body clung to the soil and became the grasses of the earth. (See 36th Ann. Rept. Bur. Amer. Ethn., pp. 165-167, lines 274 to 354.)

The two messengers then led the people over the dry land of the earth, when suddenly Hoⁿ´-ga Wa´-ṭse-gi-ṭsi, The-one-from-the-stars, came upon Iⁿ-gthoⁿ´-ga, the Puma. The messenger then changed his name from Wa´-ṭse-gi-ṭsi to Iⁿ-gthoⁿ´-ga. In like manner the Hoⁿ´-ga Wa´-ṭse-ga-wa, the Radiant Star, came upon Wa-ça´-be, the Black Bear. The Radiant Star then changed his name from Wa´-ṭse-ga-wa to Wa-ça´-be, the Black Bear.

These were the first earth names of the two related gentes, the Iⁿ-gthoⁿ´-ga and the Wa-ça´-be. Wa-xthi´-zhi mentioned several other personal earth names of these two gentes but he suggested that the parts of the rituals given by himself and Wa-ṭse´-moⁿ-iⁿ (pl. 5), in which are mentioned the earth names, be referred to as authoritative, and so the following paraphrases of those parts of the rituals are here given.

EARTH NAME WI´-GI-ES

(WA-XTHI´-ZHI)

The people spake to one another, saying: The little ones have nothing to use as a symbol of courage. Then, at that very time, The Hoⁿ´-ga Wa´-ṭse-ga-wa (Hoⁿ´-ga-radiant-star), Went forth with hurried footsteps To the Iⁿ-gthoⁿ´-ga do-ga, (male puma), With whom he stood face to face and spake, Saying: The little ones have nothing to use as a symbol of courage, O, grandfather. The Male puma replied: I am a person whom the little ones may use as a symbol of courage. The brothers spake in low tones, Saying: He is a puma, O, younger brothers, Let us take personal names from him; Iⁿ-gthoⁿ´-ga-ṭoⁿ´-ga, the Great-puma, Shall be our name, O, younger brothers; Iⁿ-gthoⁿ´-ga-zhiⁿ-ga, the Young-puma, Shall be our names, as we travel the path of life.

The Hoⁿ´-ga Wa´-ṭse-ga-wa, Radiant-star, Went forth with hurried footsteps, To the Wa-ça´-be, the Black-bear that is without blemish, Who stood as in a flame of fire. The Radiant-star spake to him, saying: The little ones have nothing to use as a symbol of their courage. Wa-ça´-be replied: I am a person whom the little ones may use as a symbol of their courage. The brothers spake to one another, saying: He is a black bear! He is very dark in color! Let us take from him personal names. Sha´-be-ṭsi-gthe, the Dark-one, Shall be our name henceforth, as we travel the path of life. You have found the Dark-one, O, younger brothers, Sha´-be-i-the, Finder-of-the-dark-one, Shall be our name, henceforth, as we travel the path of life. Look you, O, younger brothers, they said to one another, The little ones have nothing to use as a symbol of courage. Then they went forth in a body to an open prairie, Where sat Mi´-xa-çka, the Great-white-swan. Face to face they stood with him and spake, Saying: The little ones have nothing to use as a symbol of courage, O, grandfather. The brothers spake in low tones, saying: O, younger brothers, We shall take from him personal names. How white he is! the younger ones exclaimed, He is a bird, A white swan. Mi´-xa-çka, the White-swan, Shall be our name, O, younger brothers. How white he is! they again exclaimed, Wa-zhiⁿ´-çka, the White-bird, shall also Be our name, O, younger brothers.

—(36th Ann. Rept. Bur. Amer. Ethn., pp. 194-195, lines 1063 to 1115.)

Earth names mentioned in the origin wi´-gi-e given, by Wa-ṭse´-moⁿ-iⁿ.

WI´-GI-E OF THE WA´ṬSE-GI-ṬSI

HE-WHO-CAME-FROM-THE-STARS

What said they? it has been said, in this house, The people spake, saying: O, younger brothers, We are a people who give no mercy to the foe. Then they spake to the one (gens) who had made of the Puma his body, Saying: O, younger brother. Hardly were these words spoken when the Puma hastened forth. After a time the people said: There are signs that our brother is returning. Then some of the brothers ran to meet him.

To their inquiry the Puma replied: O, elder brothers, Yonder stands a man, Verily, a man whose appearance inspires fear, A man who is like us in form. The people spake, saying: O, younger brother, We are a people who show no mercy to the foe. Whoever this man may be, We shall send him to the abode of spirits, We shall make him to lie low.

Then toward the man they hastened: They made one ceremonial pause. At the fourth pause, The Puma exclaimed: There he stands! It is well, the people replied, We shall send him to the abode of spirits. Then, at that very time, The stranger spake, saying: I am a sacred man, O, elder brothers.

The Puma spake, saying: He speaks clearly our language! I am Hoⁿ´-ga Wa´-ṭse-gi-ṭsi, a sacred person come from the stars, the stranger continued. I am Zhiⁿ-ga´-ga-hi-ge,[1] The-young-chief; I am Wa´-ṭse-ga-hi-ge, The-star-chief; I am Wa´-ṭse-ga-wa, The-star-radiant; I am Wa´-ṭse-moⁿ-iⁿ, The-traveling-star.

That pleases us! the people exclaimed. Zhiⁿ-ga´-ga-hi-ge, The-young-chief, the stranger went on, Shall be your name, as you travel the path of life; Wa´-ṭse-ga-wa, The-star-radiant, Shall also be your name, as you travel the path of life. I have done much to make you contented and happy. We are pleased! the people exclaimed, We shall henceforth put away all anger and hatred, We shall accept the names thus offered us. Zhiⁿ-ga´-ga-hi-ge, The-young-chief, Shall be our name, Wa´-ṭse-ga-wa, The-star-radiant, Shall be our name. I´-e-çka-wa-the, He-speaks-clearly, We shall also take as a name in his honor, P̣a´-thiⁿ-hoⁿ-ga, The-sacred-stranger, We shall also take as a name in his honor.

[1] The name Zhin-ga´-ga-hi-ge is still used in the Ṭa-p̣a´ gens of the Omaha, a cognate tribe.

Mi´-xa-çka, the white swan from whom personal names were taken, as mentioned in the following wi´-gi-e given by Wa-ṭse´-moⁿ-iⁿ, is a warrior symbol. The black color on its feet and on the tip of its nose typifies the fire that knows no mercy. The standards (crooks), which were carried by an Osage war party (pl. 6, _a_), typify the neck of the white swan.

MI´-XA-ÇKA, THE WHITE SWAN

The people spake to one another, saying: We have nothing of which to make a symbol (war standard). They spake to the Puma (gens), saying: Go thou and make search (for materials). Even as these words were spoken the Puma went forth to search.

In time he hastened homeward, And, standing before the elder brothers, he spake, saying: O, elder brothers, what appears to be an animal, Is in yonder place. Make haste! the people said to one another, We shall send him to the abode of spirits. Verily, we are a people who give no mercy to the foe.

They made one ceremonial pause, The fourth pause brought them close to the place. Then the Puma spake, saying: There he stands! O, elder brothers. An elder brother pointed with his index finger at the bird, And it fell to the ground in death, its feathers strewing the earth. They gathered around the fallen bird and stood.

Then one spake, saying: It is a swan! O, elder brothers, A white swan! Even from its white plumage We shall take personal names, Mi´-xa-çka, White-swan, Wa-zhiⁿ´-ga-çka, White-bird, And Moⁿ´-shoⁿ-çka, White-feathers, The little ones shall be named, as they travel the path of life.

—(36th Ann. Rept. Bur. Amer. Ethn., pp. 228-231, lines 238 to 358.)

The earth names given by Wa-xthi´-zhi, of the Iⁿ-gthoⁿ´-ga (Puma) gens, in his wi´-gi-es are as follows:

1. Iⁿ-gthoⁿ´-ga-ṭoⁿ-ga, the Great-puma. 2. Inⁿ-gṭhoⁿ´-ga-zhiⁿ-ga, the Young-puma. 3. Sha´-be-ṭsi-gthe, the Dark-one. 4. Sha´-be-i-the, Finder-of-the-dark-one. 5. Mi´-xa-çka, the White-swan. 6. Wa-zhiⁿ´-çka, the White-bird.

The earth names given by Wa-ṭse´-moⁿ-iⁿ of the Wa-ça´-be (Black Bear) gens in his wi´-gi-es:

1. Wa´-ṭse-gi-ṭsi, He-who-came-from-the-stars. 2. Zhiⁿ-ga´-ga-hi-ge, Young-chief. 3. Wa´-ṭse-ga-hi-ge, Star-chief. 4. Wa-ṭse´-ga-wa, Star-radiant. 5. Wa-ṭse´-moⁿ-iⁿ, Traveling-star. 6. I´-e-çka-wa-the, He-speaks-clearly. 7. P̣a´-thiⁿ-hoⁿ-ga, The-sacred-stranger. 8. Mi´-xa-çka, White-swan. 9. Wa-zhiⁿ´-ga-çka, White-bird. 10. Moⁿ-shoⁿ-çka, White-feather.

The following earth names, not specifically mentioned by Wa-xthi´-zhi, also appear in the wi´-gi-es recorded by himself and by Wa-ṭse´-moⁿ-iⁿ. These names are also regarded as sacred and are ceremonially bestowed upon the children of the Puma and Black Bear gentes:

WA-XTHI´-ZHI

1. Moⁿ´-hiⁿ-çi-i-ba-btho-ga, Round-handled-knife. (36th Ann. Rept. Bur. Amer. Ethn., p. 206, line 1399.)

2. Monⁿ´-hiⁿ-hoⁿ-ga, Sacred-knife. (36th Ann. Rept. Bur. Amer. Ethn., p. 207, line 1424.)

3. Moⁿ-hiⁿ-zhu-dse, Red-knife. (36th Ann. Rept. Bur. Amer. Ethn., p. 208, line 1439.)

4. The fourth name given by Wa-xthi´-zhi (Noⁿ-be´-wa-koⁿ-da, Mysterious-hand) does not appear in any of the wi´-gi-es given either by himself or by Wa-ṭse´-moⁿ-iⁿ. However, the Mysterious-hand is spoken of by both of these men in their conversations concerning the rites, and is referred to in some of the wi´-gi-es. (See 36th Ann. Rept., p. 230, lines 323 to 340.) The story of the Mysterious-hand, as told colloquially, is that when the people came from the sky to the earth they had no weapons, but they killed animals by moistening the index finger of the right hand with saliva and pointing it at them. This name is also bestowed ceremonially.

WA-ṬSE´-MO^N-I^N

1. Miⁿ´-ṭse-xi, Sacred-robe. (36th Ann. Rept. Bur. Amer. Ethn., p. 235, line 510.)

2. Noⁿ´-ḳa-dsi-wiⁿ, Spine-woman. (36th Ann. Rept. Bur. Amer. Ethn., p. 235, line 512.)

3. Ṭse´-p̣a´-ga-xe, Buffalo-head-maker. (36th Ann. Rept. Bur. Amer. Ethn., p. 235, line 518.)

4. Moⁿ´-hiⁿ-zhu-dse, Red-knife. (36th Ann. Rept. Bur. Amer. Ethn., p. 237, line 573.)

5. Moⁿ´-hiⁿ-hoⁿ-ga, Sacred-knife. (36th Ann. Rept. Bur. Amer. Ethn., p. 237, line 576.)

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS TO THE MOTHER

At the close of the ceremony of blessing the child by the various gentes officiating, the Sho´-ḳa conducts the mother to a seat prepared for her in front of the Xo´-ḳa, who gives her special instructions in the ceremonies to be observed by her to complete the child-naming rite. Between the two is spread a buffalo robe which had been decorated with certain symbolic designs. (Fig. 2.) This formal talk to the mother is called “Ḳi´-noⁿ U-tha-ge,” Telling of the Symbolic Painting. Extra fees are required for the special instruction, which, with the help of friends and relatives, the mother is enabled to pay.

[Illustration:

FIG. 2.—Symbolic robe prepared for children]

If the mother is skilled with her awl and thread in ornamental work she would decorate with porcupine quills the symbolic robe to be used in this special ceremony; if not skilled, she would content herself with painting the symbolic designs on the robe.

When the robe has been spread before the Xo´-ḳa he begins to talk, as follows:

Wi-ṭsi-ni-e´, My daughter-in-law, I see you have brought with you a robe which you have dressed and decorated for the comfort of your little one. It is a sacred robe which should be put to use with proper ceremony. This ceremony you will observe for a period of four days, during which you will paint red the parting or your hair. It will be a sign that you appeal for a long and fruitful life for yourself and child, to the god of day whose path lies over the middle of the earth.

You have reddened the head and the forelegs of the robe. The head and forelegs of the robe typify that part of the earth whence rises the god of day to take his westward journey. Red is the color of the day when it is young, the time when you will rise and go forth to prepare food for the little one whose tender life is wholly dependent upon your efforts. A narrow line runs from the head of the robe along the middle of the back to the tail. This line typifies the path of the god of day who ever travels from east to west. Midway of the path is a round spot which represents the god of day when it has reached the middle of heaven. Here he marks the time when you will turn your thoughts from other things to the feeding of the little one so that the nourishing of its life may be continuous. The god of day continues his journey and in time reaches the edge of the earth, behind which he finally disappears. The hind legs and the tail of the robe are reddened to typify the glow that warns us of the ending of the day when your thoughts will again turn to the care of the little one. When you put these symbolic marks upon this sacred robe your thoughts reached out in appeal to Wa-ḳoⁿ´-da for yourself and child.

[Illustration:

BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY

FORTY-THIRD ANNUAL REPORT PLATE 5

WA-ṬSE´-MO^N-I^N (WA-ÇA´-BE (BLACK BEAR) GENS)]

[Illustration:

BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY

FORTH-THIRD ANNUAL REPORT PLATE 6

_a_, WAR STANDARD (SYMBOLIZES THE WHITE SWAN)

_b_, ṬSE´-WA-THE ROOT (NELUMBO LUTEA), USED FOR FOOD]

As the shadow of night spreads over the land you will take your little one in your arms, draw this robe over you, then rest in sleep. The robe which you draw over yourself and child typifies the heaven, whence comes all life, and the act is an appeal to heaven for protection.