Chapter 5 of 13 · 3952 words · ~20 min read

Part 5

138. The people spake, saying: The little ones have nothing of which to make their bodies, 139. Give heed, younger brothers, and see what can be done. 140. Then to the youngest of the brothers, 141. They spake, saying: O, younger brother, 142. The little ones have nothing of which to make their bodies. 143. Even as these words were being spoken, 144. The messenger stood before Deer-head (Pleiades), who sitteth in the heavens, 145. To whom he spake, saying: O, my grandmother! 146. She replied: My grandchild! 147. The messenger spake: The little ones have nothing of which to make their bodies. 148. Deer-head replied: I am a person of whom the little ones may well make their bodies, 149. I am a god who has power to resist death. 150. When the little ones make of me their bodies, 151. They also shall have power to resist death, as they travel the path of life. 152. Even among the gods 153. There is not one who is able to see my path. 154. When the little ones make of me their bodies, 155. Even the gods 156. Shall not be able to see their path, as they travel the path of life. 157. Even among the gods 158. There is not one who can stand in my way to prevent my going. 159. When the little ones make of me their bodies, 160. Even the gods 161. Shall not be able to stand in their way to prevent their going. 162. Moreover, I have been able to bring myself to see old age. 163. When the little ones make of me their bodies, 164. They also shall be able to bring themselves to see old age. 165. I have been able to bring myself to the calm and peaceful days. 166. When the little ones make of me their bodies, 167. They also shall be able to bring themselves to the calm and peaceful days, as they travel the path of life.

168. The people spake, saying: The little ones have nothing of which to make their bodies, 169. Give heed, O, younger brothers, and see what can be done. 170. Then to the youngest of the brothers, 171. They spake, saying: O, younger brother, 172. The little ones have nothing of which to make their bodies, 173. Take heed and see what can be done. 174. Even as these words were being spoken, 175. The messenger stood before Three-deer (Orion’s belt), who stands in the heavens, 176. To whom he spake, saying: O, grandfather! 177. The little ones have nothing of which to make their bodies. 178. Three-deer replied: I am a person of whom the little ones may well make their bodies, 179. I am a god who has power to resist death. 180. When the little ones make of me their bodies, 181. They also shall have power to resist death, as they travel the path of life. 182. Even among the gods 183. There is not one who is able to see my path. 184. When the little ones make of me their bodies, 185. Even the gods 186. Shall not be able to see their path, as they travel the path of life. 187. Even among the gods 188. There is not one who can stand in my way to prevent my going. 189. When the little ones make of me their bodies, 190. Even the gods 191. Shall not be able to stand in their way to prevent their going. 192. Moreover, I have been able to bring myself to see old age. 193. When the little ones make of me their bodies, 194. They also shall have the power to bring themselves to see old age. 195. I have been able to bring myself to the calm and peaceful days. 196. When the little ones make of me their bodies, 197. They also shall be able to bring themselves to the calm and peaceful days, as they travel the path of life.

198. The people spake, saying: The little ones have nothing of which to make their bodies, O, younger brothers, 199. Take heed and see what can be done. 200. Then to the youngest of the brothers 201. They spake, saying: O, younger brother, 202. The little ones have nothing of which to make their bodies, 203. Take heed and see what can be done. 204. Even as these words were being spoken, 205. The messenger stood before Double-star (Theta and Iota in Orion) who sitteth in the heavens, 206. To whom he spake, saying: O, grandmother! 207. The little ones have nothing of which to make their bodies. 208. Double-star replied: I am a person of whom the little ones may well make their bodies. 209. I am a god who has power to resist death. 210. When the little ones make of me their bodies, 211. They also shall have power to resist death, as they travel the path of life. 212. Even among the gods 213. There is not one who is able to see my path. 214. When the little ones make of me their bodies, 215. Even the gods 216. Shall not be able to see their path, as they travel the path of life. 217. Even among the gods 218. There is not one who can stand in my way to prevent my going. 219. When the little ones make of me their bodies, 220. Even the gods 221. Shall not be able to stand in their way to prevent their going. 222. Moreover, I have been able to bring myself to see old age. 223. When the little ones make of me their bodies, 224. They also shall be able to bring themselves to see old age. 225. I have been able to bring myself to the calm and peaceful days. 226. When the little ones make of me their bodies, 227. They also shall be able to bring themselves to the calm and peaceful days, as they travel the path of life.

At the close of the wi´-gi-e Shoⁿ´-ge-moⁿ-iⁿ and the Sho´-ḳa are invited by the family to join them in the evening meal, after which the two men go home.

THE XO´-ḲA CEREMONIALLY CONDUCTED TO THE CHILD’S HOUSE

Before sunrise the next morning the Sho´-ḳa, carrying his little pipe, the badge of his office, goes to Shoⁿ´-ge-moⁿ-iⁿ’s house to conduct him to the house of the child to be named. Upon receiving the formal message from the Sho´-ḳa, Shoⁿ´-ge-moⁿ-iⁿ takes his paint pouch from a bag containing his personal belongings and puts some red paint on the inner surface of his hands. Then as the eastern clouds take from the rising sun a crimson tinge, he lifts his hands, palms outward, toward them and the sun itself. After a silent pause he withdraws his hands and reddens his face with the paint on them, as though with the color of the sun, and his messengers, the reddened clouds. When he has put upon his face the sacred color he takes from a package in which he keeps his ornamental feathers a red downy eagle feather which he fastens to his scalplock so that the red feather, the life symbol of his gens, stands firm and upright. In the days when buffalo were plentiful the Noⁿ´-hoⁿ-zhiⁿ-ga who is to act as Xo´-ḳa at the child-naming ceremony wore a buffalo robe with the hair outside, but since the extinction of that animal he substituted for the robe a woven blanket obtained from traders.

Having thus decorated himself with red paint and the red feather, symbols of the sky, and the substitute of the buffalo robe, an earth symbol, Shoⁿ´-ge-moⁿ-iⁿ, now actual Xo´-ḳa, goes forth to the house of the child to be named, following the Sho´-ḳa, who leads the way. It was explained by the old man that the manner of approach of his gens, the Ṭsi´-zhu Wa-shta-ge, to the house of the child was very simple, that it did not have the elaborate ceremonial forms described by Wa-xthi´-zhi that were followed by his gens, the Puma, and the other war gentes of the Hoⁿ´-ga great division.

Arriving at the house, the Sho´-ḳa enters without pause and leads the Xo´-ḳa to his place at the left of the father, who sits with his wife and child at the east end of the house. When the Xo´-ḳa has taken his seat the Noⁿ´-hoⁿ-zhiⁿ-ga of his gens, the Ṭsi-zhu Wa-shta-ge, enter and take their places back of the Xo´-ḳa and the parents and sit in a row occupying the entire width of the house. Then the Noⁿ´-hoⁿ-zhiⁿ-ga of the other gentes who are to take part in the ceremony enter, those of the Hoⁿ´-ga great division taking their accustomed places at the south side and those of the Ṭsi´-zhu great division at the north side of the house. (Fig. 1.) Except for the blankets of various colors, the Noⁿ´-hoⁿ-zhiⁿ-ga were decorated alike, their faces painted red, the color of the sun and the dawn, and a red downy feather fastened to the scalplock of each one.

A LIFE SYMBOL SENT TO EACH OF THE OFFICIATING GENTES

When all the Noⁿ´-hoⁿ-zhiⁿ-ga had settled down in their places, and had exchanged with each other the usual social greetings, Shoⁿ´-ge-moⁿ-iⁿ opens the proceedings with a formal statement, setting forth the purpose of the gathering and adding some pertinent remarks concerning the ancient rite of naming the children and their formal recognition as members of the tribe. He then goes on to the ceremony of distributing the fees and the symbolic articles to be used in the rite. The distribution was made in the following order:

1. To the Wa´-ṭse-ṭsi, Star gens of the Wa-zha´-zhe subdivision of the Hoⁿ´-ga great division, he sent, by the Sho´-ḳa, cedar fronds with fee. The cedar is a life symbol of the Wa´-ṭse-ṭsi gens.

2. To the Tho´-xe, Buffalo-bull gens, of the Ṭsi´-zhu great division, a bowl of shelled corn with fee. The maize is one of the life symbols of the Tho´-xe.

3. To the Noⁿ´-poⁿ-da, Deer gens of the Wa-zha´-zhe subdivision of the Hoⁿ´-ga great division, a bowl of water with fee. Water is one of the life symbols of the Noⁿ´-poⁿ-da.

4. To the Çiⁿ´-dse-a-gthe, Wolf-tail gens, of the Ṭsi´-zhu great division, fee only. The sun is one of the life symbols of this gens. The Dog-star is also one of its symbols.

5. I´-ba-ṭse Ṭa-dse, Wind gens of the Hoⁿ´-ga subdivision of the Hoⁿ´-ga great division, a bowl of shelled corn. The Tho´-xe authorized the I´-ba-ṭse to use the maize ritual. This gens also has the office of performing the ceremonies by which the souls of warriors slain in battle are sent direct to the spirit land.

MEMBERS OF THE OFFICIATING GENTES RECITE THEIR WI´-GI-ES SIMULTANEOUSLY

When the Sho´-ḳa, the Ceremonial Messenger, had made the last delivery of the symbolic articles and fees to the gentes above named, each Noⁿ´-hoⁿ-zhiⁿ-ga begins to recite the wi´-gi-e of his gens relating to its life symbol, such as the cedar fronds, the corn or water. As each Noⁿ´-hoⁿ-zhiⁿ-ga recites the wi´-gi-e of his gens, old Shoⁿ´-ge-moⁿ-iⁿ recites the Name Wi´-gi-e of his own gens, the Ṭsi-zhu Wa-shta-ge, which is as follows:

THE NAME WI´-GI-E

FREE TRANSLATION

1. The people spake to one another, saying: O, younger brothers, 2. The little ones have nothing of which to make their bodies, 3. Take heed and see what can be done. 4. Then to the youngest of the brothers they spake, 5. Saying: O, younger brother, 6. The little ones have nothing of which to make their bodies, 7. You will give heed and see what can be done. 8. Even as these words were being spoken 9. To the first division of heaven, 10. The messenger verily descended, 11. Where the little ones had not yet become a people.

12. Again the people spake, saying: O, younger brothers, 13. The little ones have nothing of which to make their bodies, 14. Take heed and see what can be done. 15. Then to the youngest of the brothers they spake, 16. Saying: O, younger brother, 17. You will give heed and see what can be done. 18. To the second division of heaven the messenger descended, 19. When he cried out: 20. It can not be, it is impossible: 21. The little ones have not yet become a people.

22. Again the people spake, saying: O, younger brothers, 23. The little ones have nothing of which to make their bodies, 24. Take heed and see what can be done. 25. Then to the youngest of the brothers they spake, 26. Saying: O, younger brother, 27. The little ones have nothing of which to make their bodies, 28. You will give heed and see what can be done. 29. Even as these words were being spoken, 30. The messenger descended to the third division of heaven, 31. Where the little ones had not yet become a people.

32. Verily, at that time and place, 33. The people spake, saying: O, younger brothers, the little ones have nothing of which to make their bodies, 34. Take heed and see what can be done. 35. Then to the youngest of the brothers they spake, 36. Saying: O, younger brother, 37. The little ones have nothing of which to make their bodies, 38. You will give heed and see what can be done. 39. Even as these words were being spoken, 40. The messenger descended to the fourth division of heaven, 41. Where lay the bird (the female eagle) that has no stains (evil disposition). 42. Verily, a person who is ever present upon her nest. 43. Upon the center of the earth, that sat in all her greatness,[2] 44. There stood a person (the male eagle). 45. From him we shall take the name, Moⁿ-zhoⁿ´, Earth, 46. Verily, he is a person who travels far and wide, above the earth. 47. We shall take from him the name, Moⁿ-zhoⁿ´-ga-shoⁿ, Travels-above-the-earth. 48. Verily, he is a person whose home is upon the center of the earth. 49. We will take from him the name, Moⁿ-zhoⁿ´-u-çkoⁿ-çka, Center-of-the-earth.

[2] The words of this line are figurative and mean the earth when she displays her greatness by her blossoming flowers and her ripening fruit.

50. The little ones are now a people. 51. We shall also take the name, Xi-tha´-da-wiⁿ, Good-eagle-woman, 52. Also the name, Hiⁿ´-i-ḳiⁿ-da-bi, Feathers-fought-over, 53. Hiⁿ´-ga-moⁿ-ge, Feathers-scattered-by-the-winds, shall also be our name, 54. As also, Noⁿ-be´-çi, Yellow-hands. 55. And Wa-zhiⁿ´-ga-hiⁿ, Feathers-of-the-bird, shall be our name.

56. Verily, at that time and place, 57. The eagle spake, saying: Behold the hollow of my foot, 58. Which I have made to be the sign of old age. 59. When the little ones make of me their bodies, 60. They shall live to see the sign of old age in the hollow of their foot.

61. The wrinkles upon my shin, 62. I have made to be the sign of old age. 63. When the little ones make of me their bodies, 64. They shall live to see wrinkles upon their shin. 65. The folds of the skin on my knee, 66. I have made to be the sign of old age. 67. When the little ones make of me their bodies, 68. They shall live to see the skin of their knee gathered in folds.

69. The stripes on the feathers of my thigh, 70. I have made to be the sign of old age. 71. When the little ones make of me their bodies, 72. They shall live to see the sign of old age upon their thigh. 73. The stripes upon my breast, 74. I have made to be the sign of old age. 75. When the little ones make of me their bodies, 76. They shall live to see the sign of old age on their breast.

77. The stripes upon the corners of my mouth, 78. I have made to be the sign of old age. 79. When the little ones make of me their bodies, 80. They shall live to see the sign of old age in the corners of their mouth.

81. The stripes upon my forehead, 82. I have made to be the sign of old age. 83. When the little ones make of me their bodies, 84. They shall live to see the sign of old age on their forehead.

85. The folds of my eyelids, 86. I have made to be the sign of old age. 87. When the little ones make of me their bodies, 88. They shall live to see the sign of old age on their eyelids.

89. I have been able to bring myself to old age. 90. When the little ones make of me their bodies, 91. They also shall be able to bring themselves to old age. 92. I have been able to bring myself to the calm and peaceful days. 93. When the little ones make of me their bodies, 94. They also shall be able to bring themselves to the calm and peaceful days, as they travel the path of life.

THE CHILD IS PASSED FROM GENS TO GENS TO BE BLESSED

At the close of the simultaneous recital of the wi´-gi-es by the Noⁿ´-hoⁿ-zhiⁿ-ga of the six gentes, namely, the Wa´-ṭse-ṭsi, Tho´-xe, Noⁿ´-poⁿ-da, Çiⁿ´-dse-a-gthe, I´-ba-ṭse, and the Ṭsi´-zhu Wa-shta-ge, the Sho´-ḳa carries the infant to the head of the Wa´-ṭse-ṭsi gens, who takes it in his arms, then, dipping the tips of the fingers into a wooden vessel, in which had been put sacred water and red cedar fronds, he gently touches with his moistened fingertips the lips, head, arms, and body of the little one. This ceremonial act is an appeal to Wa-ḳoⁿ´-da to grant to the little one health and strength so that it may grow to maturity and old age without interruption by disease.

The child is next taken by the Sho´-ḳa to the head of the Noⁿ´-poⁿ-da gens, who blesses it in the same manner with the symbolic water and cedar fronds.

Then the little one is taken to the head of the I´-ba-ṭse gens, who touches the lips, head, arms and body of the child with pounded corn, besides the sacred water and cedar fronds. The touching of the child with the life-giving corn is an act of appeal to Wa-ḳoⁿ´-da that the child be not permitted to suffer for want of food during its life, so that it may reach maturity and old age without difficulty. The gentile symbol of the I´-ba-ṭse gens is the wind but it was authorized by the Tho´-xe gens to use the corn ritual in its child-naming ritual.

The Sho´-ḳa takes the little one from the I´-ba-ṭse to the head of the Tho´-xe, Buffalo-bull, gens. In the mythical story of the origin of the maize it was Tho´-xe, Buffalo-bull, who gave to the people the maize and the squash. (See 36th Ann. Rept. Bur. Amer. Ethn., pp. 279-281, lines 54 to 110.) The head of the Tho´-xe gens takes the little one in his arms and blesses it with the sacred water and cedar fronds as did the Wa´-ṭse-ṭsi, then, mixing some of his own pounded corn with that of the I´-ba-ṭse, he blesses the child with the sacred corn, the life symbol of his own gens. The ceremonial act of the Tho´-xe is an expression of the wish that the life-giving corn will aid the new member of the Ṭsi´-zhu Wa-shta-ge gens to successfully reach maturity and old age.

The next to take the child in his arms and bless it with the symbolic water, cedar fronds and corn is the head of the Çiⁿ´-dse-a-gthe, Wolf, gens. His ceremonial acts do not differ from those of the Tho´-xe.

The Sho´-ḳa then brings the little one to its own gens, the Ṭsi´-zhu Wa-shta-ge, the People of Peace. The head of the gens takes the little one in his arms and blesses it in the same manner in which the Tho´-xe blessed it. This is the gens to whom the sick are brought that they might taste of the sacred food prepared by them and be strengthened. From this healing power the members of the gens like to take the name, Wa-stse´-e-doⁿ, Good-doctor.

When each of these gentes had blessed the child in turn the Sho´-ḳa brings the mother to the Xo´-ḳa, who places in her hands two little sticks, each of which represents a sacred name of the gens of which the little one has now become a member. The Xo´-ḳa bids her take one of the names represented by the sticks. The mother usually takes for her child the name that is most euphonious and which she thinks has the greater religious significance. The selection of a name for the new member of the gens closes the ceremony.

During the month of April, 1916, Shoⁿ´-ge-moⁿ-iⁿ was summoned to the house of Wa-xthi´-zhi to name his grandson, whose father is a member of the Ṭsi´-zhu Wa-shta-ge gens. Shoⁿ´-ge-moⁿ-iⁿ promptly responded to the call but Wa-xthi´-zhi became uncertain as to whether or not the ceremonial naming of a child according to the ancient tribal rites would come under the prohibition of the new religion which he had accepted against the practice of the ancient Osage ceremonies. The full ceremony was omitted, but the old man was asked to offer to the mother the choice of two sacred names: Moⁿ-zhoⁿ´, Earth (see p. 70, line 45), and Wa-stse´-e-doⁿ, Good-doctor. The mother, a member of the Iⁿ-gthoⁿ´-ga (Puma) gens, chose for her son, a member of the Ṭsi´-zhu Wa-shta-ge gens, the name Wa-stse´-e-doⁿ. Although the full child-naming ceremony was omitted, Wa-xthi´-zhi gave as fees to Shoⁿ´-ge-moⁿ-iⁿ a horse, a blanket, and other articles of value, amounting to about one hundred and fifty dollars.

The first wi´-gi-e recited in the child-naming ritual given by Shoⁿ´-ge-moⁿ-iⁿ (pp. 60 to 67) is entitled Wa-zho´-i-ga-the Wi´-gi-e, literally, The Taking of Bodies, and freely translated, The Taking of Life Symbols. In this wi´-gi-e eight gods, in the forms of certain cosmic bodies, are adopted as Life Symbols. Sex is attributed to these gods and goddesses and they are addressed as “grandfather” and “grandmother” because of their great age and mysterious character. The wi´-gi-e is an expression by the ancient Noⁿ´-hoⁿ-zhiⁿ-ga of their longing desire for a tribal life that will be as lasting as that of the gods and goddesses who forever travel in the heavens. These gods and goddesses are paired in this wi´-gi-e as follows:

1. Wa-ḳoⁿ´-da Hoⁿ´-ba doⁿ, God of Day (the Sun), grandfather, 2. Wa-ḳoⁿ´-da Hoⁿ doⁿ, Goddess of Night (the Moon), grandmother.

3. Wa´-ṭse-do-ga, Male Star (the Morning star), grandfather, 4. Wa´-ṭse Mi-ga, Female Star (the Evening star), grandmother.

5. Wa´-ba-ha, Litter (the Dipper), grandfather, 6. Ṭa-p̣a´, Deer-head (the Pleiades), grandmother.

7. Ṭa Tha´-bthiⁿ, Three-deer (the three great stars that form Orion’s Belt), grandfather, 8. Mi-ḳa-ḳ’e u-ḳi-tha-ç’iⁿ (Stars-strung-together) (theta and iota in Orion), grandmother.

Xu´-tha-wa-ṭoⁿ-iⁿ of the Ṭsi´-zhu Wa-noⁿ (Elder Ṭsi´-zhu), a war gens of the Ṭsi´-zhu great tribal division, was asked for the Child-naming Ritual of his gens, he being referred to as one versed in the rituals of the Ṭsi´-zhu war gentes, but he declined to give it in full. With some reluctance he consented to recite the first wi´-gi-e of his ritual which corresponds to and bears the same title as the one given by Shoⁿ´-ge-moⁿ-iⁿ, a Noⁿ´-hoⁿ-zhiⁿ-ga of the Ṭsi´-zhu Wa-shta-ge gens. (See pp. 60 to 67.)

[Illustration:

FIG. 3.—Chart of constellation Wa´-ba-ha (Ursa Major)]

[Illustration:

FIG. 4.—Chart of Ṭa Ṭha´-bthiⁿ, Three Deer (in Orion)]