May, 1903. The Arapaho Sun Dance — Dorsey. 47 



THE WHEEL CARRIED INTO THE SWEAT-LODGE. 

 Watdnah now took up the Wheel from the skull, and carrying it 

 upon calico coverings, entered the Sweat-lodge with it, and placed it 

 to the west of the fireplace, the head of the snake facing the east. 

 The rattle and bag of spruce-leaves he then carried in and placed 

 south of the Wheel. Nishnat^yana now approached, carrying a filled 

 pipe, which he deposited in front of the buffalo skull, the bowl point- 

 ing upward and the stem pointing toward the south. Chanltoe now 

 approached the lodge, knelt just at the door, lifted up both hands, and 

 uttered a prayer. Entering, he sat down at the north of the Wheel, 

 backward. 



INCENSE BURNED. 



One of the messengers now passed within the lodge a live coal, 

 whereupon the door of the lodge was closed. Watdnah was heard pray- 

 ing, and it is known that just after concluding his prayer, the coal was 

 deposited in the little hole in the center of the base of the fireplace, 

 and upon which the spruce-leaves were placed, the interpretation of 

 this act being, that this act is a purification ceremony and that the 

 prayer of Watdnah was answered as soon as the particular god to whom 

 the prayer was offered became conscious of the odor of the incense. 

 It will be noticed also that this offering of incense was performed 

 before any considerable number had entered the lodge. The reason 

 of this was because the rite of the offering of the incense in the fire- 

 place is unknown to the minor priests of the lodge. 



After a few moments the door of the lodge was opened by one of 

 the priests within, and other priests now approached and went inside. 

 Each man, as he entered, halted at the door, lifted both hands, and 

 uttered a prayer. Each also carried a small branch of cottonwood. 

 As the Lodge-Maker, the substitute Lodge-Maker, and his wife came 

 up, they drank from one of the pails and vomited before entering the 

 lodge. On account of the darkness, the position of those within was 

 now made out with some difficulty, but it is believed that they sat 

 within the lodge in the following order, beginning on the south side, 

 next to the door — Watdngaa, Debithe, with the Lodge-Maker behind 

 the Wheel, Chanftoe, Baihoh (Old-Bear), or Blindy, Hin^nwatani 

 (Black-Man), and Watdnah. Bech^aye also entered the lodge, but 

 where she sat was not known. 



