May, 1903. The Arapaho Sun Dance — Dorsey. 59 



THE CEREMONIAL KNIFE. 



A knife of the proper character was not used during the ceremony 

 of 1901, owing to the fact that it was not possible to secure one in the 

 camp. The knife this year was obtained from Burnt-All-Over, a 

 Cheyenne, who gave it to VVaatanakashi and Niwaat. It was brought 

 into the tipi on the morning of the third day and placed with the other 

 ceremonial paraphernalia, south of the skull. Its preparation took 

 place just after the completion of the rites attendant upon the manu- 

 facture of the digging-stick. 



Hdwkan gave shreds of sinew to Chanitoe, Watdngaa, Watdnah, 

 and Debithe to prepare. Of these, three were painted red and four 

 were painted black, the rite being the same as that used in preparing and 

 painting the sinews for the digging-stick. Waakdtani then brought in 

 a bunch of sage, which he passed to Hdwkan. The latter divided it 

 into seven piles, which he laid in front of him. Two unpainted pieces 

 of sinew were then fastened together at one end and one half was 

 painted black, the other red. The paint bags were then placed south 

 of the skull, by the side of the badger. Watangaa now painted four 

 sage stems black, while Watdnah painted three red. The four black 

 pieces of sage were then placed by the side of the black sinews, and 

 the three red sage stems by the side of the red sinews. 



Hdwkan 1|hen took up the dagger and held it in front of him, 

 pointing it toward the east. Watdngaa then made four passes with 

 his hands and painted the south side black, beginning with the point 

 of the blade and painting toward the handle. Watdnah painted the 

 north side of the blade red, beginning with the handle and painting 

 toward the blade. Hdwkan took up the black sage and the four black 

 sinews and laid them against the side of the knife painted black, while 

 the red sage and red sinew were placed against the side of the knife 

 painted red. The sage and sinew were then bound in position by 

 means of the double thong. The knife was now deposited on the 

 south side of the buffalo skull, the point being toward the west, with 

 the black side consequently next the skull. 



The dagger to be used for this purpose should be new, so that all may 

 have new spirits and greater energy, for an old knife has lost its life. 



THE BUFFALO SKULL DECORATED. 



Next, Hdwkan took three pieces of sinew and painted them red, 

 and four similar-sized pieces which he painted black, making seven in 

 all, symbolic of the seven periods of the world's history, according to 

 Arapaho mythology. From a large bundle of grass, which had also 



