124 Field Columbian Museum — Anthropology, Vol. IV. 



said the young man. 'You may get a good hold of your partner, 

 Grandchild, and pull him out. I shall look after you,' said Thunder- 

 bird. So this young man, after getting a good hold, pulled his partner 

 out from the monster. The Thunderbird with his knife, like the one 

 used in the big lodge, jumped upon the monster and stabbed him, 

 killing him instantly. When the Thunderbird lighted on him, it 

 sounded like the shot of a cannon, sharp. This monster was dragged 

 out of the ocean by Thunderbird. " The two young men then married 

 the daughters of the Thunderbird. That is the reason that the 

 Thunder is jealous of man. The man and wife are seated at a dis- 

 tance, during the visit of a thunderstorm (rain). 



"The knife is the gift of Thunder, and the power for mankind 

 makes things out of the knife." 



THE COLOR SYMBOLISM OF THE ORIGINAL OFFERINGS-LODGE. 



Finally, it is to be noted that it is believed that the present 

 arrangement of the color scheme employed in the lodge, where red is 

 confined to the north and black to the south, is modern, having been 

 introduced by a mythical priest named Fire-Wood. The story obtained 

 from the informant is as follows: 



"Years ago, the painting on the tallow, the center fork, and the 

 four poles, as well as the circular spots for other lodges, was different. 

 Straight-Old-Man or Straight-Pipe, was the priest who conducted or 

 presided over former lodges, when the painting was red on the south 

 side and the black on the north. The painters began on the right 

 with the black paint, and then continued on the left with the red 

 paint. By this symbolism, the people were in sympathy with the sun, 

 and therefore lived in peace and prosperity. The black paint meant 

 victory over all kinds of enemies — people, famine, plague — and typifies 

 the methods and ways of the tribe. 



"The fundamental principle of the red on the south and the black 

 on the north was in accordance with the course of the sun and moon — 

 the sun travels, as is seen every day, followed by the moon. Red 

 paint typifies purity, holiness, virtue, meekness, and prosperity; 

 because the sun bears that paint; while the moon's light, being dim, 

 leads to all kinds of mischievous actions and deeds being committed. 

 In the night, the various doings of the. people are not known. The 

 black paint relates to temporal blessings. 



"This old man or priest got his name from the fact that he was a 

 straight man in ways and actions ("Straight-Pipe"). Following him 

 came a priest named Fire-Wood, who was the oldest of the Sun Dance 

 priests. He had a quiet consultation with his fellow-men regarding 



