May, 1903. The Arapaho Sun Dance — Dorsey. 139 



THE MORNING DANCE. 



At about six o'clock on this morning, the Crier was heard calling 

 for wood for the fire, and especially for more women to come to the 

 lodge to assist in the singing. Again the men faced the east, and 

 danced and whistled until the sun was well up. As this performance 

 continued, from time to time, they stretched out one or both hands 

 toward the east, while the beginning song was sung. A second time 

 the Crier called for the women to bring pails of water and sage, while 

 the dancers gathered around the fire and smoked informally. When 

 water and sage had been brought, and the sage had been placed in the 

 buckets in the usual ceremonial fashion, and after the sage had been 

 passed over the bodies of the dancers as on the previous morning, they 

 washed and dried themselves before the fire, and returned, sitting down 

 in front of the grandfathers, whereupon each dancer filled a pipe for 

 his grandfather to smoke. 



THE MORNING DANCE, 1902. 



The performance in 1902 was practically the same as on the cor- 

 responding morning of 1901. It was observed, however, that at this 

 time the Lodge-Maker used the Wheel handed him by Nishnat^yana. 

 As the dancing and whistling continued, the Lodge-Maker, from time 

 to time, extended his arm, carrying the Wheel out in front of him, 

 drawing the hand, finally, up even with the head, and thus making a 

 semicircular motion. This continued until the sun actually appeared. 

 The reason for the performance, so it was claimed, was to hasten the 

 appearance of the sun. 



THE FEAST AND SACRIFICE OF FOOD. 



Food was brought in large quantities by the women, during the 

 time that the pipes were being passed back and forth among the 

 grandfathers and the priests. During all the time women in increasing 

 numbers gathered about the entrance, and were singing and encouraging 

 the men. (See Plate LXXVIII.) The Lodge-Maker then took a pinch 

 of food and made the various offerings, as on the two preceding days. 



It was noticed on this morning, that as he stopped in front of the 

 ditch, he first rubbed the palms of his hands together, crushing food 

 between them, and then placing his hands together, he made four 

 motions upward toward the buffalo skull, and then deposited the 

 particle of food under the arch of the seven semicircular twigs. 

 Then the grandfathers and the chief priests began to eat, while the 



