THE OOLOGIST 



so on The eldest brothers color was 

 red, the second blue, the third yellow 

 Hnd the fourth white. The thunders 

 of the eldest brother are recognized 

 when it rains gently, and the other 

 colors — yellow, or the color of light- 

 ning, and white wliich is tlie War 

 Thunders' color are recognized bv 

 their fierce storms. After a storm 

 some old Indian will remark that it 

 was such and such thunders which 

 passed by in the storm. 



Belief in the Thunderbird is the 

 basis of many beautiful legends and 

 songs. In the springtime, when plant 

 life does not flourish on the earth, the 

 Indians conclude that all things on 

 earth, including people, need the 

 ** awakening, healthgiving inspiration of 

 the Thunderbird. Dr. Beede (in 

 "Toward the Sun,") has translated 

 one of their songs, a portion of which 

 is as follows: 



"Do you know that the flowers afe 

 dreaming 



Till the lightnings above them are 

 gleaming 



And the Thunderbird comes with his 

 word. 



For they dream of the great Thunder- 

 bird. 



Do you know that the eagles are flying 



And the people are dreaming and 

 dying, 



Till the Thunderbird comes with his 

 word, 



For they dream of the great Thunder- 

 bird." 



A dance, with music, religiously 

 celebrates the first springtime Thun- 

 der. 



Next in importance to the Thunder- 

 bird is the eagle which, in some tribes, 

 is second in importance only to the 

 deity. Among the Pawnees, the gol- 

 den eagle is considered the monarch 

 of the skies. This bird is sometimes 

 known as ring-tailed eagle. Its tail 

 feathers, twelve in number, and each 



bearing a distinctive name, are snowy 

 white at base atid for two thirds their 

 length (nearly one foot) constitute 

 the head adornment of chief and war- 

 rior. No man, unless he has done 

 some brave act in battle, is entitled to 

 wear this adornment. Women never. 

 This royal bird, beloved of the over- 

 ruling Gods is called "Laitah-kots." 



The bald eagle presides in a sacred 

 or holy realm. It guards rivers from 

 a lofty perch of old cottonwood; dives 

 beneath the waters and brings up 

 giant fish. Bearing its burden to the 

 shore, the golden eagle has but to ap- 

 proach, when Baldy will abandon his 

 prey and desert the field. 



The black eagle is a most sacreQ 

 bird among the Pawnee. It is rever- 

 enced by the Koo-rau, or "medicine 

 men." Its holy magic is manifest in 

 certain rites and songs. 



Among the Winnebagoes, only those 

 distinguished for valor were allowed 

 to wear eagle feathers, and the man- 

 ner of wearing them showed the 

 nature of the deed for which the 

 feathers were awarded. For instance, 

 a w^arrior wearing one red (dyed) and 

 one white feather was known to have 

 exceptional ability in fighting to cover 

 retreat; a form of fighting requiring 

 great skill. 



The downy feathers of the eagle as 

 well as the owl were used in sacred 

 ceremonies and dyed red in sacrifices 

 to the Gods. 



The hawk is found in nearly every 

 war bundle of the Winnebagoes. The 

 war bundle is a collection of emblems 

 of blessings granted by different 

 spirits after prolonged fasting, and 

 the hawk was an emblem showing 

 that the owner of the bundle had been 

 granted power to overcome his enemy 

 in w^ar. It is claimed that, at times, 

 one of the spirits gave the faster the 

 power to transform himself into a 



