438 



NATURE 



[January i, 1920 



for those who witnessed the ceremony. The sun- 

 dance pole was placed in the centre of the dance 

 enclosure, and near its entrance, which was 

 toward the east, a large drum was placed, the 

 singers being seated around this drum. About 

 15 ft. west of the pole a square of exposed and 

 finely pulverised earth was located. This was 

 called the "sacred place," and its preparation, as 

 well as the securing and erection of the sun-dance 

 pole, were accompanied by ceremonial songs and 

 action. 



The tree for the sun-dance pole was sought as 

 men seek an enemy. It could be cut only by a virgin 

 selected carefully from the tribe, and the song 

 while it was being felled was a song of war. The 

 branches were cut off, and in a triumphal manner 

 the pole was carried to the camp, where it was 

 painted in vertical red stripes by the leader of the 



bunches of downy white eagle feathers. West 

 of this was spread a bed of fresh sage, on which a 

 buffalo skull would be laid during the ceremony, 

 and between the two was a " pipe-rack " to support 

 the stem of the ceremonial pipe. The people 

 watched this also in silence, and the leader sang 

 the following song : " Four times to the earth 1 

 prayed. A place I will prepare, O tribe, behold." 



The sun-dance pipe (Fig. i) was decorated in 

 a prescribed manner by one of the most skilful 

 women of the tribe. This pipe was carried by the 

 leader of the dancers. Those who took part in 

 the dance wore their hair loose after the custom 

 of men who had recently killed an enemy. Each 

 man wore a deer-skin apron that extended to his 

 knees back and front. An eagle-bone whistle was 

 hung around his neck, and on this whistle he 

 blew as he danced. 



Pig. I.- Sun-dance pipe. 



Fig. 2.— Knife used in ii.flicting sun-dance torn 



ceremony. The people watched the painting and 

 erection of the pole with deep reverence, and 

 listened while the leader sang the sacred songs that 

 had come down to him through many generations 

 — the songs of Dreamer-of-the-Sun. In one of 

 these songs the pole speaks, paying : " Sacred 

 (made holy) I stand " ; and after the pole was in 

 position the words of the song were : " Grand- 

 father, at the places of the four winds may you 

 be reverenced. You made me wear something 

 sacred. The tribe sitting in reverence, they wish 

 to live." The "sacred place" was then prepared, 

 the earth being finely pulverised and two inter- 

 secting lines drawn in it, forming a cross. In 

 these lines tobacco was placed, then covered with 

 vermilion paint-powder, and over this was spread 

 powdered gypsum, shining white in colour. At the 

 intersection and ends of the lines were placed 

 NO. 2618, VOL. 104] 



The torture of the sun dance was inflicted by 

 the insertion of a short stick or skewer through 

 the flesh of the chest or back, and placing a strain 

 upon this until the flesh tore, releasing the man. 

 \Vhile the word "flesh" is commonly used as 

 suggesting the severity of the ordeal, the Indians 

 said that "the stick was put through the skin." 

 It probably penetrated also the subcutaneous 

 fascia. A knife used in making the incisions is 

 shown in Fig. 2, together with the shield covering 

 the point of the knife when not in use. A man 

 accustomed to the work lifted a small portion of 

 the man's flesh (or "skin") between his thumb 

 and finger, thrust the knife through it, following 

 this with the pointed stick. The strain on the 

 stick was secured by tying to it the ends of thongs 

 that hung from the cross-bar of the sun-dance 

 pole, the length of these being such that the man 



