62 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 45 



No. 24. Ninth Song (Catalogue no. 130) 



Voice J =.60 



Drum J =132 



( Drum-rhythm similar to No. 1 ) 



^T — — • — ^ — • — — • — - — — - — > =n 



Ca^cabondeckwa'gwan . . They are going through all the 



Manidog^ Rooms of the Mide' lodge, it appears 



Bi'tawaka^mig The Mide^ spirits, who live 



A^bidjig^ In the four layers of the earth 



Ceremonial Songs 



Sung by Na^jobi'tuno 

 Song picture no. 24. The following tweiitj-six songs consist of four 



The subject recurs to . i i • -i i <• • i •, 



that of the first song in seiTes, eacli liaving its own type 01 music and its 

 the series and the circle distiuct character of woids. The first series may 



is again shown, with , i ,i i e ,i ji 



one of " the people who D^ suug at tlic close 01 aceroiiiony; the others are 

 live in the fourth layer connected with the initiation of members. The 



under the earth." . . , ... i • i i 



music is the most primitive which the writer re- 

 corded, with the possible exception of the songs given by De'bwa- 

 wen'dunk of the Bois Fort reservation. 



SERIES 1 analysis 



Musically, the songs in the first series are very similar, yet no 

 two are exactly alike. The songs were sung firmly and without 

 hesitation, showing that they were not improvised. Before singing 

 a song Na'jobi'tun sometimes retired to the next room in order quietly 

 to hum over the song and to be sure that he remembered it correctly. 

 Many of the songs were sung several times, the renditions being 

 identical, except occasionally in unimportant measures near the 

 close. 



The words of the first series relate to the water-spirit — his dwell- 

 ing, his action, and his manifestation as a male beaver. Mention is 

 made of the mermen. It is believed that manido' in the form of 

 both mermen and mermaids live in the water and at times appeal' to 

 the members of the Mlde'wlwm. 



Song no. 3.3 furnishes an interesting example of the difficulties 

 encountered in securing translations of these songs. The first inter- 

 preter said the last words meant "I will gather it in the place of 



a An old man living at Boy Lake, a portion of the Leech Lake reservation ahout 30 miles from the 

 agency, reached only by water. Na'jobi'tlln ("two men walking") was almost blind and was in every 

 way the most isolated individual with whom the writer came in contact. He was a firm believer in the 

 MIde'wIwIn and its power. 



