DENSMOREJ CHIPPEWA MUSIC 95 



WORDS 



A''dizoka^nilg In a dream 



NiuanMotagog' 



Djigagi^gidoyan^ 



>I was instructed to do this 



Narrative. — The singer gave the following history of this song: 

 Many years ago there lived at Gull Lake a man named Niogi'cig ("four days"). 

 This man had lain for a long time upon a bed of suffering and there seemed no help 

 for him. At last he decided to send tobacco to the Mide^ men and see if they could 

 help him. They made him a drum and he played on it and sang this song, which 

 he composed himself. The words mean, "It was told me m my dream that I should 

 do this and I would recover." 



Analysis. — -The rhythm of this song is pecuHarly energizing, and 

 when once estabhshed would undoubtedly have a beneficial physical 

 effect. The surprising feature of this case, however, is that the song 

 is said to have been composed and the rhythm created by the sick 

 man himself. 



A repetition of this song was secured from the same singer after a 

 lapse of several months. The second rendition was identical with 

 the first, beginning on the same tone and showing faulty intonation 

 on the same tones. 



No. 80. Healing Song (Catalogue no. 14) 



Sung by Ge^miwunac''" 



From the musical and the dramatic standpoint this is one of the 

 finest songs in the entire collection. It is a song which would be 

 sung when a member of the Mide'wiwin was dying — when death was 

 expected at any. moment. The music in the lodge at the time of 

 Flat Mouth's death was similar to that here given. It represents a 

 type of song which members of the Mide'wiwin are especially 

 reluctant to sing. 



Analysis. — A peculiar quality of sadness and pleading is found in 

 this song, a quality heightened by the upward progression at the 

 opening of the song and the frequent use of the flatted second. This 

 accidental was always given accurately. Attention is directed to the 

 descent of a perfect fifth, followed by the descent of a perfect fourth, 

 at the close of the song. 



o An aged man, one of the most eminent Mlde'wlnl'nl in northern Minnesota. ( PI. 9. ) His name was 

 known on all the reservations and he was held in the same high esteem everywhere. He was in charge 

 of the MIde' ceremonies which were held during the last hours of Niganlblnes' (see p. 51). The writer 

 had no conversation with him at that time. Returning to Leech Lake several months later she met 

 Ge'miwtoac' again and asked him to sing. It was probably owing to a remembrance of incidents con- 

 nected with Flat Mouth's death that he was willing to sing this song. He stated that it was similar to 

 those sung during the last hours of Flat Mouth, but that he was then so overcome that he could not 

 recall exactly what songs were used. 



