KuRATH] IROQUOIS MUSIC AND DANCE 9 



Songs.— In general, similar to other war dance songs, with drum- 

 ming; but with greater variety of forms, scajes, and rhythmic units, 

 that is, without set formula. White influence in diatonic scales and 

 sharp seventh. 



Dance. — Miscellaneous war-dance steps with battle mime and en- 

 actment of paddling in canoe and scalping victims, to bring back 

 ano€ or scalp. 



SHAMANISTIC CUKES, ADDRESSED IN PART TO ANIMAL SPIRITS 



False Face Company (sagodyowehgo wa-hadja' dot 'a' and hodigo- 

 soska'a): 



Function. — Exorcism of disease and cure of face and eye ailments. 



Occasions.- — In spring and fall, public rituals of exorcism from 

 house to house, on the third and fifth nights of Midwinter public 

 cures and renewals; occasional private ceremonies in homes. 



Songs. — (a) Marching song, similar to Ashes Stirring (not recorded). 



(6) The common face (hodigososka'a), six songs. Accompaniment 

 by two special singers with turtle rattles, as for Feather Dance, and 

 by spasmodic shaking of dancers' large turtle rattles and their moans 

 and roars. Archaic, rugged melodies with repetitious themes and 

 narrow compass and intervals of a second and third, preceded and 

 followed by three chromatic calls of "hoi" and continuing directly 

 into the next song. 



(c) Thumbs-up Dance — picking out partners (da'adinyot'a'), two 

 songs. Sunilar to songs of Common Faces, entirely with intervals of 

 a third. 



(d) Round Dance — moving one foot after another (deyesi'dadi'as), 

 seven songs. Tonality and compass similar to previous songs, but with 

 reiteration of a skipping rhythm and with discrepancy between song 

 and rattle tempi. Husk Faces in this round dance — two songs with 

 irregular phrasing but even rattle beat. Final dances — two songs 

 with repetitive motifs and syncopated rattle beat. 



Dance. — (a) Entrance of company into the longhouse, with the 

 conductor in the lead. Crawl toward fire. Tobacco invocation. 



(b) Step — jump on both feet, hop on left; then reverse, raising free 

 leg out in angular fashion, bending torso from side to side, and 

 raising arms with bent elbows. Sometimes grotesque improvisation, 

 foot twists, hip shaking. Ritual action — ashes from stove rubbed on 

 arms, legs, and hair of the patient, seated on the singer's bench. 

 Participants — male members of the society, patient in a passive role. 



(c) Step — Hop-kick step on alternate feet, that is, hop on right 

 while raising left knee and then kicking foot forward; reverse. 

 Thumbs-up— left arm extended forward, right arm flexed close to 

 shoulder, fingers closed into palm, both thumbs pointed vertically 



