154 



BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 



[BULL. 53 



mingled all that is tleepest and most tender in human life. 



The leader of the ceremony was White Feather, who is highly- 

 respected by both Indians and white men. On being asked his 

 "Indian name" he gave, not the Chippewa equivalent of WMte 

 Feather (Wa'bickigwlin'), but Odja'nimwe 'wegijlgons'.^ 



At the opening of the ceremony a woman brought water and soap, 

 which she placed before the man who had lost his wife. He washed his 

 hands, drying them on a towel which she offered for the purpose. A 

 man then parted his hair and combed it very smooth, while the 

 following song was smig at one of the drums. 



No. 60. Song of Restoring the Mourners 



Voice 

 Drum 



/= 



Sung by Mec^kawiga'bau 



(Catalogue No. S. 7) 



176 



^isfel 



S^ 



+ + 



V— V— ^ 



W^^^m 



p=p=tf— ^- 



W- 



xij 



t 



•M- 



tiS: 



t 



EZ 



^!^: 



g=^5=; !=^ 



v=^ 



+ + 



^^. 



v- 



E?S 



i2=V: 



IS^^S 



:P± 



=P— ^ 



Analysis. — This song is characterized by a very rapid tempo and 

 by measures containing five counts. A few measures in quadruple 

 time break the monotony. It is worthy of note that the interval of 

 an octave and a fourth is compassed in tliree measures. 



After a short time a woman brought water and offered it to one 

 of the women who had lost a child, this being done also for each of 

 the women while the same song was sung at one of the drums. 



When this was finished White Feather rose and said : ^ 



1 The meanings of the component parts of this word are as follows: odja'nim signifies a disturbance; 

 wewe is a root implying a swaying motion (see footnote 2, p. 241); and gi'jig in proper names is usually 

 translated " sky." The last-mentioned part of the word is found also on p. 249, with the prefix ki'tci, 

 " large." Hence the name as analyzed thus far may be translated " sky in commotion." The termina- 

 tion ons in some cases indicates that the bearer of the name was small in stature, but more often that 

 his father bore the same name. (Cf. pp. 76, 145.) 



2 This and other speeches made by White Feather were given the writer at a later date by While Feather 

 himself and are transcribed in the words of the interpreter. 



