202 



BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 



[BULL. 53 



No. 98. "My Shining Horns" 



Sung by Mec^kawiga^bau 



(Catalogue No. 434) 



Voice J =108 

 Drum Jiz: 108 

 ( Drum-rhythm similar to No. 19 ) 





Wen-dji-we - a - sa-ko-nes-we-yan 



WOEDS 



wen''djiwea''sako'nesweyan' my shining horns 



Analysis. — This song was said to represent the deer "walking 

 alone, singing to himself, and proud of his shining horns." The 

 melody is harmonic in structure and contains a short rhythmic unit. 

 In general outline it presents a descending progression along the 

 intervals of the tonic chord. It is minor in tonality and is based on 

 the second five-toned scale. The six renditions recorded show no 

 important variation. 



Like the two songs next preceding, this song had its origin in a 

 dream. A man who was fasting is said to have heard the buffalo 

 sing and to have learned their song. As he was wandering about he 

 heard sounds which seemed to come from some gathering of Indians. 

 On gomg to the place he saw a herd of buffalo walking in a circle, 

 knee-deep in mud, with swaying heads and lashing tails; aU were 

 singing as they walked around. The Indian joined the herd and 

 thereupon became a buffalo. For this reason they gave him the 

 song which they were singing. 



