mooney] THE HUMMER AND BULL-ROARER 975 



her trance, she made the toy and carried it with her to the next dance 

 and twirled it. in the air while singing the song-. The Jiatilcu'tha, or 

 hummer, is used by the boys of the prairie tribes as our boys use, the 

 "cut-water." a circular tin disk, suspended on two strings passed 

 through holes in the middle, and set in rapid revolution, so as to pro- 

 dace a humming' sound, by alternately twisting the strings upon each 

 other and allowing them to untwist again. One of these "which 1 exam- 

 ined consists of a bone from a buffalo hoof, painted in different colors, 

 with four buckskin strings tied around the middle and running out on 

 each side and fastened at each end to a small peg, so as to be more 

 firmly grasped by the fingers. It was carried in the dance in 1890 by 

 an old Arapaho named Tall Hear, who had had it in his possession for 

 twenty years. Another specimen, shown in figure !t,".,«, now in possession 

 of the National Museum, is similar in construction, but with only one 

 string on each side. 



A kindred toy — it can hardly be considered a musical instrument — 

 is that known among the whites as the "bull roarer." It is found 

 among most of the western tribes, as well as among our own children 

 and primitive peoples all over the world. It is usually a simple flat 

 piece of wood, about G inches long, sometimes notched on the edges 

 and fancifully painted, attached to a sinew or buckskin string of con- 

 venient length. It is held in one hand, and when twirled rapidly in 

 the air produces a sound not unlike the roaring of a, bull or of distant 

 thunder. With most tribes it is simply a child's toy, but among the 

 Hopi, according to Fewkes, and the Apache, according to Bourke, it 

 has a sacred use to assist the prayers of the medicine-man in bringing 

 on the storm clouds and the rain. 



26. A-TE'BE' lUl'NKTlTA NIK. it 



A-te'be' dii'netita'nieg — I'yehe'eye'! 

 A-te'bc' dii'netita nieg — I'yehe'eye' ! 

 Nii'te'gn be'na nB'chai'hit — I'yehe'eye'! 

 Bi'taa'wuu — I'yahe'eye' ! 

 Nii'te'gn be'ua nS'ehai'hit — I'yehe'eye' ! 

 Bi'taa'wuu — I'yahe'eye'! 

 De'tawu'ni'ua ni'sa'na — Ahe'eye'-he'eye' ! 

 De'tawu'ui'na ni'sa'na' — Ahe'eye'-he'eye'! 



Translation 



At the beginning of human existence — I'yehe'eye'.' 



At the beginning of human existence — I'yehe'eye'.' 



It was the turtle who gave this grateful gift to me — 



The earth — I'yahe'eye'.' 



It was the turtle who gave this grateful gift to me — 



The earth — I'yahe'eye'.' 



(Thus) my father told me — Ahe'eye'-he'eye'! 



(Thus) my father told mi — Ahe'eye'-he'eye'! 



14 ETli — pt 2 22 



