378 OSAGE TRADITIONS. 



follows tlie " ceremony of the cedar." The tree is described very mi- 

 nutely. Then follows a similar account of the river and its branches. 



Fig. 389. Symbolic chart of the 



Just under the river, at the left, we see a large star, the Eed or 

 Morning Star. Next are six stars, Taf ad^i". The Omaha know a 

 similar group, which they call "Mi°xa si ^anga," or "Large foot of 

 a goose." Next is the Evening Star; and last comes the small star, 

 "Mikak'6-oini[a." Beneath these four we see the seven stars, or 

 Pleiades (Mikak'6 udatse pe(|!u"da, the Seven Gentes of Stars), between 

 the Moon (on the left) and the Sun (on the right). Beneath these 

 are the peace pipe (on the left) and the hatchet (on the right). A 

 bird is seen hovering over the four upper worlds. These worlds are 

 represented by four parallel horizontal lines, each of which, except 

 the lowest one, is supported by two pillars. The lowest world rests 

 on a red oak tree. 



The journey of the people began at a point below the lowest upper 

 world, on the left side of the chart. Then the people had neither hu- 

 man bodies nor souls, though they existed in some unknown manner. 



