DENSMoRB] MANDAN AND HIDATSA MUSIC 49 
followed them. It appears that the dancers did not cross the entrance, 
but turned on reaching the end of the curve. The meetings of this 
society are said to have been dignified and impressive, the men being 
sometimes seated, but frequently “standing like soldiers” around 
the circle when they were not dancing. 
Wounded Face related a tradition concerning the following song. 
He said that on one occasion the Black Mouth Society was holding 
a meeting and one of the ravens on the raven rods was heard to 
utter its characteristic cry. Everyone wondered which raven it was. 
They listened to hear if the sound were repeated. It came again, 
and then they knew that it came from the raven carried by a man 
named Skunk. The cry was considered a warning of disaster and 
Skunk sang this song. 
No. 6. Song to the Raven (Catalogue No. 861) 
Recorded by WOUNDED F'AcE 
VOICE d = 80 
Drum not recorded 
Ke-ka mi-o-wa-te-dos ki-ka-dé - tu 
gS 
keg a ek. ie te 2 eS raven 
Wilowate dus-: St I am going to die 
IRD AtY C1 Gb erento nine peer mretyer tn . fly away 
Analysis —It is interesting to note that only one of the five Black 
Mouth Society songs contains a rhythmic unit and that only one 
(No. 10) contains more than five scale degrees. A descending trend 
characterizes this melody, which is harmonic in structure. The 
compass is 12 tones and about four-fifths of the intervals are minor 
thirds and major seconds. The tone material comprises only the 
minor triad and fourth. 
