DENSMORE] MANDAN AND HIDATSA MUSIC 59 
Black Tongue, said to have been the owner of this and the pre- 
ceding song, is remembered as one of the principal medicine men 
among the Mandan. Otter Woman was 74 years old when she 
recorded her father’s songs and said that he died when she was about 
30 years old. She said that when the people wanted rain so the corn 
would grow they brought water and poured it on her father’s head, 
and it always rained. In the following song he “spoke to the corn,” 
-and said, “ You have all come back.” 
No. 17. Song to the Corn (Catalogue No. 876) 
Recorded by OTTER WoMAN 
VOICE di. 52 
Drum not recorded 
Analysis —The interval of a major third does not occur in this 
song, which is major in tonality. The interval of a fourth comprises 
almost 25 per cent of the intervals and the minor third occurs with 
about the same frequency. Like the other garden songs, it is not 
rhythmic, though a short unit of rhythm appears twice. The tone 
material is the fourth five-toned scale, and the song has a compass 
of 12 tones. 
An echo of another side of the village life appears in the following 
song, which was recorded by Yellow Hair (pl. 15, a), wife of Butter- 
fly (pl. 15, c). The songs of Butterfly are Nos. 79, 88, and 106 in 
this series. The words of this song were not recorded, but were said 
to mean “The first (or present) wife laughs when the next wife is 
brought to the lodge.” 
