DENSMORE] MANDAN AND HIDATSA MUSIC 123 
No. 53. Fox Society Funeral Song (Catalogue No. 890) 
Recorded by OLp DoG 
VOICE d - 66 
Drum not recorded 
WORDS (HIDATSA, NOT TRANSCRIBED) 
mu’daku’a__________________my comrade’s (referring to the dead man) 
KG LOS Oy ae aN ele a, Se eee tobacco 
ANIA ONVILES ere SPE FL See to smoke 
Hrawia heise 2s Ste ee I desire 
Analysis —This song contains three rhythmic periods, the first 
comprising two measures, the second and third each comprising 
three measures, and the song ending with two unimportant measures. 
The tempo is slow and the song dignified, though the count divisions 
of the rhythmic unit suggest a more cheerful theme. The melody 
tones are those of the fourth five-toned scale, but 11 of the 16 pro- 
gressions are minor thirds. 
Holding Eagle (pl. 18, 6) said that he was-a member of the Fox 
Society when he was a young man, and went with them against the 
Sioux. He said that the war party stopped on the bank of a river and 
sang this song before attacking the Sioux. The words of this song 
were identical with the words of No. 96, recorded by the same singer, 
and said to be also a Fox Society war song. They were sung more 
distinctly with the later melody and are transcribed as part of that 
song. 
% This word is also used with the meaning ‘‘ to drink.” 
