462 A STUDY OF SIOUAN CULTS. 



its possession. Whoever grasped the stick, and succeeded in holding 

 it, won the horse. If a forked stick is thrown up and caught it entitles 

 the holder to a mare and her colt. 



§ 184. When a young man has his flesh pierced for him, if he is 

 beloved by his female relations, they furnish him with many objects dec- 

 orated with porcupine quills, and these objects are suspended from the 

 pierced places of his flesh, this being considered as a mark of respect 

 shown by the women to their kinsman. Very often the women by such 

 acts deprive themselves of all their projterty. 



§ 185. Pieces of flesh offered. — When the candidates have their flesh 

 pierced for the insertion of the thongs, a number of men who do not 

 intend to dance approach the sun pole and take seats near it. With a 

 new knife small pieces of flesh are cut out in a row from the shoulders 

 of each of these men, who hold up the pieces of their own flesh, show- 

 ing them to the pole. They also cover the base of the pole with earth. 

 If some of the women desire to ofi"er pieces of their flesh, they come and 

 do so. 



§ 186. Very soon after this the people who are outside of the dancing 

 lodge sing a song in praise of the devotees of all kinds, and the old 

 women are walking about with their clothing and hair in disorder, the 

 garments flapping up and down as they dance. The attendants hold 

 the pipes for the candidates to smoke, and they decorate them anew. 

 After they decorate them, the dancing is resumed. By this time it is 

 past noon, so the girls and boys whose ears are to be pierced are col- 

 lected in one place, and presents are given to all the poor people.' 

 After the children's ears have been pierced, the attendants make the 

 candidates rise again and continue the dance. 



§ 187. Torture of oioner of horse. — The man whose horse has taken 

 part in the dance is tied to the tail of his horse, and his chest is pierced 

 in two places and fastened by thongs to the sun pole. Some of the 

 attendants whip the horse several times, making him dart away from the 

 pole, thereby releasing the man, as the thongs are broken by the sud- 

 den strain (see §29). 



§ 188. The devotees dance through the night, and when it is nearly 

 midnight they rest. Beginning at the left side of the dancing lodge, 

 every devotee stops and cries at each post until he makes the circuit 

 of the lodge. By this time it is midnight, so the attendants make them 

 face about and stand looking towards the east, just as in the afternoon 

 they had made them face the west. 



END OF THE DANCE. 



§ 189. At sunrise they stop dancing and they leave the dancing 

 lodge. As they come forth, they pass out by the right side, and march 

 four times around the exterior of the lodge. After which they proceed 



1 Hiss Fletcher, op. cit.^ p. 583. 



