472 A STUDY OF SIOUAN CULTfs. 



tee) are the names now given to the s'lider by the Dakota; bnt the 

 names once belonged to a mythical character, who resembles in many 

 respects the Ictinike of the Omaha and Ponka, and the Ictciuke of tlie 

 Iowa, Oto, and Missouri tribes. " Ikto," say the Teton, " was the first 

 being who attained maturity in this world. lie is more cunning than 

 human beings. He it was who named all people and animals, and he 

 was the first to use humau speech. Some call him the Waunca or 

 Mocker, a name now applied to the monkey.' If we see any peculiar 

 animals at any place, we iinew that Iktomi made them so. All the 

 animals are his kindred, and they are obliged to act just as he com- 

 manded them at the beginning." 



§ 229. In enumerating the powers that delight in working ill to the 

 Indianu, Lynd mentions Unktomi thus: 



"The ubiquitous Unktomi tortures the Indians iu their hunger by bringing herds 

 of buffaloes near the camp, which they no sooner start to jiursue than lie drives away 

 by means of a black wolf and a white crow."- 



§ 230. Though Ikto was very cunning, he was sometimes deceived 

 by other beings. One day he caught the rabbit, and the latter was 

 about to fare hard, when a thought occurred to him. He persuaded his 

 captor to release him on condition that he taught Ikto one of his magic 

 arts. Said the rabbit, "Elder brother, if you wish snow to fall at any 

 time, take some hair such as this (pulling out some rabbit fur) and 

 blow it in all directions, and there will be a blizzard." The rabbit then 

 made a deep snow in this manner, though the leaves were still green. 

 This surprised Ikto, who thought that he had learned a wonderful 

 accomplishment. But the foolish fellow did not know that rabbit fur 

 was necessary, and when he tried to make snow by blowing his own 

 hair, he was disappointed. 



§ 231. On another occasion, Ikto reached a stream which he could 

 not ford. So he stood on the bank and sang thus: 



iJ. ' J.JJ.VJ-J J ' Ji-^ ' i^ ^ 



To -kin ko - w;i-ka-tau uia-kil-ni, e-ehin'ehin na-wa-zhin! 

 I stand, thinking often, Oh that I might reach the other side ! 



Presently a long object passed, swimming against the current. When 

 it reached him it said, " I will take you across, but you must not lift 

 your head above the water. Should you notice even a small cloud warn 

 me at once, as I must go under the water." Ikto was then told to give 

 the warning thus: "Younger brother, yonr grandfather is coming." 

 Before the other bank was reached Ikto gave the warning, and so sud- 

 den was the commotion that Ikto became unconscious. On recovering, 

 he found that the thunder was roaring, and the water was dashing 

 high, but the monster had disappeared. 



* With this compare the belief of some African tribes that the monkey has the gift of speech, but 

 fears to wse it lest he should be made a slave. 

 2Minn. Hist. Soc. Coll., vol. ii, pt. 2. p. 66. 



