DEXSMOKE] TETON SIOUX MUSIC 133 



ofFicc many times in the Sun dance, stated that he used a knife, the 

 blade being ground to a point, and the handle and part of the blade 

 being wrapped with rawhide (pi. 21). 



The thongs by which a man was suspended were usually of a length 

 permitting only his toes to touch the ground, though the height of 

 the suspension depended somewhat upon the man's physical strength. 

 When first suspended each man was given a stick by means of which 

 he might raise his body slightly to ease the strain upon the flesh of 

 his chest. After discarding this support any effort at rest or any 

 cessation of thQ motion of dancing only increased the suffering. 



The men were suspended soon after 9 o'clock in the morning 

 on the north side of the pole in such a position that their upraised 

 faces were in the full glare of the sun. It was expected that they 

 would make an effort to free themselves as soon as possible. Some- 

 times this was accomplished in half an hour, and according to John 

 Grass and other informants a man seldom remained in that position 

 more than an hour. If he was unable to tear the flesh in that time 

 by means of the motion of dancing, he might give horses for his 

 release, or his relatives might give them in his behalf. In that event 

 the man who had done the cutting was allowed to cut through the 

 flesh either partially or entirely. If a considerable time elapsed 

 and the man could not free himself, and neither he nor his relatives 

 could give the requisite horses, he was jerked downward until the 

 flesh gave way. T\Tiile suspended, each man held his eagle-bone 

 whistle in his mouth, blowing it from time to time. 



If a man vowed to take part in the Sun dance by carrying buffalo 

 skulls, the number varied from two to eight. If two were used they 

 were fastened to the flesh of the upper part of the back, near the 

 spine. The flesh having been lifted on an awl, a small stick was 

 inserted. A thong of buffalo hide was fastened to this stick, the 

 other end of the thong being passed through the nostril-openings of 

 of the buffalo skull, suspending it at some distance from the ground. 

 The man then danced until the tearing of the flesh released the skull. 

 If four skulls were used, the additional pair was fastened to the back, 

 halfway between the spine and the point of the shoulder. With 

 six skulls, the third pair was fastened to the upper arm. If more 

 than six were used, the additional skulls were fastened anjrwhere on 

 the upper part of the back, it being permitted also to fasten more 

 than one skull to a thong. When several skulls were employed, 

 their weight made it impossible for a man to stand erect, hence 

 the man had to lean forward upon a stick, dancing in a bowed posi- 

 tion. The scales indicated 25 pounds weight for a buffalo skull 

 which was obtained by the writer. The skull was shown to Chased- 

 by-Bears who after lifting it, said that although the specimen was 

 a large one it was not unusual for men to carry such in the Sun dance. 

 4840°— Bull. 61—18 11 



