DENSMORE] TETON SIOUX MUSIC 181 



Analysis. — This molody as a whole is of unusual interest. Thcee 

 renditions were recorded on one cylinder; these show no variations. 

 Three renditions recorded at a later time were found to be identical. 

 The intonation is not so good as in other songs by the same singer, 

 an uncertainty, or wavering of the tone, occurring at the same point 

 in all the renditions. The customary "calls" or "cries" were given 

 between the repetitions of the song. About one-fourth of the inter- 

 vals are minor seconds which, as already noted, are found less fre- 

 quently than major seconds in both Chippewa and Sioux songs. 



Some medicine-men consider the owl especially sacred among birds*. 

 Two reasons were given for this by an Indian, who said: 



The owl moves at night when men are asleep. The medicine-man gets his power 

 through dreams at night and believes that his dream is clear, like the owl's sight. 

 So he promises that he will never harm an owl. If he did so, his power would leave 

 him. For this reason some medicine^men wear owl feathers. The medicine-man 

 also regards the owl as having very soft, gentle ways, and when he begins to treat 

 sick persons he is supposed to treat them very gently. So in night wisdom and in 

 the manner of carrying itself the owl is greatly respected by the medicine-men of 

 the tribe. 



Charging Thunder had three dreams of animals. The first was 

 the dream of the thunderbirds, from which he received his name 

 (see pp. 170, 171); the second was a dream of wolves, which is here 

 described; and the third was a dream of buffalo. This last dream 

 occurred about a year after his dream of the wolves. He did not 

 relate the dream of buffalo, but said that because of it he was often 

 sent to look for buffalo, the leaders sending him alone instead of 

 a searching party as described in the account of the hunt on 

 page 439. Charging Thunder said that he had faithfully fulfilled 

 all the obligations of his dreams, and believed that he had received 

 great benefit thereby, but that none of his dreams required him 

 to engage in the practice of medicine. They required other acts, 

 which he had duly performed. 



In describing his dream of the wolves. Charging Thunder said: 



WTien I was about 22 years of age I dreamed that I c?.me to a wolf den and found 

 the little wolves unprotected by either father or mother. They seemed to say, "We 

 are left here helpless, but our parents will soon return. " ['] I learned their song, 

 which was as follows: 



[> A dream similar to this is recorded by J. Owen Dorsey in Eleventh Rep. Bur. Ethn., pp. 478-479.J 

 4840°— Bull. 61—18 14 



