DENSMOREl TETON SIOUX MUSIC 333 



It was not considered a great honor to be asked to join a war party 

 and no demonstration was made when they left the village. As an 

 old warrior said, "the honor was in coming home victorious, and the 

 demonstration was reserved to see whether it would be needed when 

 we returned." 



Tlie following section presents in consecutive order certain songs 

 which might be sung on a war expedition. Many details of descrip- 

 tion are omitted, as they are comprised in the personal narratives 

 which follow this section. 



The next 10 songs are common war songs, or "woK songs," 

 which were sung in the societies or other gatherings before the 

 departure of a war party. Many of them mention the wolf, as the life 

 of a warrior was supposed to be like that of the woK. Two 

 Shields (pi. 47), who recorded several of these songs, is a leading 

 singer at every tribal gathering. 



