462 



BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 



[IIVIA.. 61 



and inoro irregular, hut thoro appears an ascent from the lowest to 

 the highest tone midway through the song. ' Such an interval at the 

 opening of songs has been found associated with disappomtment or 

 distress. In this connection it is interesting to note that this song 

 was associated with the last years of the life of Sitting Bull, and is 

 said to have been sung by him during a gathering of the Sioux in 1 889. 

 This gathering was for the purpose of considering the ceding of a 

 large portion of their land nnd was the preface to the l)reaking up of 

 the tribe. Sitting Bull, who was a man of imusual discernment, 

 may have foreseen what must inevitably follow. In this, as in other 

 remarks concerning the form of these songs, the writer desires to be 

 understood as offering only tentative observations. 



The songs of this analysis group have neither origin nor use in 

 common, the grouping being chiefly for convenience. The songs of 

 the buffalo hunt (Nos. 180, 181) were favorite songs for that pur- 

 pose, but the same songs could be used by those who went out to 

 look for the enemy. These are followed by a song of the chase and 

 a song to secure buffalo during a famine. (Nos. 182, 183.) Some 

 of the council songs (Nos. 184-187) are undoubtedly very old, 

 but it is impossible to determine their exact age. Some of the 

 Chief songs (Nos. 5, 188-194) may also be old, as new names were 

 often substituted for old names in songs of honor, but one of the 

 songs (No. 191) was said to have been composed only three years ago. 



Comparatively Modern Songs — (3) Songs of the Bujfalo Hunt, also 

 Council and Chief Songs 



Melodic Analysis 

 tonality 



Number 

 of songs. 



Serial Nos. of songs. 



Major tonality 

 Minor tonality 



Total.... 



ISO, 181, 182, 1S4, 187, ISS, 191 



5, 1«3, 185, 186, 189, 190, 192, 193, 194 



FIRST NOTE OF SONG— ITS RELATIOX TO KEYNOTF, 



