﻿Ill 
  

  

  RITES 
  PERTAINING 
  TO 
  THE 
  INDIVIDUAL 
  

  

  Introduction 
  of 
  the 
  Omaha 
  Child 
  to 
  the 
  Cosmos 
  

  

  When 
  a 
  child 
  was 
  born 
  it 
  was 
  not 
  regarded 
  as 
  a 
  member 
  of 
  its 
  gens 
  

   or 
  of 
  the 
  tribe 
  but 
  simply 
  as 
  a 
  living 
  being 
  coming 
  forth 
  into 
  the 
  

   universe, 
  whose 
  advent 
  must 
  be 
  ceremonially 
  announced 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  

   assure 
  it 
  an 
  accepted 
  place 
  among 
  the 
  already 
  existing 
  forms. 
  This 
  

   ceremonial 
  announcement 
  took 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  an 
  expression 
  of 
  the 
  

   Omaha 
  belief 
  in 
  the 
  oneness 
  of 
  the 
  universe 
  through 
  the 
  bond 
  of 
  a 
  

   common 
  life-power 
  that 
  pervaded 
  all 
  things 
  in 
  nature 
  animate 
  and 
  

   inanimate. 
  

  

  Although 
  in 
  the 
  Teci 
  c 
  'de 
  and 
  l 
  n 
  shta'cu 
  n 
  da 
  gentes 
  the 
  custom 
  sur- 
  

   vived 
  of 
  placing 
  on 
  the 
  child, 
  the 
  fourth 
  day 
  after 
  birth, 
  certain 
  sym- 
  

   bols 
  pertaining 
  to 
  the 
  peculiar 
  rites 
  of 
  those 
  gentes, 
  these 
  acts 
  did 
  not 
  

   serve 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  introducing 
  the 
  child 
  into 
  the 
  teeming 
  life 
  of 
  the 
  

   universe. 
  This 
  ceremony 
  of 
  introduction 
  took 
  place 
  on 
  the 
  eighth 
  day 
  

   after 
  birth. 
  Unfortunately 
  the 
  full 
  details 
  of 
  the 
  ceremony 
  have 
  been 
  

   lost 
  through 
  the 
  death 
  of 
  the 
  priests 
  who 
  had 
  charge 
  of 
  it. 
  The 
  

   hereditary 
  right 
  to 
  perform 
  the 
  ceremony 
  belonged 
  in 
  the 
  Washe'to 
  11 
  

   subgens 
  of 
  the 
  I 
  n 
  shta'cu 
  n 
  da 
  gens. 
  (See 
  meaning 
  of 
  the 
  term 
  Washe'- 
  

   to 
  11 
  , 
  p. 
  186.) 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  appointed 
  day 
  the 
  priest 
  was 
  sent 
  for. 
  When 
  he 
  arrived 
  

   he 
  took 
  his 
  place 
  at 
  the 
  door 
  of 
  the 
  tent 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  child 
  lay 
  and 
  

   raising 
  his 
  right 
  hand 
  to 
  the 
  sky, 
  palm 
  outward, 
  he 
  intoned 
  the 
  

   following 
  in 
  a 
  loud, 
  ringing 
  voice: 
  

  

  Ho! 
  Ye 
  Sun, 
  Moon, 
  Slurs, 
  all 
  ye 
  that, 
  move 
  in 
  the 
  heavenB, 
  

  

  I 
  bid 
  you 
  hear 
  me! 
  

   Into 
  your 
  midst 
  has 
  come 
  a 
  new 
  life. 
  

  

  Consent 
  ye, 
  I 
  implore! 
  

   Make 
  its 
  path 
  smooth, 
  that 
  it 
  may 
  reach 
  the 
  brow 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  hill! 
  

  

  Ho! 
  Ye 
  Winds, 
  Clouds, 
  Rain, 
  Mist, 
  all 
  ye 
  that 
  move 
  in 
  the 
  air, 
  

  

  I 
  bid 
  you 
  hear 
  me! 
  

   Into 
  your 
  midst 
  has 
  come 
  a 
  new 
  life. 
  

  

  Consent 
  ye, 
  I 
  implore! 
  

   Make 
  its 
  path 
  smooth, 
  that 
  it 
  may 
  reach 
  the 
  brow 
  of 
  the 
  second 
  hill! 
  

  

  Ho! 
  Ye 
  Hills, 
  Valleys, 
  Rivers, 
  Lakes, 
  Trees, 
  Grasses, 
  all 
  ye 
  of 
  the 
  earth, 
  

   I 
  bid 
  you 
  hear 
  me! 
  

  

  115 
  

  

  