﻿116 
  THE 
  OMAHA 
  TRIBE 
  [hth. 
  ANN. 
  27 
  

  

  Into 
  your 
  midst 
  has 
  come 
  a 
  new 
  life. 
  

  

  Consent 
  ye, 
  I 
  implore! 
  

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

   Ho! 
  Ye 
  Birds, 
  great 
  and 
  small, 
  that 
  fly 
  in 
  the 
  air, 
  

   Ho! 
  Ye 
  Animals, 
  great 
  and 
  small, 
  that 
  dwell 
  in 
  the 
  forest, 
  

   Ho! 
  Ye 
  insects 
  that 
  creep 
  among 
  the 
  grasses 
  and 
  burrow 
  in 
  the 
  ground 
  — 
  

  

  I 
  bid 
  you 
  hear 
  mc! 
  

   Into 
  your 
  midst 
  has 
  come 
  a 
  new 
  life. 
  

  

  Consent 
  ye, 
  I 
  implore! 
  

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

  

  Ho! 
  All 
  ye 
  of 
  the 
  heavens, 
  all 
  ye 
  of 
  the 
  air, 
  all 
  ye 
  of 
  the 
  earth: 
  

  

  Ibid 
  you 
  all 
  to 
  hear 
  me 
  ! 
  

   Into 
  your 
  midst 
  has 
  come 
  a 
  new 
  life. 
  

  

  Consent 
  ye, 
  consent 
  ye 
  all, 
  I 
  implore! 
  

   Make 
  its 
  path 
  smooth 
  — 
  then 
  shall 
  it 
  travel 
  beyond 
  the 
  four 
  hills! 
  

  

  This 
  ritual 
  was 
  a 
  supplication 
  to 
  the 
  powers 
  of 
  the 
  heavens, 
  the 
  

   air, 
  and 
  the 
  earth 
  for 
  the 
  safety 
  of 
  the 
  child 
  from 
  birth 
  to 
  old 
  age. 
  

   In 
  it 
  the 
  life 
  of 
  the 
  infant 
  is 
  pictured 
  as 
  about 
  to 
  travel 
  a 
  rugged 
  

   road 
  stretching 
  over 
  four 
  hills, 
  marking 
  the 
  stages 
  of 
  infancy, 
  youth, 
  

   manhood, 
  and 
  old 
  age. 
  

  

  The 
  ceremony 
  which 
  finds 
  oral 
  expression 
  in 
  this 
  ritual 
  voices 
  in 
  

   no 
  uncertain 
  manner 
  the 
  Omaha 
  belief 
  in 
  man's 
  relation 
  to 
  the 
  

   visible 
  powers 
  of 
  the 
  heavens 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  interdependence 
  of 
  all 
  

   forms 
  of 
  life. 
  The 
  appeal 
  bears 
  evidence 
  of 
  its 
  antiquity, 
  breathing 
  

   of 
  a 
  time 
  antedating 
  established 
  rites 
  and 
  ceremonies. 
  It 
  expresses 
  

   the 
  emotions 
  of 
  the 
  human 
  soul, 
  touched 
  with 
  the 
  love 
  of 
  offspring, 
  

   alone 
  with 
  the 
  might 
  of 
  nature, 
  and 
  companioned 
  only 
  by 
  the 
  living 
  

   creatures 
  whose 
  friendliness 
  must 
  be 
  sought 
  if 
  life 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  secure 
  on 
  

   its 
  journey. 
  

  

  The 
  cognate 
  tribes 
  had 
  ceremonies 
  similar 
  in 
  purport 
  although 
  

   differing 
  in 
  details. 
  Among 
  the 
  Omaha 
  no 
  further 
  ceremony 
  took 
  

   place 
  in 
  reference 
  to 
  the 
  child 
  in 
  its 
  relation 
  to 
  the 
  cosmos, 
  to 
  its 
  

   gens, 
  or 
  to 
  the 
  tribe, 
  until 
  it 
  was 
  able 
  to 
  walk. 
  When 
  the 
  period 
  

   arrived 
  at 
  which 
  the 
  child 
  could 
  walk 
  steadily 
  by 
  itself, 
  the 
  time 
  

   was 
  at 
  hand 
  when 
  it 
  must 
  be 
  introduced 
  into 
  the 
  tribe. 
  This 
  was 
  

   done 
  ceremonially. 
  

  

  « 
  Among 
  t 
  he 
  Osage, 
  on 
  the 
  birth 
  of 
  a 
  child 
  "a 
  man 
  who 
  had 
  talked 
  with 
  the 
  gods" 
  was 
  sent 
  for. 
  On 
  

   his 
  arrival 
  he 
  recited 
  to 
  the 
  infant 
  the 
  story 
  of 
  the 
  Creation 
  and 
  of 
  the 
  animals 
  that 
  move 
  on 
  the 
  earth. 
  

   Then, 
  after 
  placing 
  the 
  tip 
  of 
  his 
  ringer 
  on 
  the 
  mother's 
  nipple, 
  he 
  pressed 
  that 
  finger 
  on 
  the 
  lips 
  of 
  the 
  

   child, 
  after 
  which 
  he 
  passed 
  his 
  hands 
  over 
  the 
  body 
  of 
  the 
  child. 
  Then 
  the 
  infant 
  was 
  allowed 
  to 
  take 
  

   nourishment. 
  Later, 
  when 
  the 
  child 
  desired 
  to 
  drink 
  water 
  the 
  same 
  or 
  a 
  like 
  man 
  was 
  sent 
  for. 
  Again 
  

   the 
  ritual 
  of 
  the 
  Creation 
  was 
  recited, 
  and 
  the 
  beginning 
  of 
  water 
  was 
  told. 
  The 
  man 
  then 
  dipped 
  the 
  

   tip 
  of 
  his 
  finger 
  into 
  water 
  and 
  laid 
  it 
  on 
  the 
  lips 
  of 
  the 
  child 
  and 
  passed 
  his 
  hands 
  over 
  its 
  body 
  from 
  

   head 
  to 
  foot. 
  After 
  this 
  ceremony 
  the 
  child 
  could 
  be 
  given 
  water 
  to 
  drink. 
  When 
  the 
  child 
  reached 
  

   the 
  age 
  when 
  it 
  needed 
  or 
  desired 
  solid 
  food 
  , 
  the 
  same 
  man 
  or 
  one 
  of 
  his 
  class 
  was 
  again 
  sent 
  for. 
  Once 
  

   more 
  the 
  Creation 
  story 
  was 
  recited 
  and 
  the 
  gift 
  of 
  corn 
  and 
  other 
  food 
  was 
  recounted. 
  At 
  the. 
  close 
  the 
  

   man 
  placed 
  the 
  tip 
  of 
  his 
  finger 
  upon 
  the 
  food 
  prepared 
  for 
  the 
  child 
  and 
  then 
  laid 
  this 
  finger 
  on 
  the 
  lips 
  

   of 
  the 
  child, 
  after 
  which 
  he 
  passed 
  his 
  hands 
  over 
  its 
  body. 
  This 
  ceremony 
  prepared 
  the 
  child 
  to 
  receive 
  

   solid 
  food. 
  Fees 
  were 
  given 
  to 
  the 
  man 
  who 
  performed 
  these 
  rites. 
  

  

  