﻿242 
  THE 
  OMAHA 
  TRIBE 
  [eth 
  ass. 
  27 
  

  

  lodge, 
  a 
  buffalo 
  chip 
  was 
  placed 
  ; 
  when 
  it 
  was 
  kindled, 
  sweet 
  grass 
  used 
  

   in 
  peaceful 
  ceremonies 
  and 
  sprays 
  of 
  cedar 
  sacred 
  to 
  thunder 
  were 
  

   laid 
  on 
  it 
  and 
  through 
  the 
  aromatic 
  smoke 
  arising 
  therefrom 
  the 
  

   seven 
  arrows 
  were 
  passed. 
  These 
  represented 
  the 
  Seven 
  Chiefs, 
  who 
  

   held 
  the 
  tribe 
  together 
  in 
  peaceful 
  unity, 
  and 
  also 
  the 
  means 
  by 
  

   which 
  man 
  secured 
  for 
  his 
  family 
  Wako 
  n 
  'da's 
  gift 
  of 
  the 
  buffalo, 
  

   whence 
  came 
  food 
  and 
  clothing. 
  The 
  woman 
  stood 
  for 
  the 
  mother 
  

   of 
  the 
  race 
  and 
  her 
  share 
  in 
  the 
  rites 
  was 
  a 
  prayer 
  for 
  its 
  continuance 
  

   and 
  prosperity. 
  

  

  As 
  the 
  woman, 
  in 
  her 
  representative 
  capacity, 
  held 
  the 
  arrows 
  over 
  

   the 
  consecrating 
  smoke 
  which 
  arose 
  from 
  the 
  burning 
  of 
  fragrant 
  

   offerings 
  sacred 
  to 
  war 
  and 
  to 
  peace, 
  the 
  following 
  song 
  was 
  sung: 
  

  

  Tenth 
  Song 
  

  

  Music 
  the 
  same 
  as 
  for 
  the 
  eighth 
  song 
  (p. 
  239) 
  and 
  the 
  words 
  the 
  

   same 
  as 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  stanza 
  of 
  the 
  song. 
  

  

  After 
  consecrating 
  the 
  arrows 
  by 
  passing 
  them 
  through 
  the 
  smoke, 
  

   the 
  woman 
  advanced 
  toward 
  the 
  Pole 
  and 
  stood 
  holding 
  an 
  arrow 
  

   aloft 
  while 
  the 
  following 
  song 
  was 
  sung: 
  

  

  Eleventh 
  Song 
  

  

  The 
  same 
  as 
  the 
  sixth 
  song 
  (p. 
  237). 
  The 
  words 
  of 
  the 
  song 
  were 
  

   repeated 
  nine 
  times. 
  A 
  number 
  multiplied 
  by 
  itself, 
  as 
  3 
  times 
  3 
  or 
  

   4 
  times 
  4, 
  as 
  not 
  infrequently 
  occurs 
  in 
  ceremonials, 
  indicates 
  com- 
  

   pleted 
  action. 
  

  

  Twelfth 
  Song 
  

  

  The 
  music 
  of 
  the 
  twelfth 
  song, 
  which 
  accompanied 
  the 
  shooting 
  

   by 
  the 
  woman 
  of 
  the 
  arrows 
  through 
  the 
  basketwork, 
  is 
  the 
  same 
  as 
  

   that 
  of 
  the 
  ninth 
  ritual 
  song 
  (p. 
  240), 
  sung 
  when 
  the 
  Pole 
  was 
  

   painted; 
  the 
  words 
  are 
  as 
  follows: 
  

  

  Baxo 
  n 
  akithe, 
  baxo 
  n 
  akithe, 
  he 
  he 
  

  

  Literal 
  translation: 
  Baxo", 
  to 
  thrust; 
  akithe, 
  I 
  cause 
  it. 
  

  

  These 
  words 
  were 
  repeated 
  four 
  times 
  to 
  fill 
  out 
  the 
  measure, 
  of 
  the 
  

   song 
  that 
  was 
  sung 
  seven 
  times, 
  once 
  to 
  each 
  of 
  the 
  arrows. 
  

  

  In 
  this 
  act 
  the 
  Pole 
  became 
  the 
  bow, 
  and 
  the 
  basketwork 
  the 
  wrist 
  

   shield 
  on 
  the 
  arm 
  of 
  the 
  man 
  who 
  grasped 
  the 
  bow. 
  The 
  woman 
  

   shot 
  the 
  arrow 
  along 
  the 
  bow, 
  simulating 
  the 
  shooting 
  of 
  the 
  buffalo, 
  

   to 
  secure 
  the 
  gift 
  of 
  abundance. 
  When 
  the 
  arrow 
  was 
  not 
  checked 
  

   by 
  the 
  wickerwork 
  or 
  down, 
  but 
  passed 
  clear 
  through 
  the 
  bundle 
  with 
  

   sufficient 
  force 
  to 
  stand 
  in 
  the 
  ground 
  on 
  the 
  other 
  side, 
  a 
  shout 
  of 
  joy 
  

   arose 
  from 
  the 
  people, 
  for 
  this 
  was 
  an 
  augury 
  of 
  victory 
  over 
  enemies 
  

   and 
  of 
  success 
  in 
  hunting. 
  After 
  this 
  divination 
  ceremony 
  with 
  the 
  

   arrows 
  the 
  wickerwork 
  on 
  the 
  Pole 
  was 
  folded 
  together 
  and 
  tied 
  in 
  

   its 
  skin 
  covering 
  until 
  the 
  next 
  year, 
  when 
  the 
  ceremony 
  would 
  be 
  

   repeated. 
  

  

  