﻿506 
  THE 
  OMAHA 
  TRIBE 
  [etii.ann.J7 
  

  

  During 
  the 
  completion 
  of 
  the 
  tattooing 
  of 
  the 
  symbols 
  of 
  day 
  and 
  

   night 
  the 
  following 
  song 
  was 
  sung: 
  

  

  (Sang 
  in 
  octaves; 
  dots 
  indicate 
  pulsations 
  of 
  t 
  lie 
  voic 
  e) 
  

  

  xu 
  - 
  e 
  tha 
  Ga 
  - 
  thi 
  n 
  xu 
  - 
  e 
  tha 
  Ga 
  - 
  thi" 
  xu 
  - 
  e 
  

  

  (lathi 
  11 
  xue 
  tha 
  

   G;ithi" 
  xue 
  tha 
  

   Eda 
  to 
  n 
  da 
  ha 
  xue 
  tha 
  

   ( 
  lathi" 
  xue 
  tha 
  

   (lathi" 
  xue 
  tha 
  hio 
  

  

  Literal 
  translation: 
  Gathi", 
  yonder 
  unseen 
  is 
  one 
  moving; 
  xm 
  , 
  

   noise; 
  tha, 
  end 
  of 
  sentence; 
  eda, 
  a 
  modified 
  form 
  of 
  edo 
  n 
  , 
  for 
  that 
  rea- 
  

   son; 
  to"<hi 
  lnt, 
  over 
  the 
  earth; 
  xue. 
  noise; 
  Mo, 
  the 
  cry 
  of 
  the 
  living 
  

   creatures. 
  

  

  This 
  song, 
  it 
  was 
  explained, 
  referred 
  to 
  the. 
  serpent, 
  here 
  the 
  repre- 
  

   sentative 
  of 
  the 
  teeming 
  life 
  that 
  "moves" 
  over 
  the 
  earth. 
  (Note 
  

   the 
  tabu 
  of 
  the.lost 
  subgens 
  of 
  the 
  I 
  n 
  shta'(/u 
  n 
  da 
  gens 
  and 
  its 
  mean- 
  

   ing.) 
  Because 
  tltis 
  lite 
  is 
  "moving" 
  it 
  makes 
  a 
  noise. 
  Even 
  the 
  sun 
  

   as 
  it 
  "moves," 
  it 
  is 
  said, 
  "makes 
  a 
  noise," 
  as 
  dues 
  the 
  living 
  wind 
  in 
  

   the 
  trees. 
  

  

  Sometimes 
  a 
  crescent 
  moon 
  was 
  tattooed 
  on 
  the 
  back 
  of 
  the 
  girl's 
  

   neck 
  and 
  a 
  turtle 
  on 
  the 
  back 
  of 
  her 
  hands. 
  The 
  turtle 
  was 
  con- 
  

   nected 
  with 
  rites 
  pertaining 
  to 
  water 
  ami 
  wind, 
  as 
  noted 
  in 
  the 
  ac- 
  

   count 
  of 
  the 
  Ke'i 
  n 
  subgens 
  of 
  the 
  Tha'tada 
  gens 
  (see 
  p. 
  161). 
  During 
  

   the 
  ordeal 
  of 
  tattooing 
  the 
  girl 
  strove 
  to 
  make 
  no 
  sound 
  or 
  outcry. 
  

   If 
  she 
  should 
  do 
  so 
  it 
  was 
  considered 
  as 
  evidence 
  that 
  she 
  had 
  been 
  

   unchaste. 
  If 
  the 
  healing 
  process 
  was 
  rapid, 
  it 
  was 
  considered 
  a 
  

   good 
  omen. 
  

  

  After 
  the 
  ritual 
  songs 
  here 
  given 
  had 
  been 
  sung, 
  the 
  members 
  of 
  

   the 
  Ho 
  n 
  'hewachi 
  sang 
  their 
  individual 
  songs. 
  In 
  the 
  Ponca 
  tribe 
  

   the 
  men 
  who 
  had 
  dreamed 
  of 
  buffalo 
  sat 
  on 
  one 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  lodge; 
  

   those 
  who 
  had 
  had 
  other 
  dreams 
  sat 
  on 
  the 
  opposite 
  side; 
  and 
  the 
  

   songs 
  w 
  r 
  erc 
  sung 
  first 
  by 
  a 
  man 
  on 
  one 
  side 
  and 
  then 
  by 
  one 
  on 
  the 
  

   other. 
  This 
  order 
  was 
  not 
  regularly 
  followed 
  among 
  the 
  Omaha. 
  

   Alter 
  the 
  noon 
  hour 
  food 
  was 
  cooked 
  and 
  served 
  to 
  the 
  chiefs, 
  

   while 
  the 
  herald 
  called 
  the 
  families 
  of 
  these 
  men 
  to 
  receive 
  their 
  

   share. 
  Much 
  food 
  was 
  consumed 
  and 
  distributed 
  on 
  this 
  occasion. 
  

  

  When 
  the 
  tattooing 
  was 
  finished 
  the 
  girl 
  left 
  the 
  tent. 
  Then 
  the 
  

   herald 
  brought 
  in 
  all 
  the 
  articles 
  that 
  were 
  hanging 
  on 
  the 
  scaffolds 
  

   outside 
  the 
  tent 
  and 
  piled 
  them 
  in 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  the 
  lodge. 
  All 
  the 
  

  

  