﻿578 
  THE 
  OMAHA 
  TRIBE 
  [eth. 
  ass. 
  27 
  

  

  43. 
  Along 
  the 
  banks 
  of 
  the 
  streams, 
  ecka 
  

  

  44. 
  With 
  head 
  drooping 
  over, 
  there 
  thou 
  sit 
  test, 
  ecka 
  

  

  45. 
  Thy 
  topmost 
  branches, 
  ecka 
  

  

  46. 
  Dipping 
  again 
  and 
  again, 
  verily, 
  into 
  the 
  water, 
  ecka 
  

  

  47. 
  Thou 
  Pole 
  of 
  the 
  Tent, 
  ecka 
  

  

  48. 
  One 
  of 
  these 
  little 
  ones, 
  ecka 
  

  

  49. 
  I 
  shall 
  sit 
  upon 
  one, 
  eeka 
  

  

  50. 
  The 
  impurities, 
  ecka 
  

  

  51. 
  All 
  I 
  shall 
  wash 
  away 
  from 
  them, 
  erka 
  

  

  52. 
  To 
  the 
  end, 
  without 
  one 
  obstacle, 
  they 
  shall 
  appear 
  thereon, 
  they 
  say, 
  you 
  

  

  have 
  said, 
  erka 
  

  

  53. 
  Aged 
  One, 
  ecka 
  

  

  54. 
  It 
  is 
  said 
  that 
  you 
  have 
  commanded 
  us 
  to 
  say 
  to 
  you, 
  < 
  >ur 
  Father, 
  ecka 
  

  

  55. 
  Thuu 
  Water, 
  ecka 
  

  

  56. 
  Oh! 
  Along 
  the 
  bends 
  of 
  the 
  stream 
  where 
  the 
  waters 
  strike, 
  and 
  where 
  the 
  

  

  waters 
  eddy, 
  among 
  the 
  water-mosses, 
  let 
  all 
  the 
  impurities 
  that 
  gall 
  be 
  

   drifted, 
  ecka 
  

  

  57. 
  Not 
  entering 
  within, 
  eeka 
  

  

  58. 
  Aged 
  ' 
  Ine, 
  ecka 
  

  

  59. 
  Whosoever 
  touches 
  me 
  with 
  face 
  nr 
  lips, 
  eeka 
  

  

  60. 
  All 
  the 
  impurities, 
  ecka 
  

  

  61. 
  I 
  shall 
  cause 
  to 
  be 
  cleansed, 
  it 
  is 
  said, 
  you 
  have 
  Baid, 
  ecka 
  

  

  62. 
  The 
  four 
  apertures 
  of 
  the 
  body, 
  e<;ka 
  

  

  63. 
  And 
  all 
  within 
  the 
  body 
  I 
  shall 
  purify, 
  it 
  is 
  Baid, 
  you 
  have 
  said, 
  ecka 
  

  

  64. 
  Little 
  ones, 
  eeka 
  

  

  65. 
  Through 
  and 
  through 
  shall 
  appear, 
  ecka 
  

  

  66. 
  Against 
  the 
  wind, 
  in 
  the 
  midst 
  of 
  air, 
  they 
  shall 
  appear 
  and 
  stand, 
  ecka 
  

  

  67. 
  It 
  is 
  said, 
  you 
  have 
  said, 
  eeka 
  

  

  68. 
  Aged 
  One, 
  erka 
  

  

  In 
  this 
  ritual 
  the 
  Primal 
  Rock 
  is 
  addressed 
  as 
  "Aged 
  One," 
  sitting 
  

   in 
  the 
  midst 
  of 
  water 
  "impossible 
  to 
  traverse." 
  The 
  stones 
  in 
  the 
  

   sweat 
  lodge 
  represented 
  this 
  Aged 
  One, 
  while 
  the 
  steam 
  from 
  the 
  

   water 
  symbolized 
  the 
  mighty 
  water 
  whence 
  issued 
  life 
  and 
  which 
  

   had 
  power 
  to 
  wash 
  away 
  all 
  impurities. 
  The 
  almost 
  tender 
  mention 
  

   of 
  the 
  willows 
  that 
  dip 
  their 
  branches 
  "again 
  and 
  again'' 
  into 
  the 
  

   stream 
  and 
  that 
  now 
  constitute 
  the 
  framework 
  of 
  the 
  lodge 
  is 
  note- 
  

   worthy. 
  So, 
  too, 
  the 
  mention 
  of 
  the 
  placing 
  of 
  the 
  little 
  ones 
  

   "againsl 
  the 
  wind, 
  in 
  the 
  midst 
  of 
  air," 
  bears 
  testimony 
  to 
  how 
  

   deeply 
  seated 
  in 
  the 
  native 
  mind 
  is 
  the 
  religious 
  idea 
  of 
  the 
  life- 
  

   giving 
  power 
  of 
  the 
  winds 
  — 
  the 
  winds 
  that 
  stand 
  at 
  "the 
  four 
  direc- 
  

   tions" 
  into 
  whose 
  "midst" 
  is 
  sent 
  the 
  child, 
  that 
  he 
  may 
  reach 
  the 
  

   four 
  hills 
  of 
  life. 
  

  

  The 
  ritual 
  is 
  very 
  difficult 
  to 
  translate. 
  It 
  is 
  highly 
  poetic 
  in 
  the 
  

   original, 
  lull 
  of 
  picture 
  and 
  movement. 
  The 
  refrain, 
  epka, 
  " 
  I 
  desire," 
  

   "I 
  am 
  drawn 
  toward," 
  "I 
  seek," 
  carries 
  the 
  idea 
  of 
  a 
  movement 
  

   urged 
  on 
  by 
  earnestness 
  on 
  the 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  person 
  speaking. 
  The 
  

   word 
  epka 
  has 
  no 
  exact 
  equivalent 
  in 
  English. 
  

  

  