54 THE OSAGE TRIBE [eth. ann. 36 



the war ceremonies of these three groups of gentes the recited parts 

 of the rituals are usually prefaced with the lines: 



The Wa-zha'-zhe (or no°'-ga or Tsi'-zhu), a people who possess seven fireplaces, a 

 people among whom there are none that are craven. 



The Ni'-ka Wa-kC-da-gi, marked A on the diagram; the Tho'-xe, 

 marked B; the Ho"'-ga U-ta-no"-dsi, marked C, each has a war 

 fireplace; but these war fireplaces are kept separate when speaking 

 of the gentile order for the purpose of commemorating certain portions 

 of the story of tlie tribe. 



In course of time and as governmental ideas developed two special 

 fireplaces were established and given the title U-dse-the Wa-shta'-ge, 

 Gentle or Peace Fireplace. A new gens was also created within the 

 Tsi'-zhu Great Division, to which was given one of these Peace 

 Fireplaces, the office of Peacemaker, and the name Tsi'-zhu Wa- 

 shta'-ge, Gentle Tsi'-zhu. Within the Ho°'-ga Great Division was 

 also created a new gens out of the Wa'-tse-tsi gens and called Po°'-ka 

 Wa-shta'-ge, Gentle Po^'-ka, and to it was given the other Peace 

 Fireplace together with the office of Peacemaker. Two hereditary 

 chiefs were chosen out of these new gentes, one for the fsi'-zhu 

 Great Division, the other for the Ho°'-ga Great Division. To the 

 Tsi'-zhu chief was given precedence in official rank. The duty of 

 these hereditary chiefs was to enforce peace within the tribe. 



SANCTUAKIES 



The houses of these two chiefs became sanctuaries not only for the 

 people of the tribe but also for members of other tribes includmg 

 enemy tribes, who were allowed to seek refuge there. These two 

 houses were made to represent the earth and all life contained 

 therein. Two doors were given to each of these sacred houses, one 

 facing east and the other west, and an imaginary line running from 

 door to door symbolized the path of the sun, which daily traverses 

 the middle of the earth. The story of these two chiefs is given in 

 the first ritual of this volume. 



Rituals Presented in Three Forms 



The rituals of the two tribal rites presented in this volume are 

 given in three forms, as follows: 



The first form is in a free English translation of the intoned or 

 recited parts of the rituals. For convenience in reading, and to 

 avoid the monotony of constant repetition, the refrain, "it has been 

 said, in this house," that occurs at the end of every line in the original 

 is generally omitted from the line* of the free translation. 



The second form is in the Osage language as transcribed from the 

 dictaphone records made by Wa-tse'-mo°-i° and other members of 



