LA Fr-ESCHE] INTRODUCTION 55 



the tribe versed in the tribal rites. The refrain, "it has been said, 

 in this house," is retained throughout the rituals as originally given, 

 for the reason that to the Osage it is necessary to show that every 

 line intoned is authoritative and originated in the house where the 

 ancient No'"-ho°-zhi°-ga (the Little-Old-Men) gathered to formulate 

 the rites. This original form is included in this volume in order that 

 the educated Osage may read the rituals of his ancestors in his own 

 language unconfused by the English translations. 



The third form is an English translation given as hterally as it 

 could be made under certain difficulties. The language employed in 

 these rituals is not that in ordinary use, but tropes, figures of speech, 

 and metaphorical expressions were freely used by the No°'-ho"- 

 zhi''-ga to convey their ideas, thus making it difficult for the uniniti- 

 ated to fully understand the ritualistic language. This peculiar 

 mode of expression is characterized by the Indians as No^'-ho"- 

 zhi^-ga I-e, Language of the Little-Old-Men. 



All the songs included in the two rituals presented in this volume 

 were sung by Osages into the dictaphone and transcribed from the 

 records thus made by Alice C. Fletcher. 



Acknowledgments 



Acknowledgment is here made of the assistance given by Dr. Fred- 

 erick V. CovUle and Mr. Paul C. Standley in identifying the plants 

 mentioned in some of the rituals; also of the courtesy of Dr. Chas. W. 

 Richmond in identifying certain birds that figure in the rites. The 

 writer is indebted to Dr. William E. Safford for valuable assistance 

 given by him in identifying certain food plants and water insects that 

 have important places in the sacred rituals and in the assembling of 

 the illustrations showing these symbolic plants and insects. 



