LAFLESCHE] Nl'-KI Wl'-GI-ES 249 



people as an aggregate body must always be regarded as of the first 

 importance. The perpetuity of the tribal existence must depend 

 upon the bodily strength and valor of the warrior. 



The first movement of the people, in the allegorical story, in the 

 perfecting of their military organization, was toward a "little 

 house" — a "little house" in which certain prescribed ceremonies 

 must be performed not only for the orderly and authoritative organ- 

 ization of war parties but as suppUcatory acts, for the people must 

 not depend wholly upon their own physical strength and courage; 

 they must also call to their aid the Power that abides within the vast 

 universe. In that Power the people must place their abiding faith 

 and crj' to it continually for aid when necessity compels them to 

 move against the foe. The crying of the people to the All-Powerful 

 for aid when going to war is done vicariously and must be a con- 

 tinuous cry from the beginning to the end of the war.. This is one 

 of the prescribed ceremonial acts. 



While the Xo'-ka was preparing himself for the ceremonial approach 

 with his candidate to the "Little House," the No°'-ho°-zhi°-ga of the 

 Ho°'-ga U-ta-no°-dsi gens were taking their places in the lodge in 

 order to represent the "strange people" spoken of in the story; in 

 other words, the enemy, which the candidate some day might meet 

 as the leader of a war party. 



In line 2 of the following wi'-gi-e the No°'-ho°-zhi°-ga used the 

 term "Wa-xo'-be pi-zhi." The word "pi-zhi" in its ordinary sense 

 and usage would characterize the wa-xo'-be as bad or evil. But in 

 this instance the word is used metaphorically to express the mys- 

 terious character of the consecrated article, the mystic power it 

 possesses to bring success to the warrior, and the evil consequences 

 that follow its misuse or desecration. Therefore the meaning 

 intended to be conveyed by the use of the word "pi-zhi" is not that 

 of its literal or ordinary sense. Wa-xo'-be Pi-zhi, Mysterious 

 Wa-xo'-be, is the correct interpretation. The same metaphorical 

 expression is used by the Omaha to characterize as mysterious the 

 seven divining arrows that are attached to their sacred pole. This 

 characterization of the sacred arrows is expressed in a personal 

 gentile name of the Ho°'-ga gens, Mo° '-pi-zhi, Mysterious Arrows. 

 (See Twenty-seventh Annual Report, B. A. E., p. 156.) 



Wi'-Gi-E OF THE Ceremonial Appkoach 



(Osage Tersion, p. 435; literal translation, p. 579.) 



1. Verily, at that time and place, it has been said, in this house, 



2. The people assembled the power of their mysterious Wa-xo'-be 



3. To put to the test. 



4. For this purpose they searched for a way by which they could 



guide their footsteps. 



