292 THE OSAGE TRIBE [eth. ANN. 36 



In this ])art of tho ceremony the Xo'-ka represents the candidate, 

 so it is he who now enters the House of Mystery in the name of 

 Good-eagle, Red-eagle, Good-eagle-woman and Mid-earth. At the 

 close of the song the three men take their places at the middle of 

 the eastern end of the room, where they sit facing the west. 



Here the Wa-the'-thc ceremony is performed, but Wa'-thu-xa-ge 

 was in so much physical suffering that he was not in a condition to 

 remember the details of this elaborate ceremony. A description of 

 it has, however, been given in the Ni'-ki degree described by Wa- 

 xthi'-zhi on page 155; also in that given by Xu-tha'-wa-to"-i" on 

 page 25.'i. At the conclusion of the Wa-the'-the ceremony the No"'- 

 ho"-zhi"-ga of the various gentes simultaneously recite their wi'-gi-es 

 relating to the life symbols of their gentes, while the members belong- 

 ing to the Tsi'-zhu Wa-shta'-ge gens recite the wi'-gi-e relating to the 

 gentile names mentioned in the song of the candidate's entering the 

 lodge. 



When all have recited their wi'-gi-es a recess is taken, during which 

 the men appointed to the task busy themselves distributing among 

 the No°'-ho"-zhi"-ga in equal portions the provisions supplied by the 

 candidate for the entertainment of all who had taken part in the 

 ceremony. When the women have entered and carried away the 

 provisions, a No"'-ho"-zhi"-ga speaks, saying: "O, Tsi'-zhu (addressing 

 the initiating gens by name), we have performed the parts you have 

 required of us and now we will rise, leaving you to perform that part 

 of the ceremony that belongs indivitlually to you." Thereupon the 

 members of the Wa-zha'-zhe Wa-no" gens rise and in single file 

 march out of the door at the north side while those of the Tsi'-zhu 

 Wa-no° rise soon after and go out of the door at the south side. 



When the No"'-ho''-zhi"-ga have left the Xo'-ka sings the Buffalo 

 Songs. These songs are supplicatory and express a craving for the 

 continuous coming of the buffalo into bodily existence, for upon that 

 animal the Osage man depends for the prolongation of his own 

 bodily existence. In the first of these songs the buffalo is personified 

 and maile to say that they are about to come from the unseen world 

 to the earth where all life takes on bodily form. The female buffalo 

 is first to speak, the male follows, then is heard the little ones, and, 

 lastly, the aged male who has reached that stage of life when he can 

 no longer perform the functions of life. The fifth stanza refers to 

 the light of day into which all life ultimately comes that it may fulfill 

 its existence. 



