38 THE OSAGE TRIBE. [eth. ann. 39 



presented, years of labor would be required and many volumes 

 filled. . . . the rituals ... as here recorded . . . give 

 a fair idea of what the other versions would be like." "The ancient 

 No'''-ho°-zhi°-ga in their years of pondering over life attempted to 

 embrace in their mental vision not onh- the visible part of Nature, but 

 even Wa-ko^'-da, whom no man can see, but whom they came to 

 conceiva of as a creative Power, a power that abides in and moves 

 among the great cosmic bodies, as well as the various forms of life in 

 and upon the earth." 



In this, the second volume, are presented two versions of one 

 ritual, entitled "No^'-zhi^-zho" Wa-tho"," Songs of the Kite of Vigil. 

 This degree is the foiu-th in the order observed by the Tho'-xe gens 

 of the Tsi'-zhu great division, and second in the order followed by 

 the I°-gtho°'-ga gens of the Ho"'-ga great division. (See 36th Ann. 

 Kept. B. A. E., pp. 152-153.) The first version is that of the 

 I°-gtho°'-ga (Puma) gens and the second is that of the Tsi'-zhu 

 Wa-shta'-ge (Peace) gens. 



The No^'-zhi^-zho", or the Rite of Vigil, is a degree that is held as 

 next in importance to the Ni'-ki-e, not only because the rite for 

 which it is named brings the people in close touch with the Super- 

 natm-al Power to which they appeal in times of distress but because it 

 also contains nearly all the symbols and ceremonial forms essential 

 to the other degrees. 



In the first volume the rituals are presented in three forms, and the 

 same plan is followed in this, the second volume. The first presenta- 

 tion is a free English translation; the second is as transcribed from 

 the dictaphone records made by the Osage Indians; the third is a 

 literal translation, as close as coiild be made under difficulties that 

 exist between the English and the Osage languages, difficulties which 

 are enhanced by the liberal use in their rituals of metaphors, figures 

 of speech, modes of expression, and the disguising of words in the 

 songs. 



The music of all the songs given by Wa-xthi'-zhi and Sho°'-ge- 

 mo^-i" and recorded in this volume was faithfully and acciirately 

 transcribed by Miss Alice C. Fletcher, author of a number of books 

 on Indian rites. 



