44 THE OSAGE TRIBE. [eth. ann. 39 



to their dignity. Almost at the same time tlie A'-ivi-ho" Xo'-ka 

 enters and is motioned to his place. After the ordinary greetings are 

 exchanged between the men, the Xo'-ka in a formal address announces 

 to the two representatives of the principal war gentes the application 

 of the candidate for initiation into the mysteries of the No°'-zhi"-zho° 

 rite and at the same time expresses his willingness to act as his Xo'-ka 

 during the ceremony. The two representatives give their approval 

 and consent with expressions of pleasure at the coming initiation. 



The Xo'-ka then asks the A'-ki-ho° Xo'-ka to recite for the benefit 

 of the candidate the Wa'-xpe-gthe A-do°-be Wi'-gi-e, which may be 

 freely translated as the Wi'-gi-e of the Guarrlians of the Suspended 

 Penalties. The meaning of this wi'-gi-e may be explained as fol- 

 lows: When the candidate has chosen his Xo'-ka and through him 

 smnmoned to his house the representatives of two of the principal 

 war gentes in order to obtain their consent to the initiation into the 

 mysteries of the No°'-zhi"-zho° rite, the candidate had ])y these acts 

 taken upon himself the vow that he will without fail be initiated into 

 the rite and will perform all the acts necessary to be done in the 

 initiatory ceremonies. The moment that the two I'epresentatives 

 give their consent to the conferring of the No"'-zhi"-zho'' degree the 

 penalties attached to the vow become effective and hang suspended 

 over the head of the candidate, to drop upon him as soon as he 

 violates any of the obligations put upon him as a candidate. For 

 instance : He may lay aside some articles of value with the thought, 

 I will use these for fees in my initiation, or he may gather stores of 

 food for entertaining the No"'-ho"-zhi''-ga when they assemble to 

 witness or to take an active part in his initiation. .Should the can- 

 didate in the stress of adverse circumstances use for his personal 

 comfort or that of his family any of these provisions, although his 

 acts may be known only to himself, the penalties will fall upon him. 

 The ever watchful guardians are the spirits of four animals, namely, 

 the mottled lynx, the male puma, the black bear, and the elk, within 

 each one of whom is reposed the supernatural power as well as the 

 duty of inflicting these penalties. 



Wi'-Gi-E OF TUE Guardians of the Penalties. 



(Osage version, p. 375; literal translaiinn, p. 517.) 



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



2. The Ho^'-ga, a people who possess seven fireplaces, 



3. Verily, a people among whom there are none that are craven, 



4. Spake to one another, saying: Look you, my younger brothers, 



5. Let the little ones ' choose for themselves an avenger. 



1 The term ''little ones" frequently used in those rites always refers to "the people," but it also conveys 

 their belief in the continuity of their life as a tribe. 



