88 



THE OSAGE TRIBE. 



[ETII. A>fN.. 39 



referred to as examples of the manner in which some ceremonial acts 

 are closed (see pp. 198, 199, 201, 203), as well as the songs of the 

 triumphal entry of a victorious war leader into the village and the 

 House of Mystery, that close with these words: 



"Into the light of the days I have come home, 

 I have come home." 



The songs of trimnph will appear in a later volume. 



The Singer, the Xo'-ka, and the A'-ki-ho° Xo'-ka stand at the 

 eastern end of the house, facing the west, as the Xo'-ka sings the 

 ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth stanzas of the song, "Walking 

 Upon the Animal Skins" (Fig. 2). At the close of the last stanza the 

 thi-ee men sit down upon blankets or robes that have been spread on 



Fig- 3.— Portable shrine, [olded 



the ground for their comfort. The Sho'-ka, who is still standing, 

 takes the wa-xo'-be, portable shrine (PI. 5; Fig. 3), and places it on 

 the ground in front of the Xo'-ka, being careful to see that the sacred 

 hawk, enshrined therein, lies with its head toward the Tsi'-zhu side of 

 the house. He at the same time places in front of the A'-ki-ho° 

 Xo'-ka a gourd rattle (Fig. 2, B). Having performed this duty, the 

 Sho'-ka takes his seat at the left, toward the Ho°'-ga side of the house 

 (Fig. 2). 



Songs of Untying the Shrine. 



The next movement, which is the actual opening of the ceremony 

 proper, begins with the singing of a series of eight songs having in 

 common the title, Wa-xo'-be Thu-shke Wa-tho°, Songs of Untying 



