148 THE OSAGE TRIBE. [eth. an-n. 39 



grasping a corner of his blanket, leads him to a seat prepared for him 

 back of the black bear skin spread upon the ground for s3'mbolic 

 purposes at the west end (fig. 2). There the Singer takes away 

 from the man, who is the chosen Wa'-do"-be, his blanket and puts 

 upon him a new one ornamented with a broad beaded blanket band 

 and bids him sit down on the robes spread upon the grouml for his 

 comfort. When the Wa'-do''-be is seated the Singer fastens to his 

 scalp lock a scarlet deer's tail headdress badge wliich only a warrior 

 who has won military honors is privileged to wear, ami he also places 

 upon the back of the Wa'-do°-be a rawhide shield painted with 

 symbolic designs and ornamented with, eagle feathers. 



Having performed this duty, the Singer returns to his seat, when 

 the Sho'-ka brings to the A'-ki-ho° Xo'-ka thirteen willow saplings. 

 These the A'-ki-ho" Xo'-ka divides into two bunches, one having 

 seven saplings and the other six. He grasps the two bunches about 

 a span's length from the butt ends, holding the bunch containing 

 seven saplings in his left hand and the bunch having six in his right. 

 He crosses the lower ends of the two bunches at right angles, the 

 bunch containing seven saplings being uppermost, and, holiiing them 

 in this manner he gives them to the Sho'-ka, who carries them to 

 the Singer and places them in his hands without distui'bing their 

 order. The Singer then carries the two bunches of saplings to the 

 Wa'-do°-be and places them before him on the ground exactly as 

 they had been arranged by the A'-ki-ho" Xo'-ka, so that the bunch 

 containing the seven saplings lies toward the Ho^'-ga side of the 

 house and that containing the six saplings toward the Tsi-zhu side 

 (fig. 2). 



When the Singer returns to his seat, after placing before the 

 Wa'-do"-be the tliirteen willow saplings, the A'-ki-ho" Xo'-ka and his 

 assistants begin to sing the songs, at the same time the No°'-ho"-zhi"-ga 

 of the Ho°'-ga and the Tsi'-zhu divisions begin the recitation of 

 their wi'-gi-es. The singing of the songs and the reciting of the 

 wi'-gi-es continue together to the end of the fourth song. The 

 Wa'-do"-be then rises and begins to recount his o-do°', his sonorous 

 voice mingling with the din but rising above the confusion of sounds. 



The wi'-gi-es will be given first, as they refer directly to the pre- 

 scribed number of o-do"' to be won and ceremonially recounted by 

 the successful warrior. 



THE Wl'-GI-E. 



(Osage version, p. 421; literal translation, p. 557.) 

 Unmodipieu Form as Recited by the In-gthoN'-g.^ (Pum.\) Gens. 



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



2. The black bear that is without a blemish 



3. Fell suddenly to meditating upon Iiimself ; 



