LAPMJSCHE] RITE OF VIGII. FREE TRANSLATION. 183 



slain the bird feasted upon the remains of the fallen warriors. Should 

 it happen that he was not present to witness the deatUy strife the 

 winds carried to liini the message that a feast awaited him beyond 

 the hills — a message received through his keen sense of smell. The 

 wi'-gi-es of the Wa-thu'-^e Wa-tho° (Seizing the Wa'-do"-be), the 

 ceremonial movements, and the Crow Songs all dramatize the rally- 

 ings of the people to go and chastise their foes. The warriors who 

 march to the country of their enemies leave the hills strewn with the 

 dead, upon which the black birds of mystery feast. Thus the war- 

 riors return trimnphant to their village, where the o-do°' won by 

 them are ceremonially confirmed. 



In the Omaha tribal buffalo hunt the runners who are sent out to 

 seek for a large herd are often guided by the actions of this black 

 bird of mystery, for when the runner sees flocks of crows hovering 

 over a certain spot, or soaring widely, he knows that a herd is to be 

 found at that place. This characteristic action of the crow prompted 

 the priests to give this bird a place in the buffalo hunting rite. The 

 Omaha Crow Song occurs in the group of songs relating to the runner 

 (27th Ann. Kept. B. A. E., pp. 300, 303). The words of the song, 

 freely translated, are: 



Yonder soars the black bird in wide circles, 

 Soars widely upon his wings as he makes search. 



When the A'-ki-ho° Xo'-ka is about to sing the Ci'ow Songs he 

 addresses the No°'-ho°-zhi°-ga in a voice that all can hear: "O, 

 No'''-ho°-zhi"-ga, I have now come to the Crow Songs. It is the 

 custom of the Men of Mystery at this stage of the ceremony to refresh' 

 themselves with water." 



The A'-ki-ho" Xo'-ka and his assistants begin to sing the songs 

 while women bring water for their husbands and brothers to drink 

 and to wash from their faces the sign of vigil. The Sho'-ka and his 

 assistants at this time give to each matron of a family her portion 

 of the provisions bountifully supplied by the Singer. 



The No°'-ho°-zhi°-ga of all the gentes, excepting those of the 

 initiating gens, adjourn for a recess and go to their homes to enjoy 

 the meals prepared for them, leaving the presiding gens to continue 

 the ceremony. 



The two songs composing this group are addressed to the crows 

 by the symbolic man who symbolically acts as the protector of the 

 tribal life. 



It was explained by Wa'-thu-xa-ge, a member of the Tsi'-zhu 

 Wa-shta'-ge gens (see 36th Ann. Rept. B. A. E., p. 300), that when 

 one of this class of songs occurs in a ceremony it is called "I'-ki 

 Wa-tho"," Singing of HimseK, that is, the symbolic man sings of 

 himself. 



