196 THE OSAGE TRIBE. [bth. ann. 39 



At the conclusion of these instructions the wife of the Singer and 

 her companions take off their gala dresses, having put them on over 

 other garments before entering, and leave them as they go out. The 

 various articles of clothing worn by the wife of the Singer are intended 

 as a part of the fee given to the A'-ki-ho" Xo'-ka. A horse is the 

 usual fee to which the clothing is added. The garments left by the 

 other women are offered piece by piece by the Sho'-ka for compe- 

 tition among the women who are honorary members of the organi- 

 zation, in the following manner: The Sho'-ka holds up the first 

 article on which he lays liis hands and says: "If any woman ever 

 came four times to the ceremony of instructions, bringing at each 

 time an article of value like this, she may take tliis garment." The 

 women then begin to comit and the one who can count four is given 

 the article. Each article is disposed of in like manner. In former 

 times the clothing consisted of deerskin dresses, leggings, moccasins, 

 and buffalo robes. In recent times the dresses are made of broad- 

 cloth, silk jackets, short leggings embroidered with ribbon, woven 

 belts, moccasins and blankets. 



CORX-PLANTINC SoNGS. 



The songs of tliis group belong to the gens called Tho'-xe, the 

 archaic name for buffalo bull, and are distributed among the rites of 

 the various gentes. Some of the rites are said to include as many 

 as thirteen or more of these songs, while others have only from six 

 to twelve. Many of the songs of this group are corn-planting songs. 

 These are classed as buffalo songs because the buffalo is said to have 

 given corn to the people. The Tho'-xe gens can use all or only a 

 part of these songs in their ceremonies, while each of the other gentes 

 can use only those songs that have been given to them to include in 

 their rites. 



In the lists of the groups of songs belonging to the Black Bear 

 and the Pinna related gentes, which were given separately by 

 Wa-tse'-mo°-i° and Wa-xthi'-zhi, both men gave six as the number 

 of buffalo songs given to those two gentes in common. Wa-xtlii'-zhi 

 of the Pmna gens, who sang these songs, gave but five, four being corn- 

 planting songs and one buffalo. 



The word "footprints" that occurs with insistent frequency in the 

 corn-planting songs refers to the imprint of the foot of the planter 

 on the prepared liill as she tamps down the earth after planting the 

 grains and covering the opening. This act of the woman who plants 

 the corn is regarded as sacred and mysterious, for through her foot- 

 prints the plants rise and flourish in abundance. 



The first song of this group relates to the planting, the growth of 

 the corn, and the joy resulting from the harvesting. A free trans- 



