212 THE OSAGE TKIBE. [eth. ans. 39 



FREE TRANSLATION. 

 1. 



My grandfather is coming, 

 Behold, the male is coming. 



2. 



My grandfather is coming, 

 Behold, the female is coming. 



3. 



My grandfather is coming, 

 Behold, the little one is coming. 



My grandfather is coming, 



Behold, a part of the herds have come. 



5. 



My grandfather is coming. 



Behold, the herds come in seven directions. 



The fourth song is descriptive of tlie actions of the young bull when 

 attacking his enemy. He first goes forward in bounding leaps, then 

 turns from side to side, and at last rushes forth in a straight line. As 

 the bull is a symbol of courage the song refers to the valor of the 

 warriors when defending their fields and their homes. 



When tliis song is about to be sung the wife of the Singer and her 

 companions enter the house, having in their hands their planting and 

 loom poles and their carrying bags. The women stand in a row in 

 front of the Xo'-ka, the A'-ki-ho° Xo'-ka, and their assistants, and 

 there dance to the rhytluii of the song, beating time by thrusting the 

 earth with their poles. At the close of the song the women push their 

 poles down westward, an act expressive of the wish that the warriors 

 who go to attack their enemies toward the setting sun shall always 

 retm-n victorious. 



A free translation of one line of each stanza will suffice to give the 

 meaning, as the other lines are repetitions. 



