234 THE OSAGE TKIBE. [bth. a.nn. 39 



that he shall also have an endless line of descendants, a lineage that 

 shall continue as long as day and night continue. 



The little bow and the two arrows used in the acts accompanying the 

 songs are made in accordance with a ritual formulated by the ancient 

 No°'-ho°-zhi°-ga and presented for an initiation ceremony by the 

 gens called Sole Owners of the Bow who hold the ofRce of making 

 these ceremonial articles. The breast of the bow is painted red as 

 a symbol of the recurrent day and the back is painted black, a symbol 

 of the night that ever follows the ilay. One of the arrows is painted 

 red and the other black, so that both together symbolize day and 

 night. 



When the Songs of the Arrows are about to be sung the people 

 whose houses happen to be in the line over which the arrows are to 

 be set in flight move out, even the horses that happen to stand in 

 the way are driven aside, for there are many persons who believe 

 that any man or beast over wliich the magic arrows make their 

 flight will die within the year. 



While the people are scurrying out of the way the Sho'-ka picks 

 up the sacred hawk and places it upon the back of the Xo'-ka, 

 where it hangs suspended from a cord that goes around his neck. 

 The Sho'-ka then puts in the hands of the Xo'-ka the symbolic bow 

 and the two arrows. (PI. 16.) The A'-ki-ho° Xo'-ka takes up his 

 rattle and begins to sing the second song. The Xo'-ka quickly rises 

 and dances to the rhythm of the music. When the third line of the 

 first stanza is reached the Xo'-ka takes two or three steps forward, 

 fits the black arrow to the cord of the bow, and as he pulls the cord 

 he utters the magic cry: 



Magic Cry Transcribed by Alice C. Fletcher 



w 



He hi hi hi hi e e. 



But he does not release the arrow. Before turning aroimd to come 

 back to his place the Xo'-ka takes pains to remove from the cord 

 the arrow, in order to avoid bringing its point into line with the 

 No"'-ho°-zhi°-ga sitting on both sides of the lodge. At the third 

 line of the second stanza the Xo'-ka repeats the magic cry and simu- 

 lates the act of releasing the red arrow. At the third line of the 

 third stanza the same magic cry and the same act of simulation is 

 repeated, but the black arrow is now drawn. When the A'-ki-ho" 

 Xo'-ka sings the third line of the fourth stanza the Xo'-ka again 

 gives the magic cry as he goes tlu-ough the act of drawing and 

 releasing the red arrow. 



