302 



THE OSAGE TRIBE. 



fETU. ANN. 39 



bined influences of the sky and the earth, whence it descends to take 

 material form. The dual function that lies witliin and back of all the 

 manifestation of life was recognized by the ancient No°'-ho°-zhi"-ga 

 who formulated the tribal rites. The part they gave the woman to per- 

 form at this particular stage of the ceremony has reference, not only 

 to her sacerdotal office as weaver of the shrine proper that symbolizes 

 life in all its forms, celestial and terrestrial, but to the reverent care 

 she bestows upon the shrine when it passes into her keeping because of 

 the initiation of her husband into the mysteries of the tribal war rites. 

 The part also has reference to woman's position as representative of 

 the potential power of the tribe through its warriors who are born of 

 woman, therefore, in the warlike achievements of the tribe her part is 

 regarded as no less important than that of the men who face death 

 upon the fields of conflict. 



While the first song is being sung the women stand motionless in 

 their places. The translation of a single line will make clear tlie 

 meaning of the song. 



Song 1. 



(Osage version, p. 495; literal translation, p. 616.) 

 M. M. J r 80 Transcribed by Alice C.Fletciier 



^H-i^njJ';j 



p 



^ 



-s f — • • • f r • * — • • • • J. • r — r • • 



Ti^ebeats T T f 1^ ' f f f f ' ^ T 



He-wa-to,he-wa-to he tha, He-wa-to,he-wa-to he tha. 



• • • • • r — p 

 r r r I 



r r r : ' I r r r p r 



He-wa-to,he-wa-to he tha, He-wa-to,he-wa-to a, 



m. 



^^ 



«= 



i ^^ LJ 



± 



r r^^ f — ^ r r r 



He - wa - to, he - wa - to .he tha. 



FREE TRANSLATION. 

 1. 



A triumph I have won, a triLimph I have won. 



At the singing of the second song the women dance, and those who 

 brought with them their loom poles strike the ground with the blunt 

 end of the poles when beating time to the rhythm of the music. 



The song has two stanzas. In the first stanza are recounted the 

 praises of the Sho'-ka, the ceremonial messenger employed in the 

 organization of a war party. To hira is due the gratitude of the people 



