LA PLESCHE] 



RITE OF VIGIL FREE TRANSLATIOIf. 



359 



same time instructing him as to the details of the acts he is to per- 

 form. When this is done the A'-ki-ho" Xo'-ka picks up the rattle 

 and begins to sing the first of the Songs of Striking the Earth. 



At the tliird line of the first stanza the initiate, as instructed, 

 makes a motion wath the weapon as if to give the earth a blow. 



At the third line of the second stanza he makes a similar motion 

 with the symbolic weapon. 



On the repetition of the first stanza the initiate, at the tliird line, 

 again makes a like motion. 



On the repetition of the second stanza the initiate, at the third 

 line, actually strikes the earth with the sacred weapon, making a 

 small dent on the surface. 



The mark made upon the ground by the initiate with the mystic 

 weapon is, figuratively, that point of the earth which is directly 

 underneath the zenith. The connecting line between these two 

 points is spoken of in the song as "Mo^'-gthe tse, " the vertical. 

 When the initiate has made this mark, which represents the center 

 of the sky and the center of the earth, he drops the sjmibolic weapon 

 upon the spot and returns to his seat. 



A translation of two lines from the first and second stanzas wiU 

 give the meaning of the words. 



Song 3. 

 (Osage version, p. 512; literal translation, p. 628.) 



_, ,, I Transcribed by Alice C. Fletcher 



M.M. #1 = 76 



■li .n. i -' J J. Ill r .ij j J Si 



Wa-dsi mon gthe tse ga - tho bthe da hi" do ho,Wa-dsi 



tse he tsi - go ba-xo" thea-the no", Wa-dsi 



^ 



^^ 



^ 



m 



7 f f r f 



mu" gthe tse ga - tho 



r — r 



bthe da hi" do. 



