144 THE WINNEBAGO TKIBE [eth. ann. 37 



"They told me to follow the four steps that would be imprinted with blue marks, 

 grandmother." 'Well, grandson, you are young but you are wise. It is good. I will 

 now boil some food for you." 



Thus she will speak to you and then put a kettle on the fire and boil some rice for 

 you. If you eat it you will have a headache. Then she will say, "Grandson, you 

 have a headache, let me cup it for you." Then she will break open your skull and 

 take out your brains and you will forget all about your people on earth and where 

 you came from. You vnl\ not worry about your relatives. You will become like a 

 holy spirit. Your thoughts will not go as far as the earth, as there will be nothing 

 carnal about you. 



Now the rice that the old Woman will boil will really be lice. For that reason you 

 will be finished with everything evil. Then you will go on stepping in the four 

 footsteps mentioned before and that Were imprinted vnth blue earth. You are to 

 take the four steps because the road will fork there. All your relatives (who 

 died before you) will be there. As you journey on you will come to a fire running 

 across the earth from one end to the other. There will be a bridge across it but it 

 will be difficult to cross because it is continually swinging. However, you will be 

 able to cross it safely, for you have all the guides about whom the warriors spoke to 

 you. They will take you over and take care of you. 



Well, we have told you a good road ( to take) . If anyone tells a falsehood in speaking 

 of the spirit road, you will fall off the bridge and be burned. However (you need not 

 worry) for you will pass over safely. As you proceed from that place the spirits will 

 come to meet you and take you to the tillage where the chief lives. There you will 

 give him the tobacco and ask for those objects of which we spoke to you, the same you 

 asked of the old woman. There you will meet all the relatives that died before you. 

 They will be living in a large lodge. This you must enter. Ho-o-o, ha-a-a. 



Generalized Description of Funeral Customs and Wake 



Informant, member of Bear clan. When a person died a member 

 of his friend {hitcakaro) clan was immediately sent for, who took 

 charge of the body and of all the funeral arrangements. The over- 

 seer dressed the deceased in his best clothes and all his finery, for it 

 was said that he was going on a long journey. Then some clansman 

 painted the dead man's face with the clan markings and delivered a 

 speech to the corpse. When he concluded the clan songs were sung 

 and the body was carried to the grave. All the mourners marched 

 in single file. After the body had been buried or placed on a scaffold, 

 as the case might be, a post was placed at the head of the grave, and 

 the warriors among the motirners counted their coups and drew repre- 

 sentations of their victories on the posts. The purpose of the war- 

 riors in counting coups at the grave was to put at the disposal of the 

 deceased the spirits of all the enemies they had killed, and also to 

 give him additional strength for overcoming the obstacles on the road 

 to the spirit land. Food was placed on the little shelf in front of 

 the window of the grave-house, to be used by the spirit during the 

 four days that he hovered around this earth before departing on his 

 journey. Then a light was lighted and finally, toward evening, all 

 departed for their homes, returning as they had come, in single file, 



