148 THE WINNEBAGO TRIBE [eth. ann. 37 



Then all the other people answer ha-ho-o-o-o. Now someone lights 

 a pipe and passes it around so that everyone can take a puff. All 

 take a puff, children and women as well as men. After that water 

 is passed around. Then all eat. A little portion of everj-thing served 

 is put aside and thrown out for the spirit to eat. Then a warrior, the 

 person who has charge of the wake, speaks: 



I greet you all. I first wish to pour some of the tobacco that you have offered me 

 for our grandfather who is in control of war-giving powers. (Probably the Thunder- 

 birds are meant.) I will tell the spirit as carefully as I can all that I know about 

 the road he must travel, lly father impressed upon me very earnestly the need of 

 being very truthful in speaking to the spirit of one recently deceased, for if I were 

 a bad man I would cause the spirit to stumble. For that reason I always feel that I 

 ought not to speak very much whenever I am called upon to talk. 



Tlieii a warrior was called upon to tell of his war exploits. He 

 told as accurately as it was possible how he had killed a man, broken 

 his collar bone, and then flayed him; how he had then chopped 

 and cut up his body and mutilated him in such a way that he could 

 not be identified ; and how finally he had stolen his dogs. All night 

 he spoke in this strain. He went on to tell how he had killed and 

 utterly destroyed an entire village so that no one was left to tell of 

 the massacre. All night he told of his war exploits. Thus they 

 lighted the road for the spirit (i. e., held the Four Nights' Wake). 



The second and third nights were just the same as the first, only 

 that different warriors spoke and different war exploits were told. 

 They are very proud of their war exploits and they would try to tell 

 of their bravest deeds, those that had been most dangerous and which 

 had required the greatest heroism. When the mourners listen to 

 the narrative of such an exploit they become strengthened. All 

 those people on whom the warrior had counted first coup and all 

 those whom he had killed wotild carry the light for the spirit of the 

 deceased. Those on whom he had counted second coup were com- 

 manded to clear the road, and a woman whom the warrior had cap- 

 tured was ordered to carrj- along the food. The ceremonies of the 

 fourth night are the same as those of the first three nights. 



Death and Funeral Customs of the Bear Clan* 



Informant, member of the clan. Mr. J. M. died in June, 1911. In 

 accordance with the old Winnebago customs, the first individual to 

 be notified of the death was Mr. J. F., a member of the Wolf clan. 

 To Mr. F. fell the lot of taking charge of all the funeral rites — dressing 

 the deceased, laying his body in the casket, burying him, and, finally, 

 conducting the elaborate funeral wake. 



^ This is practically arepriiit of "Descnption of a Winnebago Funeral,'' by Lamereand Radin, Amer- 

 Anthrop., n. s. vol. 13, no. 3, 1911. 



