154 THE WINNEBAGO TEIBE [eth. ann. 37 



the midst of her tears, of the one she is going to many next. Tlie 

 people wall then tell one another not to put themselves out too much 

 as the widow ^^•ill soon forget her mourning and show no respect to 

 the memory of the dead, but instead look after her own pleasures. 



FxjNERAL Customs of the Buffalo Clan 



Told by a member of the clan."" If a Buffalo clan man dies some 

 members of his clan who are called upon would speak as follows: 



To-day when you ceased to breathe we were aware of it. Therefore relatives who 

 are present, I greet you. Here my brother's life has ended, and for the last time I 

 will talk to him aliout the road he is to take. 



Ha°ho, my Ijrother, the place at which we originated was called Bad Lake. There 

 were four buffaloes there and from the yoimgest one are we descended. They lived 

 holy Ii^•e8, and we hope you will walk in their path. That you may strike everything 

 (you meet on your journey) you must take along with you a war club. You shall 

 walk armed with sharp teeth: and it will be impossible for bad spirits to walk back 

 and forth across your path. And your sight shall be holy as you walk. 



Then the speaker painted the face of the deceased. On the right 

 side of his forehead he painted a rainbow with blue and red paint. 

 After that he sang the clan songs. When he was through singing, 

 a member of the Water-spirit clan spoke as follows : 



Relatives, I greet }'ou. When one of you passes away and you ask me to work, I 

 am always willing to be of service. And I shall do it all the more willingly now 

 because I am certain that I shall obtain some of the years that the deceased left 

 "unlived." I do it with that belief, and fiu-thermore I pray that no bad animals 

 abuse the deceased on his journey. It is said that one cheers the soul of the dead in 

 thinking thus. Therefore 1 do it and also that I myself may be strengthened thereby. 

 I came back willingly when I was asked to work and I am doing this so that no bad 

 animals should aViuse the soul of the deceased. 



Then one of the callers would talk to the mourners, saying as 

 follows : 



Relatives, I greet you. To-day one of your relatives has disappeared. You must, 

 however, keep up your courage and not cry, for Earthmaker above has ordained that 

 we should disappear. If a piece of earth caves in, it disappears, and when a rock 

 crumbles it is disappearing. Thus, it is said, it must be. 



Origin Myth of the Foutr Nights' Wake 



Two friends went out to cut arrow-sticks, and were surprised by a 

 war party and killed. When they were shot they thought they had 

 stumbled and went right on (in the spirit). After the enemy had 

 killed the first one they chased the second one and killed him, and so 

 their bodies lay apart. Then the war party left and the two spirits 

 started to follow them. Soon they came to where their bodies were 

 lying. Then they said, "Let us follow the enemy a little." Soon they 

 caught up to the war party and one of the spirits pushed one of the 



'» This account is quite fragmentary and was obtained in connection with the clan myth. It is given 

 here on account of the speeches. 



