158 THE HAKO, A PAWNEE CEREMONY [eth. ann. 22 



7-11 Atira! Atira liira-a. 



Atiral Atira hira. .See line 7:J8. 

 a, vowel prolongation. 



II 



742 Ha-a-a-a-a-a I An introdnctorv exclamation. 



743 Ilitkasliaru, llitka.sliaru, ii-il 



hitkasharu, a compo.site word; liit, from liittu, feather; ka, 

 from rotkaharu, night; sliarn, dream. The word refers 

 to dreams lirought l)y the birds tliat attend the Ilako. As 

 the song refers to war, the word refers to the white eagle 

 stem, the male, the warrior, the dream that attends that 

 eagle. 



iril a part of the exclamation nawairi! expressing thankful- 

 ness that all is well. 



744 lliril Iliri! Ri rai i ; 



hiril harken! give heecl! 



ri, has. 



rai, coming; in tlie futui'e. 



i, it. 

 74.T Sawi rare ka wara, .sawi rare ka wara. See first stanza, line 740. 

 74(j See line 743. 



Expl(in(tfi(in hij till- Kn' riiliii!^ 



There are not many words to this song, but the meaning ami the 

 story have been lianded down from our fathers. 



The first stanza tells of a war party wliich started out carrying- 

 Mother Corn. As the warriors left the village the old men wi.shed 

 them good luck, and said: "Mother Corn will be like a snare to 

 entangle the enemy, so that they will fall easily. Mother Corn will 

 be like a trap into which tlic enemy will fall and out of which there 

 will be no escape." 



The young men started and took a straight course for the enemy's 

 country; they knew the land and 1 hey went directly there, but they 

 found nothing. They went to the east, there was nothing. They 

 turned to the west, there was nothing. They traveled to the noi-th, 

 there was nothing. They went to the south, there was nothing. Then 

 they made their way back to the point from which they had started 

 on the border of the enemy's land. 



The leader said: "I am worn out, our moccasins are in holes, we 

 ai-e without food, we must turn back. AVe will return to our home 

 tomorrow." 



Tliat night they lay down and slept. The leadei' placed the pack 

 with the ear of corn under his head, and witli a heavy heart he fell 

 asleep. 



The .secoml stanza tells that in the night the ear of corn spoke to 

 the leader in a dream and said: "Tii-a'wa bade me test you, and I 



