34 THE OSAGE TRIBE 



[ETH. ANN. 43 



Xo'-ka is to be decorated. The wi'-gi-e is accompanied by certain 

 ceremonial acts performed by an assistant. Tlie first section of the 

 wi'-gi-e relates to the red dawn, the beginning of the life of day. 

 The assistant, who has put red paint on the palms of his hands, 

 spreads them out toward the dawn that is reddening the eastern sky. 

 When the A'-ki-ho° Xo'-ka reaches the fourth line the assistant paints 

 red the face of the Xo'-ka. Then, as the A'-ki-ho° Xo'-ka goes on 

 to the second section the assistant takes up a white, downy feather 

 (pi. 3, h), taken from the under covert of an eagle's tail, and holds it 

 poised over the Xo'-ka's head. When the twelfth line of the wi'-gi-e 

 is reached the assistant quickly fastens the feather to the scalplock 

 of the Xo'-ka. This feather symbolizes one of the two white shafts 

 of light that may be seen at either side of the sun as it rises through 

 the fading color of the dawn. Each of these two shafts symbolizes 

 a never-ending life. The one at the right belongs to the Ho"'-ga 

 great division and the one at the left to the Tsi'-zhu great division. 

 At the beginning of the third section of the wi'-gi-e the assistant rubs 

 in the palms of his hands a bit of bufTalo fat, then holds his outspread 

 hands poised over the Xo'-ka's head. When the twentieth line is 

 reached he anoints the Xo'-ka's hair with the oil, an act by which 

 is expressed the wish that the child whom the Xo'-ka represents 

 shall always be abundantly supplied with food of all kinds. 



At the fourth section of the wi'-gi-e the assistant takes up a neck- 

 lace of beads, or a narrow woven band, to which is attached a shell 

 gorget (pi. 3, a) and holds it in readiness. When the twenty-sixth 

 line is reached he puts the necklace upon the neck of the Xo'-ka so 

 that the gorget hangs upon his breast. This gorget typifies the Sun, 

 whose life endures forever. 



Kl'-NO'^ Wl'-GI-E 



(free translation) 



1 



1. Verily, at that time and place, it has been said, in this house, 



2. The people spake to one another, saying: With what shall the 



little ones decorate their faces, as they travel the path of life? 



3. With the symbol of the god who never fails to appear at the 



beginning of day, 



4. The little ones shall decorate their faces, as they travel the path 



of life. 



5. W^hen they decorate their faces with this symbol, 



6. They shall be difficult to overcome by death, as they travel the 



path of life, O, younger brothers. 



