LA FLESCHEl 



CHILD-NAMING RITE 45 



The first seven lines of the wi'-gi-e refer back to the time when 

 "the Ho°'-ga who possess seven fireplaces" chose for one of their 

 life symbols the "Stainless Bird," the mottled eagle. The people 

 who are here spoken of as the Ho^'-ga having seven fireplaces are 

 those who compose the seven gentile groups that represent the land 

 portion of the earth in the two great tribal divisions symbolizing 

 the cosmos. These seven gentile groups (seven fireplaces) are, as 

 given by Black-dog. (See 36th Ann. Rcpt. Bur. Amer. Ethn., pp. 

 52-53.) 



1. Wa-ga'-be-to", They-who-own-the-black-bear. 



2. I°-gtho°'-ga, Puma. 



3. 0-po°, Elk. 



4. Mo°-i°-ka-ga-xe, Makers-of-the-earth. 



5. Ho°'-ga gthe-zhe, The-mottled-sacred-one. 



6. Xu-tha', Eagle (the adult golden eagle). 



7. Ho°'-ga zhi°-ga, The-little-sacred-one. 



When the "Ho^'-ga, a people who possess seven fireplaces" went 

 to the "Stainless Bird" and said to him Gines 5, 6, and 7): "The 

 little ones have nothing of which to make their bodies," meaning 

 that they have no symbol for the long life which they crave, he 

 replied in the words as given in the wi'-gi-e, from line 10 to the end: 



Old-Age Wi'-gi-e 



FREE TRANSLATION 



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



2. The Ho°'-ga, a people who possess seven fireplaces, 



3. Spake to one another, saying: Lo, we have nothing of which to 



make our bodies. 



4. Then, at that very time, 



5. They spake to the bird that has no stains (evil disposition), 



6. Saying: 0, grandfather, 



7. The little ones have nothing of which to make their bodies. 



8. Then, at that very time, 



9. The bird that has no stains (evil disposition) 



10. Spake, saying: When the little ones make of me their bodies, 



11. They shall always live to see old age, as they travel the path of 



life. 



12. Again the bird spake: 



13. Behold my toes that are gathered together in folds, 



14. Which I have made to be the sign of my old age. 



15. When the little ones make of me the means of reaching old age, 



16. They shall always live to see old age, as they travel the path of 



life. 



