LA Fl.ESCHF.l 



CHILD-NAMING RITE 47 



50. Behold my eyelids that are gathered into folds, 



51. Which I have made to be the signs of my old age. 



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



53. They shall always live to see their eyelids gathered into folds 



with age, as they travel the path of life. 



54. Behold the hair on the crown of my head, now grown thin, 



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



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



57. They shall always live to see the hair on the crown of their heads 



grown thin with age, as they travel the path of life. 



Wl'-GI-E OF THE Wa'-TSE-TSI GeNS 



At the close of the recital of the wi'-gi-es by all the No°'-ho°-zhi°-ga, 

 the Sho'-ka places before the head of the Tsi'-zhu Wa-shta-ge gens a 

 bowl of water into which had been put fronds of tlie red cedar. The 

 red cedar and the water are the life symbols of the Wa'-tse-tsi, the 

 people who came to earth from the stars. The following is an 

 epitome of their wi'-gi-e: 



I am a person who is fit for use as a symbol. 



Behold the female red cedar, 



Verily, I am a person who has made of that tree his body. 



When the little ones make of me their bodies, 



The.v shall always live to see old age. 



Behold the male red cedar. 



The Uttle ones shall always use this tree as a symbol. 



\Mien the Uttle ones use it for a symbol, 



They shall always live to see old age. 



Behold these waters. 



That we shall make to be companions to the tree. 



When the little ones make use of these waters 



As the means of reaching old age, 



They shall always live to see old age. 



— (See 36th Ann. Rept. Bur. Amer. Ethn., p. 95.) 



Wl'-GI-E OF THE Bow PeOPLE 



The E-no°' Mi^-dse-to", a people who belong to the same great 

 tribal division as the Wa'-tse-tsi, use a similar wi'-gi-e, which is as 

 follows : 



I am a person who is fitted for use as a symbol. 



Verily, in the midst of the rushing waters 



Abides my Iseing. 



Verily, I am a person who has made of the waters his body. 



Behold the right side of the river, 



Of which I have made the right side of my body. 



When the little ones make of me their bodies 



And use the right side of the river 



To make their bodies, 



The right side of their bodies shall be free from all causes of death. 



