LA FLESCHEI 



CHILD-NAMING RITE 73 



promptly responded to the call but Wa-xthi'-zhi became imcertain 

 as to whether or not the ceremonial naming of a child according to 

 the ancient tribal rites would come under the prohibition of tlie new 

 religion which he had accepted against the practice of the ancient 

 Osage ceremonies. The full ceremony was omitted, but the old man 

 was asked to offer to the mother the choice of two sacred names: 

 Mo°-zho'", Earth (see p. 70, line 45), and Wa-stse'-e-do", Good- 

 doctor. The mother, a member of the I"-gtho'"-ga (Puma) gens, 

 chose for her son, a member of the Tsi'-zhu Wa-shta-ge gens, the 

 name Wa-stse'-e-do°. Although the full child-naming ceremony 

 was omitted, Wa-xthi'-zhi gave as fees to Sho°'-ge-mo"-i" a horse, 

 a blanket, and other articles of value, amounting to about one hundred 

 and fifty dollars. 



The first wi'-gi-e recited in the child-naming ritual given by Sho"'- 

 ge-mo°-i° (pp. 60 to 67) is entitled Wa-zho'-i-ga-the Wi'-gi-e, 

 literally. The Taking of Bodies, and freely translated, The Taking 

 of Life Symbols. In this wi'-gi-e eight gods, in the forms of certain 

 cosmic bodies, are adopted as Life Symbols. Sex is attributed to 

 these gods and goddesses and they are addressed as "grandfather" 

 and "grandmother" because of their great age and mysterious 

 character. The wi'-gi-e is an expression by the ancient No^'-ho"- 

 zhi''-ga of their longing desire for a tribal life that will be as lasting 

 as that of the gods and goddesses who forever travel in the heavens. 

 These gods and goddesses are paired in this wi'-gi-e as follows: 



1. Wa-ko°'-da Ho'-'-ba do°, God of Day (the Sun), grandfather, 



2. Wa-ko^'-da Ho° do°. Goddess of Night (the Moon), grandmother. 



3. Wa'-tse-do-ga, Male Star (the Morning star), grandfather, 



4. Wa'-tse Mi-ga, Female Star (the Evening star), grandmother. 



5. Wa'-ba-ha, Litter (the Dipper), grandfather, 



6. Ta-pa', Deer-head (the Pleiades), grandmother. 



7. Ta Tha'-bthi°, Three-deer (the three great stars that form 



Orion's Belt), grandfather, 



8. Mi-ka-k'e u-ki-tha-^'i" (Stars-strung-together) (theta and iota in 



Orion), grandmother. 



Xu'-tha-wa-to"-i° of the Tsi'-zhu Wa-no° (Elder Tsi'-zhu), a war 

 gens of the Tsi'-zhu great tribal division, was asked for the Child- 

 naming Ritual of his gens, he being referred to as one versed in the 

 rituals of the Tsi'-zhu war gentes, but he declined to give it in full. 

 With some reluctance he consented to recite the first wi'-gi-e of his 

 ritual which corresponds to and bears the same title as the one given 

 by Sho^'-ge-moM", a No"'-ho°-zhi''-ga of the Tsi'-zhu Wa-shta-ge 

 gens. (See pp. 60 to 67.) 

 19078°— 28 6 



