Bowers] HIDATSA SOCIAL AND CEREMONIAL ORGANIZATION 271 



Chief would give the "walking'* ceremony four times with the promise 

 of a long life. No doubt the promise of a long life in return for a 

 pledge to give the "walldng" ceremony greatly encouraged Wolf 

 Chief when the village was attacked — he fought at the front of the 

 line where his horse was shot from under him, and his life was saved 

 only because others rode between him and the enemy. To be wounded 

 or to have a horse killed or wounded was recognized by certain symbols 

 of dress and painting, and by public acclaim during the victory dances. 



After this public acclaim, a young woman, formerly married, moves 

 into the lodge with him without a formal ceremony. From other 

 studies we find that an individual did not long remain single once 

 he had won war honors, but to marry earlier was the grounds for 

 considerable teasing by the couple's joking relatives. A young man 

 without war honors would be teased as though he were a small boy 

 who had married his grandmother; the woman would be teased by 

 her joking relatives for marrying a baby so she would have a husband 

 when he grew up "because she was so homely none of the men would 

 have her." Thus, a yoimg man arrived at the marrying age when 

 he had won first war honors. Nevertheless, the Hidatsa were realists 

 in the matter of selecting mates for their children, and the concept 

 of first marrying age was modified by other factors such as industry. 

 A young man who was a good hunter and provided well for his parents 

 was in great demand as a son-in-law. One who was a good hunter 

 and provider, while at the same time winning military honors — if no 

 more than strildng fourth or assisting around camp — was likely to 

 have offers of marriage from the best families of the village. Wolf 

 Chief, who was shiftless and lazy, was able to capitalize on a first 

 military honor and the respect that the village had for his parents. 

 Whereas prior to winning first war honors Wolf Chief had had many 

 clandestine love affairs by his own admission — some even during his 

 presumed fasting periods — and had caused his father's joking relatives 

 to criticize him, he could now marry without fear of his own joking 

 relatives. Thus he accepted Different Snake for a few days immedi- 

 ately after winning first military honors for it made him feel grown 

 up, but she was not the woman of his choice and he cast her off shortly 

 afterward for another. 



We see that at the age of 21 and married. Wolf Chief killed a fat 

 deer in order to invite in two members of his father's clan for a feast. 

 On such occasions the "fathers" were expected to contribute important 

 advice or to pray to their gods for their son's well-being. In this 

 instance a "father" told Wolf Chief that he wanted to share the 

 promise of a long life with him. As far as we know. Wolf Chief never 

 invited in a "father" for ceremonial sexual intercourse with his wife. 

 Wolf Chief preferred to offer his wives publicly during the formal 



