160 POETIC TEXTS. 



Many Indians do not understand all these songs, which contain many archaic forms 

 and words, and the conjurers themselves are generally loth to give their meaning, even 

 if they should understand them. Some songs are of a stereotypic application in the 

 treatment of all or the majority of the maladies. A close familiarity with the habits 

 of animals of the forest manifests itself throughout, as well as in the mythic tales. 



The translations added by me are not literal ; they render the meaning of the 

 songs in a free and i>arapurastic manner. In the metrics the accentuated syllables 

 designate a higher pitch of the singing voice. 



153; 2. Literally: " I blew off the feather-crest." 



153; 3. To read: shlewi wit/ufi'lank, seems preferable in this connection. Cf. 35. 



154 ; G. On gi-and occasions young women were in the habit of dressing in buck- 

 skin robes, fringed with porcupine quills (shmdyalsh). In a myth the bull-frog was 

 reported to wear constantly this kind of dress, and hence originated a sort of pro- 

 vei'bial locution: ko-e slimashmayalti: "the bull-frog in the shm^yalsh-dress." Cf. 

 shmAyam. Zoologists call this frog : Eana jupiens. 



154 ; 7. This is called washpal4ksam shui'sh, the medicine-song of the washpalaks- 

 fox specsies, Vulpes velox. The exterior of this fox may be sketched by the words: 

 a'kela'kela w^tchag liii'tchuuk, a long-bodied dog is running or trotting. Cf. song 22. 



154; 0. This is called llic luiiksham shuino'tkish or incantation sung by the crane 

 itself through the mouth of tiie conjurer. Nobody could hear the bird's voice if the 

 conjurer did not sing its song. A song, which the conjurer sings for himself and by 

 which he does not interpret any animal or other object of nature, is called kiuksam 

 sluii'sh and is endowed with magic powers. In the West of the United States the 

 tiii'ikish is popularly known as shitepoke, in the East as tly-up-the-creek. 



154; 10. The feathers of the yellow hammer are worn on neck as an ornament. 



154; in. This refers to a certain large bud not specified, which contracts its body, 

 so that the head seems to be its largest part. When walking, the bird seems to roll 

 around on the prairie. Pilan for pila nii. 



154; 14. The object to which song 14 refers is not known. 



154 ; 15. VYal;^atchaga is very probably, though not certainly, a kind of marten. 

 Mantles were made of its fur. This rimed incantation is called wal;f4tchkalam 

 shuino'tkish. 



155; 10. Called: tchashisham shuino'tkish; melody very pretty. The diphthong 

 ui is pronounced here as one syllable. Skunks, while running around, are in the habit 

 (»f holding straight up their bushy tails, which are almost as long as their bodies. 



155 ; 1 7. This pretty song is chanted by the choristers while the kiuks feigns to 

 suck out of the body the tiny object which is supposed to have caused the disease, 

 and belbrc he gets it out. koga, koka means originally to bite; bite first, then suck 

 tiie disease out. 



155; 18. P^pkash is pronounced almost like pAvkash ; 144, 11. kopka like kovka. 



155; H). Alludes to a peculiar nodding observed in lizards when lunning out of 

 their holes and stopping at the issue. 



155; 20. The animal to which this song refers is not known. Compare No. 10. 24. 

 The literal meaning is: "The north wind blows around me from the distance." 



155 ; 21. This song, with a beautiful melody, is the shuino'tkish of a mouse species 

 Willi pig-like proboscis. 



