Dramatic Elements in American Indian Ceremonials 3 1 



At the close of this song the priest faces the child towards the 

 east. Then lifting the little boy by the shoulders, he holds him 

 over the stone on which his feet are allowed to rest. Thus is be- 

 gun the all-important act of turning the child from left to right, 

 lifted by the shoulders each time and so faced south, then west, 

 north, and back to the east during the singing of the ceremonial 

 song: 



"Turned by the winds goes the one I send yonder; 

 Yonder he goes who is whirled by the winds; 

 Goes where the four hills are standing; 

 There, in the midst of the winds do I send him. 

 Into the midst of the winds, standing there." 



(The Thunder rolls.) 



All this is performed with the greatest caution on the part of 

 the priest. It is a period of intensely dramatic significance; for 

 the audience is fully aware of the fatality of any flaw in the exe- 

 cution of this act. Should the child by any bad chance struggle 

 and turn even a trifle in the wrong direction, all the spectators 

 with one voice raise a cry of alarm. To them such an occurrence 

 is as indicative of disaster as is the best wrought out climax in 

 the art tragedy bodeful of the inevitable end, to an esthetic audi- 

 ence of civilized folk. 



At the close of this scene, the priest puts the new whole moc- 

 casins on the child's feet, singing the while : 



" Here unto you has been spoken the truth ; 



Because of this truth you shall stand. 



Here declared is the truth. 



Here in this place has been shown you the truth. 



Therefore, arise ! go forth in its strength !" 



(The Thunder rolls.) 



With the last verse the child is set on its feet and made to take 

 four steps, symbolic of its entrance upon the journey of life. Its 

 baby name is thrown away and its nikie (elk or buffalo, etc.) as- 

 sumed. In conclusion, the priest instructs the child in regard to 



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