50 ANNUAL REPOKT SMITHSONIAN" INSTITUTION, 1912. 



and made dry land appear; their meeting with the crawfish, which 

 brought from out of the earth clays of different colors to be used 

 by the people of the IIo n ga clan for symbolic purposes in their 

 No n ho n zhi n ga rites. The No n ho n zhi n ga are said to be exceedingly 

 careful not to recite this ritual to anyone unless given large fees. 



The ritual of the Birth of the Sacred Bird, also recorded and 

 translated by Mr. La Flesche, relates to the adoption of the hawk as 

 a war symbol and is in the form of a legend telling of the birth of 

 the bird, as of a human being, to the sister of four brothers who 

 attended the delivery of the child. The story begins with the birth, 

 gives the details of each stage of growth, and tells of the prediction 

 of the four brothers that their nephew was destined to become a great 

 warrior. The child becomes fretful and wails ceaselessly until the 

 skins of seven prey animals and a bow with a bit of scalp attached 

 are brought to it by its uncles. For this reason no one can be initi- 

 ated into the order of the No n ho n zhi n ga unless he furnishes the skins 

 of these seven animals. 



The ritual of the Symbolic Painting was likewise recorded. This 

 relates to the symbolic painting of the man who acts as the initiator 

 in the initiation of a new member of the No n ho n zhi n ga order. The 

 paint is symbolic of the dawn and the rising sun. 



Another ritual, that of the Approach to the House of Initiation, 

 is recited by the officiating priest while he, the initiator, and the 

 votary ceremonially approach the place of meeting of the No n ho n - 

 zhi n ga for performing some of the ceremonies. It relates to the 

 Tsi'-wa-ko n -da-gi, or " mysterious house," of the Ho n ga clan. 



The ritual of Feeding of the Fire relates to the ceremonial building 

 of the sacred fire at the place of gathering of the No n ho n zhi n ga to 

 perform one of the ceremonies. It is an appeal to the supernatural 

 for aid in obtaining deer for the sustenance of life and also for help 

 to overcome the tribes which menace the lives, the peace, and the 

 happiness of the people. 



While these rituals are in themselves complete, each one forms a 

 part of the great No n ho n zhi n ga rite, which Mr. La Flesche is en- 

 deavoring to record in its entirety. 



Aside from the rituals and songs, Mr. La Flesche has procured 

 stories of the wako. n 'dagi, or medicine men, and of the strange animals 

 from which they obtained supernatural powers; he has also recorded 

 love stories, stories of those who had died and returned to life, Avar 

 stories, and myths. Some of these have been transcribed in final 

 form. In all, the text of these stories aggregates about 250 pages. 

 Mr. La Flesche, however, has given comparatively little attention to 

 legends and stories of this kind, having devoted his energies chiefly 

 to the secret rites that at one time meant so much to the Osage people. 

 and which are so rapidly disappearing. 



