530 THE PAWNEE: MYTHOLOGY. 
97. THE BUFFALO GAME MEDICINE. 
Man whose medicines are herbs sleeps in open, sees in sky stars which appear as 
sticks and rings of javelin game. In his sleep man appears to him and tells him to 
make gaming sets up as he has seen, that he is to play game on west side of village, 
for there is home of buffalo. He is not to play in east, for it is home of diseases, nor 
in south, for it is home of dead, nor in north, for from that direction enemies come. 
He is to make ash bow and dogwood arrows. With them he is to kill two buffalo 
bulls, using their hides for wrapping ‘for two javelins. In selecting wood for his 
javelins he is to darken his enemy’s visage by cutting on north side, he is to fight 
disease by cutting on east side, he is to ward off death by cutting on south side, and 
then to cut tree down on west side. Thus the leaves of tree will be preserved. He 
is to smoke to heavens to remind them that they gave him game. Wood for second 
javelin is to be obtained in same way. Sticks are to be length of his body and they 
are to represent men. He is to obtain two other sticks shorter than first t two, and 
they are to represent one-horned buffalo in west. Sticks are to be spliced in in pairs. 
He is to kill buffalo cow, placing her head toward east, so that buffalo will follow him, 
and remove skin from about vulva with which he is to make ring. He then takes 
gaming sticks, representing at one “end ears and single horn. Two cross sticks are 
tied on to represent legs; front stick representing sun, and hind one, moon, for they 
were first to play game in heavens, moon winning and giving sticks to men. After 
sticks are prepared one is charred black to represent darkness, night, or north; other 
is left white to represent light, day, or south. Next, he prepares ring, to which he 
ties white bead, representing star which gave him game. They start to play game, 
ring being carried by his granddaughter, for ring represents granddaughter of men. 
At gaming ground they smoke to star, to earth, and to ring and javelin. In playing, 
they are to count one hundred and twenty, or number of fingers and toes on six 
individuals, value of count being determined by relation of ring to different parts of 
javelin. Losing side is to furnish fire in which to boil meat for offering. At end of 
game pieces of heart and tongue are offered to sun, moon, and stars, and game and 
player is rubbed with fat. In night he is again visited and told to make ring from 
buffalo calf, on which he is to put blue bead to represent Tirawa, and that ring will rep- 
resentearth. In doctoring, should sick person have played with sticks, he is to go to 
gaming ground and take dust from center of ring where it has stopped and let sick 
person smell of it and then rub it over his body. Other men make gaming sets in 
imitation of this one. Owner with black javelin in medicine-lodge uses it as pipe- 
stem, although javelin is not perforated. 
98. LOST WARRIOR AND THE SINGING BUFFALO MEDICINE. 
Warriors are taken by enemy. One hides, and in returning home loses his way. 
He cries to spirits. On hill he hears buffalo cow singing in east. Cow teaches man 
many mysteries, and gives him power to travel without fatigue and to capture 
ponies. He sings song which he learns from buffalo at sunrise. Thereafter, he is 
always successful while on war-path. 
