INTRODUCTION. 9 
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as you are getting old, I hope that your good fortune will continue. I 
have had bad fortune, and I desire to obtain your name.” The old 
man then pronounced his own name and the other man bought it. The 
old man then stated that, for example, this name was given to him in 
childhood. He told how he got his name, and that throughout life he had 
always had good luck in everything, and he thought that as the young 
man took his name he also would enjoy good life. Then the name was 
transferred without ceremony, and the village crier was requested to 
go through the village and ask the people to give their attention. He 
then cried out that such and such a man had desired to have a new name 
to prevent sickness among his children; that he called an old man to 
his lodge and obtained the old man’s name, and that hereafter he was to 
be known by this name. The old man either obtained a new name for 
himself or he went for the remainder of his days without a name, in 
which case he would be given a nickname, such as “Old-Man,” “Old 
Woman,” “Gray-Hair,” “Dog Hair;” or he might say at once: “My 
name I have given to so and so, and I have given myself a new name.” 
Should a man meet death on the war-path, or die prematurely, his 
name was never mentioned. An instance is told of a man by the name 
of “Two,” who died. After his death this word was never pronounced, 
but in expressing the numeral the sign language was used. Ifa person 
died through the influence of a witch, or if some. one killed him because 
he had brought sickness upon some one, his name was not used, but 
he was referred to thereafter by a nickname, such as “Buffalo-Calf,” 
“Corn-Bread,” etc. Characteristic names in use to-day may be found 
in the names of the informants, given in footnotes to the myths. 
During the early life of a girl she was closely watched, not only by 
the parents, but by relatives; as she grew older she was warned to have 
nothing to do with men, to keep away from them, and in the choice of 
a husband she was supposed to have no part. It being decided by the 
parents of some young man that a particular girl was desirable for a 
daughter-in-law, they asked some individual to go to the lodge to ob- 
tain the parents’ consent. This go-between was usually a middle-aged 
woman and a relative of the boy. She asked of the girl’s parents if 
they were willing that their daughter should marry, and in case of an 
affirmative answer the relatives of both families were called together. 
First, however, it was supposed that the parties had learned all about 
the boy, whether he was of good or bad reputation, and especially 
whether he was able to support a wife. The parents of the young man 
were informed that their proposition had been accepted, and the young 
man himself went to the lodge of the girl next evening. Should the 
