8 THE MYTHOLOGY OF THE WICHITA. 
agree with its supposed sex. Naturally the dream did not always come 
true, as, for example, in the case of a certain well-known Wichita still 
living, who bears the name ““Ignorant-Woman,” although he is a robust 
man and is far from being ignorant. Should nothing occur to indicate 
to the parents a suitable name for the child before its birth a name was 
given it soon after birth. The name, however, was not hastily chosen, 
but they waited until the child itself had done something which the 
parents believed to be characteristic or indicative of deeds he was to 
perform during the course of his life. Again, the name might be de- 
ferred until the child could crawl, or walk, or until such time as it 
should have done something, or manifested some peculiarity, which 
would suggest a name to the parents. This name the child usually bore 
until it was well-grown. Should the child continue to live and be pros- 
perous it might retain this name throughout life. If, for any reason, 
it should seem desirable to change the child’s name it was done, 
sometimes by women for the girls, or by men for both boys and girls, 
for it was supposed that a man, having been on the war-path, had a 
wider range of experience than a woman. Should the child be sickly and 
have much bad luck in its early years its name might be changed in- 
numerable times.. Several other men would be invited to the lodge, their 
names pronounced, and the child would be asked the name it 
liked best. The individual whose name was chosen walked up to the 
child, saying: “The name that I shall give you is the one you shall 
bear throughout life. As I give you this name you shall live to be as 
old as I am, for I myself have enjoyed life without sickness, and so 
you, too, shall enjoy the same sort of life that I have enjoyed, and you 
shall have my powers as well as my name.” Instead of giving his own 
name to the child, the man might give it some name which had refer- 
ence to some act or deed of his on the war-path, or of some particular 
enemy. 
Should the man marry and have children, and be unfortunate with 
them, he would change his own name, thinking thus to bring about a 
cessation of sickness or death among his children. Thus he would 
call in an old man, spread robes on the ground and ask him to sit down, 
thereby presenting him with the robes. He then presented the old man 
with a pipe. The visitor now realized that he had been called for 
some particular purpose, and asked why he had been invited and what 
he might do that was in his power for the man. 
Then the unfortunate man would reply about as follows: “T realize 
that you have enjoyed a successful life and good health and I wish 
that you may have good luck for the remainder of your life; and 
er 
