Page:American Anthropologist NS vol. 1.djvu/108

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FLETCHER] A PAWNEE RITUAL 89

Jtit-a-wi — from kt\ through, and ta'-wi\ them.

Rah-wi '-rah-ri-so — a Leader, one entitled to carry the sacred corn by virtue of having passed through certain rites.

ti'-ra — they.

kah-ho — a wide expanse ; hah conveys the picture that this expanse is spanned as by a roof ; ho suggests an enclosed space, as a dwelling ; kah-ho calls up the idea that the earth is a vast abode roofed by the heavens, where dwell the gods.

ri'-wi-ri — walking, spoken of persons not present. Ra-ra'-wa-ri is to travel (walking) like warriors, and the word in the text refers to such walking, to the Rah-wi '-rah-ri-so and the men under his leadership walking the wide earth beneath the arching sky.

2 Hi-ri — harken.

rd'-ru — a company or a number of persons.

Jh'f-a-wi — through them.

Rah-wi '-rah-ri-so — the Leader.

ra'-hoo—z class of songs that could be composed and sung only by a successful leader ; a Victory song.

ti — from ti'-ra, they.

shi-ra — from shi-re'-ra, brought ; the re eliminated for euphony.

ru-tu' -rah-witz — overtake.

pa-ri — walking ; singular, present tense.

u-sd-ru—a. place where something occurred known only by a tra- dition preserved in song.

/ re — singing vocables.

3 Hi-ri — harken.

rd-ru — a number of persons. The word here refers both to the Leader and his men, and to the people of their village.

ktf-a-wi — through them. Another double reference like the former.

Rah-wi' -rah-ri-so— the Leader.

ra'-hoo — the Victory song.

// — they.

shi-re'-ra — brought.

kit'-a-wa — from kit, top ; ta y coming ; wa, from wd-ku, hill ; this composite word conveys the picture of the returning men bringing their Victory song and singing it as they reach the top of the hill near their village.

u-sd-ru — the word here means that the Victory song commemorated the event, after which the Leader instituted the custom of changing the name.

( These three lines constitute the first movement of the ritual )

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