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THE 
 
 AMERICAN NATURALIST. 
 
 VOL. mm. FEBRUARY, 1884. No. 2. 
 
 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WAR CUSTOMS OF THE 
 
 OSAGES, 
 
 GIVEN BY RED CORN (HAPA OUXSE), OF THE TSIDU PEACE-MAKING 
 
 GENS, TO THE REV. J. OWEN DORSEY. 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 IN order to obtain a better understanding of the subject, it will 
 be necessary for the writer to describe the order in which the 
 Osages encamped in their tribal circle. When they went: on their 
 buffalo hunt in the summer they always pitched their tents in a 
 certain order, according to the clans or gentes of which the tribe 
 was composed. In the first diagram seven gentes camp on the 
 left, and fourteen, considered as seven at present, on the right. 
 Those on the left are the Tsi'ou or Chee'-zhoo gentes, forming 
 the peace element of the tribe; those on the right are the Han'-ka 
 and Wa-oa'oe (War-shar'-shay) 1 gentes, constituting the war ele 
 ment. The former could not take animal life of any sort, but 
 were obliged to content themselves with vegetable food, till they 
 made an agreement with those on the right to supply them with 
 vegetable food in exchange for meat, which the Hafi-ka and 
 Wa-oa-oe could obtain. 
 
 The Tsi-ou (Chee-zhoo) gentes are as follows : I; Those who 
 wear tails or locks of hair on the head. 2. Buffalo bull face. 3. 
 Chee-zhoo peace-makers or red eagle. 4. Those who carry the 
 sun on their backs, sun carriers. 5. Night people, or the 
 
 1 Wa-oa-oe or Wa-zha-zhe, means Gsage, The exact pronunciation cannot be 
 shown by ordinary English characters. Hence the "c" = "sh'' is inverted to 
 show a sound between " sh " and " zh." 
 
 VOL. XVIII. NO. II. 8 
 
 X 
 
114 
 
 account of the War Customs of the sages. [February 
 
 youngest Chee-zhoo. 6. Buffalo bull; and 7. Thunder people, 
 or those who camp behind. 
 
 The gentes on the right are now in seven groups, the seven 
 Wa-zha'-zhe gentes having been consolidated into two groups, 
 and the seven Hafi-ka gentes into five groups. Before this con 
 solidation was made, the tribe consisted of the seven Chee-zhoo 
 fire-places or gentes on the left, and the seven Wa-zha-zhe fire 
 places on the right. 
 
 The following are the groups on the right, according to two 
 authorities, Saucy chief and He-who-never-fails : 8. Elder 
 Osages, including six of the Wa-zha-zhe fire-places. 9. Hafi-ka 
 apart from the rest. 10. Ponka .peace-makers (the leading gens 
 
 RIGHT 
 HANKA SIDE 
 
 LEFT 
 TSICUSIDE 
 
 FIG. i. Osage tribal circle and the tents of the mourners. 
 
 on this side, as the Chee-zhoo peace-makers are on the left) ; . 
 they form a Wa-zha-zhe fire-place. II. Hafi-ka having wings, an 
 eagle gens. 12. Black bear. 13. Elk. 14. Kansas, pipe-light- 
 
1884.] An account of the War Customs of the O sages. 115 
 
 ers, or wind people. All but Nos. 8 and 10 are Hafi-ka fire 
 places. 
 
 The line drawn through the circle denotes the road traveled by 
 the tribe. This forms the boundary between the two half-tribes. 
 
 The following accounts of the Osage war customs are necessa 
 rily incomplete, being obtained from a member of the principal 
 peace gens. Moreover, there are customs peculiar to each gens, 
 which are not familiar to members of other gentes. 
 
 There are three kinds of war parties among the Osages. The 
 first is the large war party, undertaken in the summer. The next 
 the sacred bag war party, in which only a few engage at any sea 
 son. The third is called " tsi'-ka-kha'," undertaken at any time, 
 being an expedition after the horses and other property of the 
 enemy. 
 
 L A LARGE WAR PARTY (Tu-TA n '-HU TAN'KA). 
 When a man on the left side of the tribal circle is mourning 
 
 o 
 
 for one, of his family, he selects a man from the right side of the 
 tribe to mourn with him, and to be the real leader of the expeT 
 dition. Let us suppose that the first mourner is a Chee-zhoo 
 peace-maker man. He must present the other man, whom we 
 will call a Hafika (in full, Hafika-apart-from-the-rest), with one 
 of his best horses. Then the Chee-zhoo chooses a kettle-bearer 
 for himself, and this kettle-bearer builds a small lodge (D, Fig. i) 
 for his friend. It is on the west side of the village, and is made 
 of two buffalo robes. The door faces the west. A similar lodge 
 (E) is built for the Hafika mourner, by his kettle-bearer, on the 
 right side of the circle, and towards the west, as in the figure. 
 Each mourner stays alone in his lodge, seeing no woman. 
 
 As the Chee-zhoo is a peace gens, it has no war customs per 
 taining to it, so the Chee-zhoo mourner has to apply to a man of 
 the first gens, Lock-wearerb, to act as his teacher. The Lock- 
 wearers and Buffalo-bull -face people are the soldiers or policemen 
 of the Chee-zhoo peace-makers.. Should the mourner fail to ob 
 tain a man of the first gens, he must ask one of the second gens, 
 Buffalo-bull-face people, to instruct him. The Hanka mourner 
 must select his teacher from one of the soldier gentes on his side, 
 Elder Osages or Hafika apart from the rest. 
 
 Within four days of the time for departure, the mourners 
 return to the village and begin their preparations. The Hafika 
 mourner directs his teacher to select the time and place for 
 
ii6 An account of the War Customs of the sages. [February, 
 
 the final ceremonies. Whereupon the teacher goes to one of the 
 heralds (an Elk or Kansas man), telling him to proclaim the news 
 around the village. 
 
 All the people who wish to see the ceremonies take a sufficient 
 number of tents and remove to the place outside the village, 
 pitching their tents in a circle. The large tent of the Cheezhoo 
 is put up on the left, at A, Fig. 2, and the corresponding tent of 
 the right side is pitched at B. The latter is the leading tent when 
 
 w 
 
 FIG. 2. Plan of war tent. 
 
 the deceased belongs to the left side, and the former is the lead 
 ing tent when the deceased belongs to the right side of the tribe. 
 The leading side and tent must always be opposite to that to 
 which the deceased belongs. The Cheezhoo peace- maker men, 
 being of the gens of the mourner, lead all the men on their side 
 of the tribe, who assemble at the tent A. So the Hanka men lead 
 all the men on their side, who meet at B. 
 
 Each mourner receives a war pipe and a forked stick on which 
 he can hang the bag in which the pipe is kept. The pipe is an 
 old one handed down from preceding generations. Such pipes 
 are always kept by those men who have taken a degree in the 
 secret order of the tribe. The drum used on this occasion is 
 made by a man of the Sun-carrier gens. Two battle standards 
 are made for each mourner by an- old man of the Elder Osage 
 gens (Fig. 3). One on each side has seven feathers, and is reck 
 oned as the superior one ; and the other has six. The bottom of 
 each standard terminates in a sharp point, which is used as a 
 spear. When the two teachers ask the Elder Osage man to 
 make the standards, they hand him a new knife, some paint, and 
 all other materials required for them. When he finishes them 
 the knife and the remaining materials belong to him. At the 
 
1884.] An account of the War Customs of the sages. 
 
 117 
 
 same time the teachers give him some calico to pay him for his 
 trouble. When the standards are completed, the old man says : 
 " O Hafika and Cheezhoo, as you have paid me, take the stand 
 ards quickly !" The Cheezhoo teacher takes his in his left hand, 
 
 FIG. 3. Battle standards. 
 
 and the Hafika extends the right hand for his standards. Then 
 they lay down the standards before them. 
 
 Then the general war tent of the tribe (Figs. 2 and 4) is erected 
 at C, facing the west, the place of honor being at the rear, towards 
 the east. 
 
 All the principal men of each side, including the head men of 
 the gentes, who are a sort of priests, meet in the war tent, C. 
 There the drum beats. At the rear of the tent are seated the 
 principal old men, one for each gens. The two mourners are 
 still outside. By and by the mourners are brought into the tent, 
 in which there is no fire. The two bags containing the war pipes 
 are hung on their necks. 
 
 For this occasion two war bags are made of the feathers and 
 skins of war eagles by some of the old men. These bags are 
 now brought into the tent by the teachers, who present them to 
 the mourners. The old men who made the bags now choose two 
 or three men for each mourner, to act as Wa-sha'-pe wa'-shu- 
 
u8 An account of the War Customs of the Osages. [February, 
 
 wa'-kdhe, whom we may style lieutenants (though that is hardly 
 the translation). These men drop their blankets and wear noth 
 ing but their breech-cloths as they stand in a row with their 
 mourners. The old men who made the bags select a herald for 
 each mourner out of any gens. These stand next to the lieuten 
 ants. Each lieutenant and herald receives a war pipe. The 
 Cheezhoo herald receives in his left hand a knife with the han 
 dle painted red. The Hafika herald receives in his right hand a 
 hatchet with the handle reddened. 
 
 Then the Hafika mourner (B) is brought to the front, and is 
 told to select the best men on the Cheezhoo side for standard 
 bearers. He chooses one (A), leading him to the front, the latter 
 crying as he goes. To the latter is handed a standard with seven 
 feathers by Cheezhoo's teacher. It is received in the left hand 
 and the man performs a war dance according to his own desire or 
 custom, and then he takes his seat Then the Cheezhoo mourner 
 is called to the front, being told to select the best man from the 
 Hafika side for standard-bearers. The first that he chooses (/) is 
 taken to the front, crying as he goes. Hafika's teacher hands 
 him the other standard with seven feathers, which is received in 
 the right hand. He dances, and sits down. Hafika's mourner 
 selects a man from the opposite side (F) to carry the standard 
 with six feathers ; and Cheezhoo's mourner chooses a Hafika 
 man (K) for a similar office. When the Hafika mourner selects 
 the third man on the Cheezhoo side (G), the latter takes the stand 
 ard from E, dances, and returns it to its holder. So when the 
 Cheezhoo mourner selects the third man on the Hafika side (L\ 
 the latter takes the standard from /, dances, and returns it. The 
 fourth standard-bearer on the Cheezhoo side (H] takes the stand 
 ard from F t dances, and returns it. And the fourth man on the 
 Hafika side (M) takes the standard from K, to whom he returns 
 it after dancing. 
 
 Then the lieutenants are painted with charcoal. Before this is 
 done, the Black bear people make a fire outside the war tent, 
 placing on it a quantity of small willows which will soon burn. 
 When these are charred, they are broken in small pieces and 
 placed in pans, with a little water in each. Each lieutenant on 
 the Cheezhoo side dips his hands into a pan, rubs them together, 
 and then with his left palm he rubs his face, beginning at the 
 right ear, and going down the cheek, across the mouth and left 
 
1884.] An account of the War Customs of the sages. 
 
 119 
 
I2O An account of the War Customs of the sages. [February, 
 
 cheek to the ear. Next he rubs his right palm across his left 
 shoulder, bringing the mark a little to the front. Rubbing more 
 charcoal on his hands, he places his left palm on his right shoul 
 der, bringing the mark slightly to the front. With his right palm 
 he makes a round mark on the chest, over the depression be 
 tween the two parts of the sternum. 
 
 The lieutenants on the Hanka side proceed in a similar man 
 ner, but in reverse order, beginning with the right hand and end 
 ing with the left in making the round mark over the breast bone. 
 
 These men are now enlisted, and cannot sit down till night 
 comes and the other warriors have lain down. The lieutenants, 
 heralds, and standard-bearers can neither eat nor drink till they 
 receive permission. 
 
 After the lieutenants finish painting, the two heralds are or 
 dered to arise, one standing on the Cheezhoo mourner's left, the 
 other on the Hanka mourner's right. They are sent from the 
 tent, being ordered to go about a hundred yards from the village, 
 and then run around it. They start from the west, Cheezhoo's 
 herald going towards the north, and the other man running to 
 the south. When the Cheezhoo man gets due north, and the 
 Hanka is opposite him, the farmer cries to the latter : " O Hanka, 
 he says that you will cause the spirits of the animals to pass 
 along ! He says that you must cause the spirits of the animals 
 to pass along at sunset! " To this the Hanka man replies, " O 
 Cheezhoo, he says that you rnust cause the spirits of the animals 
 to pass along ! He says that you must cause the spirits of the ani 
 mals to pass along at sunset !" Just before they reach the east, they 
 cry again, Cheezhoo speaking first. When they pass the east the 
 Cheezhoo man goes outside of the other's course, keeping to the 
 left of the latter. When the Cheezhoo reaches the south, and 
 the Hanka is at the north, they cry again ; and so when they re 
 turn to the west. Then the large war tent (C) is taken down. 
 
 The Hanka mourner tells the Cheezhoo mourner and standard- 
 bearers to collect their warriors, while he and his standard-bear 
 ers do likewise on the Hanka side. All the Cheezhoo men of the 
 seven gentes have to prepare for the four days' dances. They 
 also have to furnish a drum. They meet in their large tent (A) 
 at the back of which are seated the four standard-bearers (E, F, 
 G and H\ The man who has the standard with seven feathers 
 (E) is the principal one, so he sits on the left of the one with six 
 
1884.] An account of the War Ciistoms of the sages. 121 
 
 feathers (F). The standards are held with the feathers facing the 
 west. The rest of the men sit around the tent. Then E selects 
 all the young men who are to sit with the party as warriors, and 
 the adult kettle-bearers, who prepare food for them. Of these 
 latter there are from ten to twenty, no fixed number, and they 
 have a separate camp. Next E selects about six youths who are 
 fast runners, to act as kettle-bearers who give water to the war 
 riors. The man who cooked for the mourner at the first, and 
 made the small lodge for him, is the leader of the kettle-bearers 
 on his side. 
 
 A man of the Sun-carrier gens is requested to make the drum 
 for the party. He is furnished with the requisite implements, and 
 gets a piece of calico as his pay. In the meantime the Hafika 
 standard-bearers are doing similar things, but in a different order. 
 In the Hafika tent (Z?) the man with the seven feather standard 
 (/) sits on the right of the other, who has that with six feathers 
 (K). No. 3 (L) is on the right of /, and No. 4 (M) is on the left of 
 K. The adult kettle-bearers and the kettle-bearers who give 
 water are chosen by the holder of the principal standard (7). A 
 Sun-carrier man is hired to make the drum. 
 
 Then follows a dance around the village, while the two Sun- 
 carrier men are making the drums. Prior to this dance the men 
 of each party try to get ready and rise to their feet before the 
 others. The mourners, lieutenants and heralds keep at a short 
 distance from the singers and dancers. At each tent (A and B) a 
 standard is raised. In modern times this is the U. S. flag. 
 
 The principal kettle-bearer on each side carries one of the flags, 
 and he is followed by the rest, including the kettle-bearers or ser 
 vants of both kinds. (See Fig. 5.) After the two parties pass 
 each other, they walk in silence for about fifty yards, when the 
 drums are sounded for another dance. (These drums are prob 
 ably those which were used at the war tent C, as the new drums 
 are not yet finished.) The dance is accompanied by a war song. 
 Then they go silently as before ; and so on till they arrive at the 
 rear of the village. They sing and dance as they pass each other 
 the second time; and so on till they return to the tents at the west. 
 Then they have a dance, in which they tell what they expect to do 
 when they meet the enemy. This must not be confounded with 
 the bravery dance, which takes place afterward, according to Red 
 Corn. 
 
122 An account of the War Customs of the Osages. [February, 
 
 After this each mourner or war captain gives to his principal 
 kettle-bearer a horse, which the servant sells to the man who will 
 give the most food for it. The food is brought in and cooked by 
 the adult kettle-bearers. The women are invited to a feast, but 
 the men eat none of the food. Each woman brings a bowl of 
 flour, coffee, etc. The kettle-bearers run to meet them, take the 
 food and place it in a heap. At the end of the feast the empty 
 bowls are handed to their owners. The food brought by the 
 women is cooked and the men have their feast. Should the sup 
 ply be insufficient another horse is sold for food, the women are 
 invited to another feast, and they give more food in return for the 
 
 FIG. 5. Dance around the Village. 
 
 men to eat. The dance is continued through the day, till about 
 half an hour before sunset. 
 
 Then they dance the U-dhu r -ta wa-tsi n/ or circle dance, in which 
 the Cheezhoo men dance from the west to the north, thence to 
 the east and south, and round to the west again. The men on 
 the other side go in the opposite direction. In this dance the 
 first standard-bearer on the Hanka side tells one of his exploits 
 in a song, as he dances. He is followed by the leading Chee 
 zhoo standard-bearer. The principal Hanka standard-bearer sings 
 and dances again, and is followed, as before, by the first Chee 
 zhoo standard-bearer. So the two sing and dance in turn till 
 they have sung about twelve songs. A whoop is made and the 
 men march a short distance to perform the dance called the bra- 
 
1884.] An account of the War Customs of the sages. 
 
 p 
 
 w 
 
 / 
 
 p 
 
 KETTLE 
 BEARERS 
 
 . 
 
 
 
 WARRIORS 
 
 very dance. They meet in front of the large Hafika tent (B), and 
 the flag is hoisted (Fig. 6). All sit out of doors, forming a figure like 
 a capital U, at the base of which 
 are the standard-bearers. Next 
 to them sit the warriors, and the 
 kettle-bearers sit at the ends. 
 The leading Hafika standard 
 bearer (/) arises, sings and dances 
 a little to the west, and then back 
 to his place, when he resumes his 
 seat. He is followed by the first 
 Cheezhoo standard-bearer (), 
 after whom dances the second 
 Hafika standard-bearer (^T), who 
 is succeeded by the Cheezhoo of 
 the same rank (F). Next come 
 the third Hafika and Cheezhoo 
 men (L and G), then the fourth 
 pair (Mand H). Then the warri 
 ors dance in like manner. When 
 they have finished the kettle- FIG. 6. Bravery dance, 
 
 bearers may dance if they desire. 
 
 This ends the dances for the first day. Then the heralds make 
 another circuit of the village, starting from their respective tents, 
 A and B. After this the war captains, warriors and servants sit 
 and rest, smoking and talking till it is time to sleep. The princi 
 pal standard-bearer on each side (E, /) calls his war captain, tell 
 ing him that on the morrow, just at daybreak, they must make 
 the mysterious charcoal. Then the Hafika standard-bearer, /, 
 tells his captain to inform the men that they can lie down. So 
 one of the Hafika lieutenants cries over to those in the other 
 camp: " Halloo, lieutenants !" One of the Cheezhoo lieutenants 
 replies, " What is it ?" The Hafika man says, " Ho ! ye adult ket 
 tle-bearers, ye young kettle-bearers and ye standard-bearers ! it is 
 said that you shall sleep !" The Cheezhoo replies, " O, grand 
 father, it is well !" Then he addresses the men on his own side, 
 but in a loud voice, so that those on the other side may hear, too: 
 "Ho, O comrades, standard-bearers! Ho, O comrades, ye adult 
 kettle-bearers! Ho, O comrades, ye young kettle-bearers! it is 
 said that ye shall sleep !" Then the Hafika lieutenant calls again, 
 " Ho, O lieutenant!" The Cheezhoo says, " What is the matter?" 
 

 124 An account of the War Customs of the sages. [February, 
 
 The Hafika says, " O war captains and ye lieutenants ! it is said, 
 O comrades, that you shall sleep !" The Cheezhoo replies, " It 
 is well, O grandfather!" Then he addresses the mourners and 
 lieutenants on both sides, " Ho, O comrades, ye war captains ! Ho, 
 O comrades, ye lieutenants ! it is said that ye shall sleep !" Then 
 the Hafika cries again, " Ho, O lieutenant!" The Cheezhoo says, 
 " O my grandchild ! to-morrow you shall cause them, it is said, 
 to attend to their duties." The Cheezhoo replies, " O grand 
 father, it is well !" Then he says to all, " O comrades, to-mor 
 row I will cause you to attend to your duties !" This ends the 
 ceremonies and proclamations for the night. 
 
 On the second day the Cheezhoo men precede the Hanka men 
 in every rite, one of their number being the master of ceremo 
 nies for the day. On the previous evening members of the Dhu'- 
 khe sub-gens of the Buffalo-bull gens brought in bunches of dried 
 willow, which were laid out of sight by some of the men on the 
 Hafika side. Before daylight, on the second day, all the men 
 arise, and the men of the Night gens (who are a sort of bear peo 
 ple) set the willows afire; while the fire burns, long prayers are 
 made by the men of the Night and Elder Osage gentes. At the 
 end of a song they see who can get some of the fire. In the 
 struggle which ensues the pieces of willow are crushed to pieces. 
 This act has a special name. What charcoal each one gets is 
 saved till the return to camp. The charcoal symbolizes the ene 
 my. On their return to camp each warrior goes to his place and 
 mixes the sacred charcoal with ordinary charcoal, after which he 
 paints himself. Those who desire go and sing around the village. 
 After breakfast they dance around the village all the morning, as 
 on the first day. Then they have another feast at about noon. 
 They dance the circle and bravery dances, as on the preced 
 ing day. At night, just before retiring, one of the Cheezhoo 
 lieutenants calls to those on the other side. A Hafika lieutenant 
 replies, "O rny grandchild! what is the matter?" Then the 
 Cheezhoo says what the Hafika did on the previous night, and 
 the Hafika speaks the words used on that occasion by the Chee 
 zhoo. 
 
 On the third day the Hafika men precede the Cheezhoo men 
 in every rite, as they did on the first day, and one of their num 
 ber acts as the officer of the day. The sacred bags of a large 
 war party are brought in, one by a Wa-zha-zhe or Osage man for 
 
1884.] An account of the War Customs of the sages. 125 
 
 the Hafika side, and one by a member of the Lock-wearer gens 
 for the Cheezhoo mourner. 
 
 They dance as on the preceding days. The Hanka mourner 
 tells the Cheezhoo that on the morrow they will take the first step. 
 
 On the fourth day the Cheezhoo men lead in every rite, as 
 they did on the second day. Two narrow strips of buffalo hide 
 are prepared by an old woman of a Buffalo gens on the Hanka 
 side of the circle. These strips are placed side by side on the 
 ground, and about two feet apart. The Cheezhoo men place 
 their left feet on the rear one, and their right feet on the front one. 
 The Hanka men have their right feet on the rear one and advance 
 with their left feet on the front one. This is the first step taken 
 on the war path. ANdtorr LIBRA*? 
 
 The warriors now mount 1;heir horses, forming in two columns, 
 in each of which they go two abreast. The standard-bearers ride 
 in advance. The Cheezhoo column goes once around the vil 
 lage, in the usual course from the west to the north, thence by 
 the east and south to the west again. The Hanka column pro 
 ceeds in the opposite direction. They approach one another 
 again at the west, and depart westward in parallel columns (Fig. 
 7). Their course on the war path is ^. o> (\ \ 
 
 supposed to be towards the west. |^ ^j \F 6 ^j 
 
 When they have gone a certain dis 
 tance from the village a member of ' 
 
 the Dhu-khe sub-gens of the Buffalo * * * * W 
 
 bull gens is taken to the front, where * * * 
 
 he performs a rite. At its conclusion ^ ^ ^ 
 
 the march is resumed, and they con 
 tinue on their journey for about four 
 days, at the end of which period a * * . 
 
 small tent is erected for each captain 
 or mourner, the door facing the west. 
 Each eagle is removed from the sa- * . 
 
 cred bag and placed on top of the 
 small tent (on its proper side), facing ' 
 the west. Each captain goes through , * , 
 
 his tent from east to west, knocking 
 
 down the tent, and causing the eagle * FIG> 7 *_ Or der ofmarch 
 to fall to the ground. The eagle is re- ******* 
 stored to its bag. Then all the warriors except the captains, 
 
126 An account of the War Customs of the Osages. [February, 
 
 lieutenants and heralds can swim and wash their faces. They 
 resume their march, and by and by they meet a foe whom they 
 attack. Let us suppose that they kill him. The first man who 
 strikes him gets the first honor, and the second honor is given to 
 the next who gives a blow. The scalp is handed to the Hafika 
 captain, who gives it to the Cheezhoo captain, saying, " Here is 
 that for which you employed me." The corpse is laid with the 
 head to the east. The Hafika captain makes a hole on the right 
 side of the chest into which is thrust the standard with seven 
 feathers of the Haiika men, the feathers pointing to the west. 
 The Cheezhoo makes a hole on the left side of the corpse into 
 which is stuck the principal Cheezhoo standard. The second 
 Hanka standard-bearer places his standard, with six feathers, be 
 tween the right arm and the chest; and the second Cheezhoo 
 standard-bearer puts his between the left arm and the side. 
 
 Should they lose one of their own men at this place, they set 
 up the body against a tree or bank, using most of their paint in 
 painting him all over. They break four arrows which they lay 
 by him, and they leave some paint there. After mourning over 
 their own dead, they will mourn for the foe just as if he was a 
 friend. At certain intervals (answering to every two or three 
 hours, as we reckon time), the standard-bearers tell the captains 
 to command the warriors to mourn. Before they reach home all 
 the trophies, including the scalps, are placed on a pole, at which 
 they charge, firing four times at it. 1 
 
 When they have lost one of their party they neither eat nor 
 drink till they have poured out food and water for the dead. 
 When they come to a post oak they strip it of the bark for about 
 five feet from the ground ; they paint the tree red, break four 
 arrows and leave them by the tree with some paint. 
 
 When they approach the village, they cannot enter it if they 
 have lost any of their party ; but they must stop, in that case, 
 about one or two hundred yards from it. The principal man of 
 
 1 A similar custom is practiced by the Dakotas when they cut down the pole for 
 the sun dance ; and the Omahas and Ponkas charged on the tree ere they cut it down 
 for their sacred pole, more than two hundred years ago. The Omahas said that 
 their pole, on that occasion, represented an enemy, and a scalp was put on its head 
 in accordance with that notion. A race for a tree also occurs when the Omaha 
 young men go to cut down one for the dance after the thanksgiving for success in 
 the buffalo hunt. Further investigation of this custom may reveal other interesting 
 facts. 
 
I884-J An account of the War Customs of the sages. 127 
 
 the Kansas gens knows what is meant. He puts on a robe made 
 of bear or buffalo skin, and advances toward the party, with his 
 kettle-bearer, till he can hear what they say. He begins the con 
 versation by asking them what is the cause of their halt. Then 
 he tell them the news from the village. After this he approaches 
 the warriors, going around them, and performing a rite, first at the 
 north, then at the west, south and east. Next he addresses the 
 Hanka captain, then the Cheezhoo captain, telling whether they 
 can enter the village. 
 
 Having gained his consent, they leave all their blankets and 
 other clothing, as the pay of the old man and his servant. But 
 they retain their weapons. They are met by some of the people, 
 who give them other garments. Then the warriors separate. 
 The tents A and B are thrown down, and the war tent, C, is set 
 up again at the west. 
 
 The final ceremonies are the scalp dance, captive dance (P), 1 
 dance in which they take the standards, and the trial over the 
 sacred bags. One of the captains may select any one of the three 
 dances to the exclusion of the others, or he may have two without 
 the standard dance ; but the trial over the sacred bag is never 
 omitted. 
 
 The scalp dance. Previous to this dance, the captain of one side 
 gives a horse to his principal kettle-bearer, who sells it for the 
 food needed at the feast which precedes the dance. The stand 
 ard-bearers dressed in their finest attire, notify all the women in 
 the village : " We wish you to come and dance this afternoon." 
 Then the two captains go around the village, saying, " Ho, my 
 little sisters ! my comrades ! it is said you must pity me !" Each 
 captain walks around the village according to the side of the cir 
 cle in which he camps, and each woman in dancing remembers this 
 rule. 
 
 After the women have been called by the captains, the former 
 strip to the waist, covering their bosoms with pieces of cloth or 
 calico. They pretend to be men, decorating themselves with 
 feathers, paint, etc. They are led by one who carries the scalp 
 on its pole. She is chosen for that purpose by one of the captains. 
 Some women carry bows, others take arrows, some have war 
 pipes, and some carry peace pipes. The drummers sit in a small 
 circle around the pole. A great warrior arises and tells of his ex- 
 
 1 Takdhe watsi", in Osage. Its translation is doubtful. 
 
128 An account of the War Customs of the sages. [February, 
 
 ploits. Then the drum beats, and the women dance. All start 
 together, the women of the Cheezhoo gentes moving in one direc 
 tion, and those of the Hafika gentes in the other, around the pole. 
 The successful warriors who are mounted, come in their war 
 dress, and gallop around the pole, close to the women, telling of 
 their deeds. This dance is continued for about half an hour. 
 The trial or ordeal of the sacred bags must follow on the next 
 day, unless a captain wishes to have the captive dance, in which 
 event it follows. 
 
 The captive dance. A war captain gives another horse to his 
 chief kettle-bearer, who sells it for the food required for feasting 
 the guests before the dance. The standard-bearers and captains 
 go around the village, as on the preceding day, and the women 
 come, as before. The drummers sit around the pole. The dancers 
 are led by two men abreast. These used to be men that had gone 
 to war afoot. They are followed by two women, then two men, 
 then two women ; and so on. Those who went to war mounted 
 come to the dance on their horses. One of the principal men 
 tells his story first ; and the horsemen tell their deeds as they 
 gallop around the dancers. The dance lasts for about half an 
 hour. But if the captain prefers, he may substitute the standard 
 dance for the captive dance. But if the latter is chosen for the 
 second day, and the captain wishes to gain more honor, he gives 
 another horse to his chief kettle-bearer, to be sold for food for the 
 feast that is held before the Standard dance on the third day. 
 
 The Standard dance. The standards are made like those used 
 at the beginning of the expedition, and they are given to the 
 standard-bearers, who dance around the village, two abreast, all 
 going in the same direction, followed by the other warriors. 
 Having gone around the village, they assemble at a short dis 
 tance from it and have the circle dance and bravery dance, as at 
 the first. This ends the dancing for that day. 
 
 The Trial over the sacred bags. The old men assemble in the war 
 tent, C. The sacred bags are brought in to test the warriors, who 
 are watched very closely by the old men. All the old men who 
 have been distinguished in war are painted with the decorations of 
 their respective gentes. That of the Cheezhoo peace- maker gens 
 is as follows : The face is first whitened all over with clay ; then 
 a red spot is made on the forehead, and the lower part of the face 
 is reddened. With his fingers, the man scrapes off the white clay> 
 
1884.] An account of the War Customs of the sages. 
 
 129 
 
 forming the dark figures by letting the natural color of the'face 
 show through. (See Fig. 8.) 
 
 Each warrior has four sticks about six inches long, to be laid 
 in succession on the sacred bag. The warriors are taken in the 
 following order : First, the captains, next the lieutenants ; then the 
 heralds ; after whom is the man who struck the first blow ; then 
 he who hit the second blow ; and so on. 
 
 As each captain lays his first stick on the bag, he says, " Ho, 
 O grandfather ! I lay this down on you because I am one who 
 has killed a man." On laying down the second, he says, " Ho, 
 
 FIG. 8. Decoration of the Tsicu Wactake or Cheezhoo peace-maker gens. 
 
 O grandfather ! I wish to be fortunate in stealing horses! I also 
 wish our children to be as fortunate as we !" When he puts down 
 the third, he says, " Ho, O grandfather ! I wish to raise a domes 
 tic animal. I wish to succeed in bringing it to maturity." By 
 this he means a son. The prayer when the last stick is laid down 
 is as follows : " Ho, O grandfather ! May we continue a people 
 without sustaining any injuries !" 
 
 Similar petitions are made by the lieutenants and heralds. He 
 who gave the first blow says, as he lays down the first stick, " Ho, 
 O grandfather ! I lay down this on you as one who has caused 
 another to stun a foe !" The rest of his petitions are those of the 
 
 VOL. XVIII. NO. II. 
 
130 An account of the War Customs of the sages. [February, 
 
 captains and other men. He who struck the second blow, says 
 as follows, on laying down his first stick : " Ho, O grandfather ! 
 I place this on you because I was the next one to strike and stun 
 a man!" The other petitions follow, as given above. The first 
 petition of each of the remaining warriors is as follows : " Ho, O 
 grandfather! I lay this on you as a token that I have aided in 
 overcoming the foe ! (A provisional translation, as the writer is 
 uncertain as to the exact rendering of " wa-yii-khpe," which, judg 
 ing from the meaning of the root khpa and khpe in cognate lan 
 guages, implies pulling down a foe.) 
 
 At the conclusion of this trial, the warriors rub the paint off, 
 and wash their faces, thus ending the war party. 
 
 II. SACRED BAG WAR PARTY. 
 
 A man mourns alone, putting mud on his face. He comes into 
 the village, and selects a man for his first kettle-bearer, who builds 
 for him a small lodge apart from the village. The mourner re 
 tires to this lodge, and keeps away from the women. He sends 
 his servant, the kettle-bearer, for two men, one on the Hafika side 
 of the tribe, the other on the Cheezhoo side, to act as standard- 
 bearers. When they come to him, he informs them whither he 
 wishes to go, and for what purpose. The three depart to invite 
 the warriors. Those who are willing can join the party. The 
 mourner has a pipe and tobacco, also a sacred bag made of the 
 skin and feathers of a bird, given him by his teacher, one of the 
 old men belonging to the secret order. 
 
 The servant cleans out the pipe bowl, which is filled by the 
 mourner. The latter hands the pipe around the circle of guests, 
 beginning with two standard-bearers. Last of all the mourner 
 smokes. As he hands the pipe to each man, he says. " Grand 
 father, I ask an animal of you." The reply is, " Captain, you shall 
 have your desire." 
 
 All march a short distance from the village. A small fire is 
 made. The teacher performs a ceremony over the mourner, 
 and then makes him take the first step on the war path, as has 
 been shown in the account of a large war party. Then the old 
 teacher departs to the village. The warriors march on. When they 
 meet a foe, he who strikes him has the first honor, the second 
 who hits him, cuts off his head. The honor of killing him be 
 longs to the captain or mourner, whether he is the actual slayer 
 
1884.] An account of the War Customs of the sages. 131 
 
 or not ; and the whole scalp is his. \Vhen they turn back, 
 they hasten homeward. Before they reach home, the scalp and 
 other trophies are fastened to a pole, charged on and shot at four 
 times. 
 
 When the warriors get near the village, they use charcoal for 
 painting their faces and the scalp. The young kettle-bearers 
 make this charcoal, using willow if they can find any. Then fol 
 low the ceremonies accompanying the cutting off the under skin 
 of the scalp. The captain stands facing the east, and if he is a 
 member of a gens on the Cheezhoo or left side of the tribe, he holds 
 a knife in his left hand. If he belongs to a gens on the Hafika 
 side, he holds the knife in his other hand. Holding the scalp in 
 
 FIG. 9. Showing how the scalp is prepared for the pole. 
 
 one hand, with the other he places the blade across it, with the 
 point towards the south. (Fig. 9.) Then he turns it with the 
 point toward the east. Next, with the blade resting on the scalp, the 
 point to the south, he moves the knife backward and forward four 
 times, cutting deeper into the scalp on each occasion. Then he 
 makes four similar cuts, but with the point to the east. After 
 this, the flat part of the blade being on the scalp, its edge is put 
 against one of the four corners made by the previous incisions 
 (i, 2, 3 and 4), beginning with No. I. He cuts under each corner 
 four times, singing a sacred song each time that he changes the 
 position of the knife. All of the under skin is cut loose by this 
 time, and is thrown away. The scalp is stretched and fastened to 
 a bow, which is bent and formed into a hoop. This hoop is tied 
 
132 An account of the War Customs of the Osages. [February, 
 
 to a pole that is carried by the principal kettle-bearer. (See Fig. io.\ 
 On reaching the village, they charge around 
 it, shouting and giving the war whoop. Such 
 of the old men as have been warriors go out 
 to meet them, asking who was the first to 
 strike a blow, who cut off the head, etc. On 
 learning these things, those old men who 
 struck foes when they were younger, say in 
 a loud voice, that all the people may hear, 
 "As I struck a foe, such a one (naming him) 
 has done so too !" Others say : "As I cut 
 off the head of a foe, such a one (naming him) 
 has done so too !" Then follows a feast, 
 after which comes the dances which have 
 been described. 
 
 During the trial of the warriors over the 
 sacred bag, the affirmations and petitions re 
 semble those used by the members of a large 
 war party, with only one exception. The 
 man who cut off the head of a foe says, when 
 he lays down his first stick, " Ho, O grand 
 father ! I lay this down on you as one who has broken off a 
 head." 
 
 III. HORSE-STEALING EXPEDITION. 
 
 This can be undertaken at any season. There are as many cap 
 tains as may wish to join the party. Each one of them is a 
 mourner for dead kindred, or for stolen property. 
 
 When men wish to steal horses from the enemy, they paint their 
 faces with charcoal. 
 
 On such an expedition the customs resemble those of the other 
 parties. 
 
 GENERAL REMARKS, APPLICABLE TO ANY WAR PARTY. 
 
 Before attacking the foe, the warriors paint themselves anew. 
 This is the " death paint." If any man dies with this paint on 
 him, the survivors do not put on him any other paint. 
 
 All the gentes on the Cheezhoo side use " fire paint," which is 
 red, applying it with the left hand all over the face. They 
 use prayers about the fire, saying, " As the fire has no mercy, 
 so should we have none." They put mud on the cheek, be 
 low the left eye, and as wide as two or three fingers. On the 
 
 FIG. 10. Mode of 
 mounting a scalp. 
 

 
 
 
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