Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-09

buffalo and the bear attacked them at
Moons bidding.
AS Morning Star overcame each of
tnem In turn he sang a song which is
the most sacred part of the Pawnee
ritual Finally he closed the hole in the
SKY MADE by Moon. So he came to the
tended bride. There he was attacked
oy a snake, but he overcame it, as he
had the others, by ball of fire and his
magic song.
Lovely But Naughty.
Evening Star was lovely but naughty
queen of the heavens. Secretly admir-
ing the prince Of the western heavens,
who had come to WOO her, she never
theless kept aloof as long as possible.
F1naHy sne accepted him, insisting first
that he provide for the children that
might be born, even to the extent of
perfumed water in which to bathe
them. She also insisted that he plant
tree in front of their lodge, where the
hooking birds might nest and sing to
the children. The first child was a
daughter Meanwhile Moon and Sun
had married, and their first child was a
son. Both came to earth and became
Up in the heavens, Evening Star and
Morning Star got along very well, al
though she still gave way to wifely
tantrums. Among her demands of her
husband was human sacrifice of a
pure and beautiful maiden, repeated an
nually. He consented to arrange the
matter. Formally, as the time when
Evening Star was expecting her sacrifice
approached. Morning Star would appear
q 0T4A fp1et IaIS
to secure an appropriate maiden. The
man would summon other warriors and
together they would go on the warpath,
singing the magic song with which
Morning Star had overcome the obsta-
cles on his first journey out of the west.
When they had captured a maiden,
they placed her in the charge of the
her sacrifice. At the appointed time
her body was painted, half red and
half black, and she was tied to a scat
fold and shot through the heart with
an arrow.
Long since. Evening Star has been
obliged to get along without her sac
rifice. Early in the last century. on
the eve before the execution. young
chief came crawling through the tall
sunflowers and stole the maiden. taking
her back to her own people. She had
already been covered with paint and died
shortly afterward. The rescuer han
pened to become a warrior of distinc-
ton. and through his influence the sac
r1fice was discontinued.
Describes Experience.
Describing her experience, Miss Dens-
more reports: |
THE ceremony began about 9 am.
and continued until pm, the writer |
sitting outside the tepee except for the |
brief time she was permitted to enter. |
The entire songs of the ceremony were
heard, as well as the prayers and ritual, |
although only the principal song was
obtained.
AT the proper time Coming Sun. who
was in charge Of the ceremony sent |
messenger to summon the writer, and |
she entered the lodge. Coming Sun
was seated back of the bundle (the |
sacred bundle containing religious OBJ |
1ects about which the ceremony re-
volves). and held one Of the sacred
gourd rattles. Two men on either side
OF him held similar rattles. In front of
the men and next the sacred bundle
was belt, decorated with human
scalps. a coiled thong OF braided hide
ana bundle of song sticks. At the
right OF the bundle were four owls.
The outer wrapping of the bundle is
OF buffalo hide and this was spread on
the ground. On this was a wolf hide
and on the wolf hide lay a pipe and
wildcat paws filled with native tobacco.
Between the wolf skins and the fire was
decorated ear of corn. It is said that
the paws of wildcat are selected to
hold the tobacco because the animal is
spotted like the star-strewn heavens.
ana that Tor the same reasons the skin
is often used for wrapping infants.
I'm accepting the gifts offered by the
writer Coming Sun stroked her arm.
accepting them in the prescribed cere-
monial manner She then left the lodge
as she had entered, avoiding the space
between the bundle and the fire.
About 20 men were in the cere-
monial lodge. They wore no clothing
above the waist and the bodies were
smeared with sacred paint made of red
powder mixed with buffalo fat. A large
fire was kept burning in the middle of
the lodge. although the day was in
tPnSelV hot -