Peyotists with their ceremonial tools
English: Title: MUSICIANS, PEYOTE CEREMONY; KIOWA Identifier: bulletin3011907smit Year: 1901 (1900s) Authors: Smithsonian Institution. Bureau of American Ethnology Subjects: Ethnology Publisher: Washington : G. P. O. Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries View Book Page: Book Viewer About This Book: Catalog Entry View All Images: All Images From Book Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book. Text Appearing Before Image: BULL. 30] MUSIC AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS 959 collar rhythm, so also have the classes of songs which jjertain to individual acts: fasting and prayer, setting of traps, hunt- ing, courtship, playing of games, facing and defying death. An Indian can deter- mine at once the class of a strange song by the rhythm of the music, but not by that of the drumbeat, for the latter is not infrequently played in time differing from that of the song. In structure the Indian song follows the outline of the form which obtains in our own music—a short, me- lodic phrase built on related tones which we denominate chord lines, repeated with more or less variation, grouped into clauses, and correlated into periods. The compass of songs varies from 1 to 3 octaves. Some songs have no words, but the ab- sence of the latter does not impair the definite meaning; vocables are used, and when once set to a melody they are never changed. Occasionally both words and vocables are employed in the same song. Plural singing is generally in unison on the plains and elsewhere, the women using a high, reedy, falsetto tone an octave above the male singers. Among the Cher- okee and other Southern tril)es, however, "round" singing was common. Men and women having clear resonant voices and good musical intonation compose the choirs which lead the singing in cere- monies, and are paid for their services. Frequently two or three hundred per- sons join in a choral, and the carrying of the melody in octaves by soprano, tenor, and bass voices, produces harmonic effects. Songs are the property of clans, socie- ties, and individuals. Clans and societies have special officers to insure the exact transmission and rendition of their songs, which members alone have the right to sing, and a penalty is exacted from the member who makes a mistake in sing- ing. The privilege to sing individual songs must sometimes be purchased from the owner. Women composed and sang the lullaby and the spinning and grinding songs. Among the Pueblos men joined in singing the latter and l)eat time on the floor as the women worked at the metates. Other songs composed by women were those sung to encourage the warrior as he went forth from the camp, and those sung to send to him, by the will of the singers, strength and power to endure the hard- ships of the battle. On the N. Pacific coast, and among other tribes as well, musical contests were held, when singers from one tribe or band would contend with those from another tribe or band as to which could remem- ber the greatest number or accurately repeat a new song after hearing it given for the first time. Among all the tribes accurate singing was considered a desir- able accomplishment. Among the Baffinland Eskimo grudges are settled by the opponents meeting by appointment and singing sarcastic songs at each other. The one who creates the most laughter is regarded as the victor. The Danish writers call these controversial songs "nith songs." In ceremonial songs, which are formal appeals to the supernatural, ai'curacy in rendering is essential, as otherwise "the path would not he straight"; the appeals could not reach their proper destina- tion and evil conse(|uences would follow. Consequently, when an error in singing occurs, the singers stop at once, and either the song or the whole ceremony is begun again; or, as in some tribes, a rite of con- trition is performed, after which the cere- mony may proceed. Official prompters keep strict watch during a ceremony in order to forestall such accidents. Text Appearing After Image: MUSICIANS, PEYOTE CEREMONY; KIOWA The steps of ceremonial dancers follow the rhythm of the drum, which frequently differs from the rhythm of the song. The drum may be beaten in 2/4 time and the song be in 3/4 time, or the beat he in 5/8 time against a melody in 3/4, or the song may be sung to a rapid tremolo beating of the drum. The beat governs the bodily movements; the song voices the emotion of the appeal. The native belief which regards l)reath as the symljol of life is in part extended to song; the invisible voice is supposed to be able to reach the invis- ible power that permeates nature and animates all natural forms. The Indian sings with all his force, being intent on expressing the fervor of his emotion and having no conception of an objective pre- sentation of music. The straining of the voice injures its tone quality, stress shar- pens a note, sentiment flattens it, and continued portemento blurs the outline of the melody, Avhich is often further con- fused by voice pulsations, making a Note About Images Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original work.