SONGS OF SEQUENCE.

--------+-------------------+------------------------------+-----------

Order. | Indian name | English name of set. | Number in

| of set. | | each set.

--------+-------------------+------------------------------+-----------

I. | Atsátleï Bigin | Songs of the First Dancers | 16

II. | Tsintsò Bigin | Songs of the Great Stick, | 12

| | or Plumed Wand |

III. | [¢]epè Bigin | Songs of the Mountain Sheep | 12

IV. | I`¢nì Bigin | Songs of the Lightning | 12

V. | Tsilkè-¢igìni | Songs of the Holy Young Men | 12

| Bigin | |

VI. | Tcikè-cac-nátlehi | Songs of Young | 16

| Bigin | Women Who Become Bears |

VII. | Dsilyi` Neyáni | Songs of Reared Within | 8

| Bigin | the Mountains |

VIII. | Tsáhagin | Awl songs | 8

IX. | Nahikï-gin | Whitening songs | 8

X. | [¢]asàni Bigin | Songs of the Porcupines | 7

XI. | Nanisè Bigin | Songs of the Plants | 8

XII. | Tsin¢ilçòï Bigin | Songs of the Exploding Stick | 26

XIII. | Yikàï-gin | Daylight songs | 16

| + +-----------

| Total | 161

--------+--------------------------------------------------+-----------

194. Besides those referred to in the above list, there are more which

are appropriate to different acts in the ceremony, such as the songs

sung at the obliteration of the pictures, at the building of the corral,

at the departure of the akáninili, &c.

195. In some cases a number of songs in the same set are nearly alike;

the addition or substitution of one verse, or even of one word, may be

the only difference. Such songs usually follow one another in immediate

succession; often, on the other hand, we find a great variety in subject

and in style.

196. Some songs are self-explanatory or readily understood, but the

greater number cannot be comprehended without a full knowledge of the

mythology and of the symbolism to which they refer; they merely hint at

mythic conceptions. Many contain archaic expressions, for which the

shaman can assign a meaning, but whose etymology cannot now be learned;

and some embody obsolete words whose meaning is lost even to the

priesthood. There are many vocables known to be meaningless and recited

merely to fill out the rhythm or to give a dignified length to the song.

For the same reasons a meaningless syllable is often added or a

significant syllable duplicated.

197. Other poetical licenses are taken, such as the omission of a

syllable, the change of accent, the substitution of one vowel for

another. The most familiar words are often distorted beyond recognition.

For these various reasons the task of noting and translating these songs

is one of considerable difficulty.