Aja.
(1) Tavunga tavunga tavunga tavunga
Tavunga tavunga tavunga tavunga tavungadlo tavunga
Aja.
(2) Pissutaramaima tavunga tavunga.
Pissutaramaima tavunga tavunga tavungadlo tavunga, &c.
The rhythm of the songs will best be understood by examining the
melodies. Every long syllable may be replaced by two or even three short
ones; other short syllables appear as unaccented parts before the
accented part of a measure; in short, the rhythmic adaptation of the
words to the melody is very arbitrary and interchanges frequently occur,
so that it is impossible to speak of metric feet. At the same time this
furnishes distinct proof that the musical rhythm is the decisive element
in determining the form. The rhythmic arrangement of the words is
regulated with considerable exactness by the quantity of the syllables,
and not by the accent. While, for instance, in speaking, it would be
“palirtu´gun,” in song No. IV it is “palir´tugun´,” and in No. I
“tekto´roti´kelek´tlune,” instead of “tektorotikelektlu´ne,” &c. Such
displacements of the accent, however, are avoided if possible, and in
the best and most popular songs they hardly appear at all.
[Transcriber’s Note:
The numbers refer to the songs printed below, so “No. I” is the
Summer Song, No. II above. But the quoted word “tektorotikelektlune”
occurs only in the first version.]
The construction of the songs corresponds entirely with that of the
music, inasmuch as every melody and every rhythmically spoken song is
made up of musical, that is, rhythmic, phrases which are divided by
cæsuræ. Repetitions of the same phrases are very frequent. The
adaptation of the melodies to our divisions of time and measure is also
somewhat arbitrary, as they frequently consist of a mixture of three and
four part phrases. It is for this reason that I have noted down some
songs without any division into bars or measures and in those cases have
only marked the accented syllables.
Among the twenty melodies and rhythmic poems we find ten of binary
measures, five of triple measures, and six of mixed ones. Of the whole
number, nine begin on the full bar, eleven on the arsis.
The melodies move within the following range: In a fifth (No. III), one;
in a minor sixth (Nos. VII, IX, X), three; in a major sixth (Nos. II,
IV, XVII), three; in a seventh (Nos. XII, XIV), two; in an octave, (Nos.
I, II, V, VIII, XI, XVI), six; in a minor ninth (No. VI), one; in a
major ninth (No. V), one; in a tenth (No. XIII), one.
These may be divided into two very characteristic and distinct groups.
The first, which would coincide with our major key, contains the
following essential tones:
[Music: c d e g a]
The fourth and the sixth occur seldom, and then only as subordinate
tones. This key is identical with the Chinese and many of the Indian
ones.
In the second group, which corresponds to our minor key, we frequently
find the fourth, while the sixth only appears twice and then as a
subordinate tone (in No. XV). We furthermore find the major seventh in
the lower position leading back to the beginning, i.e., the key note.
The essential components of this key are:
[Music: g# a b c d e]
Professor R. Succo calls attention to the fact that the relation of the
melodies to their key note resembles that of the Gregorian chants,
especially the psalmodic ones among them.
If we, in accordance with our ideas, suppose the melody--No. XIII, for
example--to begin in C major, it nevertheless does not conclude in the
same key, but in E. We would say that No. XIV is written in A minor;
still it ends in E. We find the same in the Gregorian chants. They also
resemble the songs of the Eskimo in the retention of the same note
during a large number of consecutive syllables.
On the whole the melodies, even to our musical sense, can be traced to a
key note. However, changes often occur as well (see No. VI). A very
striking construction appears in No. XIII, where the oft-repeated E
forms a new key note, while at the conclusion the melody leaps back
without any modulation to C through the peculiar interval, ḇ, c.
[Illustration: BUREAU OF ETHNOLOGY SIXTH ANNUAL REPORT PL. VIII
Carving representing whale. (In the possession of Mrs. Adams,
Washington.) 1/1
Carving representing whale. (National Museum, Washington. 29998.)
1/1
Carving representing seal. (National Museum, Washington. 29991.)
1/1