THE SEASONS
The Kiowa distinguished only four seasons, unlike some of the agricultural tribes of the east, who distinguished five, separating the autumn season into early, when the leaves change color, and late, when the leaves fall, but assigning entirely different names to each. The Kiowa begin the year with the beginning of winter as fixed by the first snowfall. This seems to have been the case also with the Pawnee and perhaps with other prairie tribes. To an agricultural people the renewal of vegetation would seem a more natural starting point.
The first season is called Saígya or Säta, abbreviated Saí, which is considered to begin on the first fall of snow. In western Oklahoma this is generally about the first or middle of December, although on one occasion, about ten years ago, this occurred as early as October. Cold weather and frost may come, but it is not called Saígya until snow falls.
Next comes Áségya, spring. This is an archaic term which cannot be analyzed. It is sometimes called by the more modern name of Són-páta, "grass springing." It is considered to begin when the grass and buds sprout and the mares foal (about first of March), and is known to be near at hand when the breasts of the eagles begin to turn white and when the panther whelps are born. The old men say that one half of the month Ka`gúăt P'a Sän belongs to Saígya and the other half to Áségya.
The third season is Paígya or Paíta, abbreviated Pai, summer. The name seems to have a connection with the word for sun, pai. It begins after the grass has ceased sprouting (sónpáta) and is considered to continue until fires are needed in the tipis at night, i. e., from about June to September. During this season the fires are made outside the tipis, or, rather, outside the leafy arbors under which the people sit and sleep during the hot weather.
Next comes the fourth and last season, Paóngya or autumn. The term is archaic and seems to refer to the thickening of the fur (pa) of the buffalo and other animals as the cold weather approaches. It is sometimes called Aídeñ-gyägúădal-ómgyä-i, the time "when the leaves are red." The season is supposed to begin when the leaves change color and fires become comfortable in the tipis at night, that is, about the first of September.
In addition to these recognized divisions the summers or warm weather periods, as distinguished from the winters, were usually counted by k`ádós or sun dances, which were commonly held once a year, the time being fixed by the whitening of the down on the cottonwoods, about the beginning of June.
The following table is a good approximation of the manner in which the Kiowa divide the year, beginning about October 1:
SAÍGYA: WINTER
- Gákiñăt'o P'a, last half.
- Ä`gâ´nti.
- Tépgañ P'a.
- Gañhíña P'a.
- Ka`gúăt P'a Sän, first half.
ÁSÉGYA: SPRING
- Ka`gúăt P'a Sän, last half.
- Ka`gúăt P'a.
- Aideñ P'a.
- Pai Ä`gâ´nti, first half.
PAÍGYA: SUMMER
- Pai Ä`gâ´nti, last half.
- Pai Tépgañ P'a.
- Pai Gañhíña P'a.
- T'águñótal P'a Sän.
- T'águñótal P'a, first half.
PAÓNGYA: AUTUMN
- T'águñótal P'a, last half.
- Gákiñăt'o P'a, first half.
Autumn seems to be less definitely noted than the other seasons.