This is one of the favorite Kiowa ghost songs and refers to the miraculous resurrection of the dismembered buffalo, according to the promise of the messiah, as related in Sword’s narrative. See [page 797].
KIOWA GLOSSARY
Äähe′dal—they are coming, it is said (ää′, I come); the suffix hedal implies a report.
Ädâ′ga—because I am; the suffix ga gives the idea of because.
Â′daltem—head; literally hair bone, i. e., skull; from â′dal, hair, and tem, bone.
Ädalto′yui—“young mountain sheep,” literally “herders” or “corralers,” one of the degrees of the Kiowa military organization. Also called Teñbeyu′i. (See [Arapaho song 43].)
Ä‛′data′i—like my father, resembling my father; from data′-i, father, my father.
Ädä′tode′yo′—he is standing watching it; ädä′tode, I stand watching it.
Äde′tepo′nbä—I went to see my friends; äde′teponbäta, I am going, etc; de′te, friend.
Äguănpo′nbä—I went to see dancing; ägu′anponbä′ta, I am going to see a dance; guan, a dance.
Ähäyä′—an unmeaning exclamation used in the songs.
Ä′hiñ-aih—in the tops of the cottonwood; from ä′hiñ, cottonwood, and aih, in or on the tree tops.
Aho′ähe′dal—they are approaching, it is said (as a family on the move, or an army on the march, with household goods, etc); the suffix hedal implies a report or rumor. Äho′ä, I am coming on, with my family and possessions. Compare Imzä′nteähe′dal.
Äho′ho!—an unmeaning exclamation used in the songs.
Ähyä′to—the Kiowa name for the Arapaho, meaning unknown. The Kiowa call the wild plum by the same name.
Äka′na—for Äka′on, q. v.
Äka′on—I am poor. The words for “rich” and “poor” refer rather to reputation and mental and moral qualities than to temporal possessions. A man may own many horses, but if he has no war record he is accounted poor.
Änĭmhä′go—he gets up again, he rises again. Dehä′go, I rise; behä′, get up; ĭmhä′go, he will get up.
Ankañ′gona—he pities us much; gyäkañ′ti, it is a pity. Compare Iñkañ′tähe′dal.
Anso—feet; anso′i, foot.
Ä′nyä′gâlo′nte—I bellow like a buffalo (habitual); nyäo′nto, I am bellowing like a buffalo.
Äomhe′dal—he was made so; äo′mdatso′ha, I am made so, I am rendered thus.
Ä′piatañ—“wooden stabber, or lance;” the name of a Kiowa sent by his tribe as a delegate to the messiah in 1890.
Asa′tito′la—“he whom we send to work,” i. e., “the messenger;” the name by which the Kiowa prophet, Bi′äñk̔i, is now known.
Äto′tl-e′dal—he was sent; gyäto′, I send him.
Ätso′dalsâ′dal—I have wings (attached); from tsodal, wing.
Bä′ateñ′yi—we cry and hold fast to him; gyäteñ′ta, I cry and hold fast to him.
Bäte′yä—he is approaching; äba′teyä, I am approaching. Compare Imzä′nteähe′dal.
Be′a‛mâ′nhäyi—stretch out your (plural) hands in entreaty. Dea′‛mânhä′go, I stretch out, etc; bea′‛mânhä, stretch out your (singular vocative), etc.
Be′dălgu′at—another Kiowa name for the Wichita; signifying “painted or tattooed lips;” from bedal, lips or mouth, and guat, painted, tattooed, or written. See Do‛gu′at.
Be′dălpago—“hairy mouths;” one of the Kiowa names for the whites; from bedal, lips or mouth, pa, downy hair or fuzz, and go or gua, the tribal terminal. Compare Ta‛ka′-i.
Beta!—an exclamation about equivalent to I see, I understand.
Bi′äñk̔i—“eating man,” “eater,” a Kiowa prophet and medicine-man; also known as Asa′tito′la, “the messenger.”
Botk̔iñ′ago—the Kiowa name for the Aä′ninĕ′na or Arapaho Grosventres. The name signifies “belly people;” from bot, belly or stomach, and k̔iñago, people, from k̔iñahi, “man.”
Dä-e′dal—“great star;” from dä, star, and e′dal, great; one of the Kiowa names for the morning star. It is more commonly called T’aiñso, “the cross.” (See [Arapaho song 72].)
Da′gya—a song.
Dakañ′äthe′dal—another form of Iñkañ′tähe′dal, q. v.
Dak̔iñ′a—spirit, God; plural dak̔iñ′ago; from da-i, medicine, mystery, and k̔iña or k̔iñahi, man.
Dak̔iñ′ago—spirits, the spirits; spirit, God, dak̔iñ′a.
Da′mânhä′go—for Dea′‛mânhä′go.
Däsa—I have eyes; dä, t’ä, eye.
Da′ta-i—father.
Da′te—a long time.
Da′tekañ—“keeps his name always,” a Kiowa prophet about 1881, who undertook to bring back the buffalo.
Datsä′to—I pray for them; nĭ′ndatsä′to, I pray for him.
Dea′‛mânhä′go—I hold out my hands toward him in entreaty. Compare Be′a‛mâ′nhäyi.
De′beko′datsä—let us all pray or worship, we must all pray or worship; deda′tsäto, I pray.
De′dom—all the world; from dom, the earth, and de, all, complete.
Degi′ăta—I am mashing or pounding it.
De‛gu′ănta—I stir it around.
De′gyägo′mga—every living creature; the prefix de conveys the idea of every or all.
Dehi′äta—I take it.
De′ĭmgo—look, everybody! See, everybody around! The prefix de gives the idea of everybody or all.
De′ĭmhä′date—everybody will arise; from dehä, I rose up from a reclining position. The prefix de gives the idea of everybody, all, or completeness, according to context.
Deo′ta—I lift it up, I raise it.
Do′—tipi.
Do‛gu′at—the Kiowa name for the Wichita, signifying “painted or tattooed faces,” from dobä, face, and gu′at, painted, engraved, or written.
Dom—the earth.
Dom-gäga—with the earth; gâga, with, in composition.
Ehä′eho′!—an unmeaning exclamation used in the songs.
E′häyä!—ibid.
E′hyuñi—“principal, real, or best fruit;” a berry, probably a dwarf cherry, described as a black grape-like fruit growing in clusters on bushes from 4 to 6 feet high, in the Sioux country. It was eaten raw or mixed with pemmican.
E′manki′na—“can’t hold it,” a Kiowa policeman, now dead, seen by Asatitola in a vision.
E′‛peya—“afraid of him,” a Kiowa warrior who died while a prisoner at Fort Marion, Florida, about 1875.
Ezä′nteähe′dal—it is approaching, they say. Compare Imzä′nteähe′dal.
Ezä′nteda′te—it will shake, or tremble (impersonal).
Gâ′dal-gâ′ga—with the buffalo; gâga, with, in composition; gâdal, buffalo, generic; pa, a buffalo bull.
Gâ′dal-guñ—a buffalo horn; from gâdal, buffalo; and gu′ñti, horn.
Gatä′dalto—I shall cut it off, I am cutting it off (present and future alike).
Go—and.
Go′mgyä-da′ga—that wind; from gomgyä, wind, and daga, that, the, in composition.
Go′mtäyä—on (my) back; from gomtä or gombă, back.
Guadal—red.
Guăn—a dance.
Guan-â′dalka-i—“dance frenzy;” from guan, a dance, and â′dalka-i, crazy or foolish; the Kiowa name for the Ghost-dance ecstasy.
Gu′ato—bird.
Gyäko′m—life, living; hita′ägyä′komta′yä, I am alive.
Gyätä′to—I shall cut them off; gatä′dalto, I cut it off.
Häoñ′yo, or Äoñ′yo—a cry of grief, especially at funerals.
Heyĕ′heyĕ′heyĕ′heyĕ!—an unmeaning exclamation used in the songs.
Imhä′go—he would get up, he would arise. Compare Änĭmhä′go.
Imzä′nteähe′dal—they are approaching, it is said; from dezä′nteä, I move about; the termination hedal makes it a matter of report or common belief, equivalent to “they say.” Compare Ezä′nteähe′dal. The verb implies coming on like a herd or company or like persons on a march. The simple verb for approaching is äba′teä. Compare Bate′yä and Äho′ähe′dal.
Iñatä′gyi—it is a good one; from tãgya or gyätä′gya, good.
Iñhä′po or Iñhäpa′de—he sings for me (as if to teach me); dagya gehäpo, I sing a song for him.
Iñkañ′tähe′dal—he has had pity on me; from gyäkañ′ti, (it is a) pity. Compare Ankañ′gona.
Ka′ante—another form of Ka′on, poor. Compare Äka′on.
Kâitseñ′ko—“principal, or real dogs;” the highest degree of the Kiowa military organization. (See [Arapaho song 43].)
Komse′ka-k̔iñ′ahyup—the former Kiowa name for the Arapaho. It signifies “men of the worn-out leggings;” from komse, “smoky, soiled, or worn-out,” kati, “leggings,” and k̔iñ′ahyup, “men.”
Mânsâ′dal—I have hands or arms; mânto, hand, arm.
Ma′sep—the Kiowa name for the Caddo, signifying “pierced noses;” from mak̔on, nose, and sep, the root of a verb signifying to pierce or sew with an awl.
Na—I, my; sometimes put before the verb to make it emphatic.
Na ädâ′ga—because I am (emphatic); from na, I, my, and ädâ′ga (q. v.), because I am.
Nada′g—for Na ädâ′ga, q. v.
Nyäâ′mo—he will give it to me; nyänâ′mo, I shall give it to him. There are a number of verbs for give, according to the nature of the thing given.
Nyä′hoănga′mo—he shows or tells me the road; nyän′hoănga′mo, I show him the road; hoăn, road.
Nyäo′ngum—I scream; from äno′nde, it screams, or makes utterance with the mouth.
Nyäpa′de—for Iñhä′po or Iñhäpa′de, q. v.
Nyäzä′ngo—it shakes mine; änzä′ngo, it shakes his.
O′mda—I have a shape or form (implying a likeness, as ä‛data′-i o′mda, I have a form like my father’s).
Pa-gu′adal—“red buffalo;” from pa, a buffalo bull, said gu′adal, red. A Kiowa man, the author of one of the Ghost-dance songs.
Pa′-iñgya—“standing in the middle;” a Kiowa prophet who, in 1887, preached the speedy destruction of the whites and the return of the buffalo.
Poläñ′yup—“rabbits;” the lowest degree of the Kiowa military organization. (See [Arapaho song 43].)
Sa′he—green. (See [Arapaho song 64].)
Säk̔o′ta—the Kiowa name for the Cheyenne; the word seems to refer to “biting.”
Set-t’aiñ′ti—“white bear,” a noted Kiowa chief, about 1865–1875. The name comes from set, bear, t’aiñ, white, and ti, the personal suffix.
Soda′te—he will descend; äso′ta, I descend.
Tägyä′ko—the Kiowa name for the Na′kasinĕ′na or northern Arapaho. The word has the same meaning, “sagebrush people,” from tägyi, “sage brush,” and ko, the tribal suffix.
T’aiñ′so—the morning star; literally “the cross;” it is sometimes also called Dä-e′dal, the “great star.” (See [Arapaho song 43].)
Ta‛ka′-i—one of the Kiowa names for the whites; the word means literally “prominent ears, or ears sticking out,” as compared with the ears of the Indian, which are partly concealed by his long hair. The same name is also applied to a mule or donkey. Compare Be′dal-pa′go.
Tälyi—a boy.
T‛añgya—a spoon; under certain circumstances the suffix gyă is dropped and the word becomes t’a.
T‛añ′peko—skunkberry (?) people; one of the degrees of the Kiowa military organization. (See [Arapaho song 43].)
Teñ′beyui—“young mountain sheep,” another name for the Ädalto′yui, q. v.
Ton—tail; gu′ato-ton, bird tail; frequently used to denote a fan or headdress made of the tail feathers of an eagle, hawk, or other bird.
Tongyä-gu′adal—“red tail;” the name of a Kiowa man; from ton or tongyä, tail, and gu′adal, red.
Toñkoñ′go—“black legs,” one of the degrees of the Kiowa military organization. (See [Arapaho song 43]).
To′ñsâdal—I have legs; from toñti, leg.
Tsä′hop—movers, emigrants (moving with household goods, etc). The word has no singular form.
Tsäñ′yui—“rabbits;” another name for the Poläñ′yup degree of the Kiowa military organization. (See [Arapaho song 43].)
Tseñtän′mo—horse headdress people (?), one of the degrees of the Kiowa military organization. (See [Arapaho song 43].)
Tsi′sûs (Tsi′sûs-ä)—Jesus.
Tsoñ—an awl.
Tsoñ′ä—the awl game. (See [Arapaho song 64].)
Yä′‛pähe—soldiers; the military organization of the Kiowa. (See [Arapaho song 43].)
THE CADDO AND ASSOCIATED TRIBES
CADDO TRIBAL SYNONYMY
Asinais—an old French name, from Hasinai.
Caddo—popular name, from Kä′dohadä′cho.
Cadodaquio—Joutel (1687), another form of Kä′dohadä′cho.
Cenis—old French name used by Joutel in 1687; from Hasinai.
Dä′sha-i—Wichita name.
Dĕ′sa—another form of Dä′sha-i.
Hasi′nai or Hasi′ni—the proper generic term for at least the principal Caddo divisions, and perhaps for all of them. It is also used by them as synonymous with “Indians.”
Kä′dohădä′cho—the name of the Caddo proper, as used by themselves.
Ma′se′p—Kiowa name; “pierced nose,” from mak̔on, nose, and sep, the root of a verb signifying to pierce or sew with an awl.
Na′shonĭt or Na′shoni—Comanche name, frequently used also by the neighboring tribes to designate the Caddo; the Nassonite of the early French writers on Texas.
Nez Percé—French traders’ name; “pierced nose.”
Ni′rĭs-hări′s-kĭ′riki—another Wichita name.
Otä′s-itä′niuw′—Cheyenne name; “pierced nose people.”
Tani′bänĕn, Tani′bänĕnina, Tani′bätha—Arapaho name; “pierced nose people,” tani, nose.
CADDO TRIBAL SIGN
“Pierced nose,” in allusion to their former custom of boring the nose for the insertion of a ring.
SKETCH OF THE CADDO
The Caddo are the principal southern representatives of the Caddoan stock, which includes also the Wichita, Kichai, Pawnee, and Arikara. Their confederacy consisted of about a dozen tribes or divisions, claiming as their original territory the whole of lower Red river and adjacent country in Louisiana, eastern Texas, and southern Arkansas. The names of these twelve divisions, including two of foreign origin, have been preserved as follows: