On coming in sight of the herd, the hunters talk kindly to their horses, applying to them the endearing names of father, brother, uncle, etc. They petition them not to fear the bisons, but to run well and keep close to them, but at the same time to avoid being gored.
The party having approached as near to the herd as they suppose the animals will permit without taking alarm, they halt to give the pipe bearer an opportunity to perform the ceremony of smoking, which is considered necessary to their success. He lights his pipe, and remains a short time with his head inclined, and the stem of the pipe extended toward the herd. He then smokes, and puffs the smoke toward the bisons, and the earth, and finally to the cardinal points successively.
THE SUN A WAKANDA.
§ 28. In the Osage traditions the “mysterious one of day” is invoked as “grandfather.”[17]
He replies that he is not the only Wakanʇa. That the Kansa worshiped the sun as a Wakanda appears from the following: [“On one occasion,] when the Kansa went against the Pawnees, the stick was set up for the mystic attack or ‘waqpele gaxe.’ The war captain addressed the rising sun thus:
| “Páyiⁿ | áqli | kŭⁿ´bla | eyaú. | Cŭñ´ge | wábliⁿ | alí | kŭⁿ´bla | eyaú. | Wayü´qpe | ckí | kŭⁿ´bla | eyaú. | Haléje |
| Pawnee | I stun by hitting | I wish | indeed. | Horse | I have them | I have come back | I wish | indeed. | Pulling down (a foe) | too | I wish | indeed. | Calico (shirt) |
| uɯíblage. | Haqiⁿ´ | uɯíblage. | Haská | cki | Páyiⁿ | áqli-daⁿ´ | mík’ü | tá | miñke, | Wákanda-é, | é | [gü´aⁿyakiyé-daⁿ.] | ||
| I tell you about it. | Robe | I tell you about it | Blanket | too | Pawnee | I stun by hitting | when | I give to you | will | I who (sit) | O Wakanda! | that | you cause me to be returning | when. |
[Transcriber's note: the hyphen in “gü´aⁿyakiyé-daⁿ” was at the end of a line; the word may be “gü´aⁿyakiyédaⁿ”]
“I wish to kill a Pawnee! I desire to bring horses when I return. I long to pull down an enemy! I promise you a calico shirt and a robe. I will give you a blanket also, O Wakanda, if you allow me to return in safety after killing a Pawnee!” When warriors performed the “waqpele gaxe” or the attack on the stick representing the foe, no member of the Lṵ or Thunder gens could participate. On such an occasion the warrior turned to the east and said:
| “Aⁿmaⁿ´pye | kŭⁿ´bla | aú. | Haská | uɯíblage | aú, | Wákanda-é,” |
| To follow me(?) or We follow it(?) | I wish | . | Blanket | I tell you of it | . | O Wakanda |
i.e., I wish my party to pass along the road to the foe(?). I promise you a blanket, O Wakanda (if I succeed?).” On turning to the west he said: