§ 214. Ordeal of the sacred bags.—When the warriors have had a rest of about two days, they assemble for a dance, called the "Wéwatci," or Scalp-dance. Before the dance, however, the successful warriors receive the rewards or insignia of valor from the nudanhañga who has the three wa¢íxabe ʇañ´ga or wastégistú. The three bags are placed in a row, and all the warriors stand in a row. Each warrior having selected the wa¢ixabe to which he intends speaking, he makes a present to it. Then the keeper of the wa¢ixabe addresses him, reminding him that Wakanda sees him, and that if he speaks falsely, he may not expect to stay much longer on the earth. Then the young man says, "Win´ake. Wakan´da aká íbahani."—I tell the truth. Wakanda knows it. As he says this, he holds up his right hand towards the sky. Then he addresses the wa¢ixabe itself, as follows: "Hau, inc`áge-ha! edádan uwíb¢a támiñke ¢an´ja, i¢áusi´ctan-májĭ uwíb¢a tá miñke."—Ho, O venerable man! though I will tell you something, I will not lie when I tell it to you. When he says this, he lets fall a small stick which has been cut beforehand. He is obliged to hold the stick up high when he drops it. Should the stick fall on the sacred bag and remain there, it is a sign that he has spoken the truth; but if it falls off, they believe that he has been guilty of falsehood, and did not do in the fight that which he has claimed for himself.
Rewards of bravery.—When all the warriors have thus been tested, they are addressed by the holder of the wa¢ixabe. To one who was the first to take hold of a foe, he says, "[K]áxe mí¢ag¢an´te hă," You shall wear the crow in your belt. Sometimes he adds, "Sábě ¢aʞíckaxe te. [K]áxe ájaja ¢aʞíckaxe te hă."—You shall blacken yourself. You shall make spots on yourself, resembling crows' dung. This warrior must blacken his body, and then mark here and there spots with white clay.
[P]a¢in-nanpajĭ said that the second who took hold of a foe had the following reward: He was allowed to blacken his body from the waist to the shoulders, and to rub white clay down the tops of his shoulders. To him was said, "Mácan-skă, ʇáhin-wág¢an á¢ag¢an´ te hă."—You shall stick in your hair white eagle feathers, and wear the deer's-tail head-dress. La Flèche and Two Crows said that this man was allowed to wear the ʇahin-wag¢an alone on his head, and to put the crow in his belt.
According to [P]a¢in-nanpajĭ, the third warrior who caught hold of the foe blackened his body thus: On the arms, at the elbows, on the ribs, and hiusagi, he could make places as large as a hand (or, he could make one side of his body black—sic). To him was said, "[T]áhin-wág¢an mácan ¢iñgé á¢ag¢an´ te hă," You shall wear the ʇahin-wag¢an without any feathers. But La Flèche and Two Crows said that this man was told to wear the crow in his belt; and the fourth who took hold of the foe was told to wear the ʇahin-wag¢an without any other decoration.
[P]a¢in-nanpajĭ said that he who disemboweled a fallen enemy with a knife was permitted to stick a red feather in his hair. He blackened his body from the waist up to the shoulder, and over the shoulder, then down the back to the waist. He could redden his knife and dance as a grizzly bear. But Two Crows, who has attended the scalp-dance, never saw anything of this sort.
According to [P]a¢in-nanpajĭ, he who killed a foe was rewarded in several ways. He could wear the ʇehuq¢abe[17] necklace, called the "gadádaje wacin´, and was addressed thus: "Gadádaje wacin´ nan´¢ap'in te hă," You can wear the ʇehuq¢abe necklace. "Man´-u¢úbaski ái¢agá¢a te hă," You shall carry the ramrod on your arm. "[T]áhin-wág¢an sían¢é á¢ag¢an´ te hă," You shall wear the ʇahin-wag¢an alone in your hair. (These were disputed by La Flèche and Two Crows.) "Man´sa gasú jíde¢ě nan¢ap'in´ te hă," You shall wear an arrow shaft, scraped and reddened, suspended from your neck. (Confirmed by La Flèche and Two Crows.)
He who struck a foe with a hatchet, bow, etc., was allowed to redden it and carry it to the dance, if he wished.
Sometimes a warrior gave a gun, etc., to an old man, who went through the camp telling of the generosity of the giver.
All who had parts of scalps were told to wear ʇahin-wag¢an on their heads.
§ 215. The scalp dance (of the women).—One of the women had to carry the scalp around on a pole during the dance. This act is ái¢a-báju.