[57] History of America, iii, 298.
[58] Royal Commentaries, Lond. ed., 1688, Rycaut’s Trans., p. 107.
[59] Herrera, iv, 231.
[60] “Their hearts burn violently day and night without intermission till they have shed blood for blood. They transmit from father to son the memory of the loss of their relations, or one of their own tribe, or family, though it was an old woman.”—Adair’s Hist. Amer. Indians, Lond. ed., 1775, p. 150.
[61] Mommsen’s History of Rome, Scribner’s ed., Dickson’s Trans., i, 49.
[62] One of the twelve gentes of the Omahas is Lä′-tä-dä, the Pigeon-Hawk, which has, among others, the following names:
| Boys’ Names. |
| Ah-hise′-na-da, “Long Wing.” Gla-dan′-noh-che, “Hawk balancing itself in the air.” Nes-tase′-kä, “White-Eyed Bird.” |
| Girls’ Names. |
| Me-ta′-na, “Bird singing at daylight.” Lä-tä-dä′-win, “One of the Birds.” Wä-tä′ na, “Bird’s Egg.” |
[63] When particular usages are named it will be understood they are Iroquois unless the contrary is stated.
[64] After the people had assembled at the council house one of the chiefs made an address giving some account of the person, the reason for his adoption, the name and gens of the person adopting, and the name bestowed upon the novitiate. Two chiefs taking the person by the arms then marched with him through the council house and back, chanting the song of adoption. To this the people responded in musical chorus at the end of each verse. The march continued until the verses were ended, which required three rounds. With this the ceremony concluded. Americans are sometimes adopted as a compliment. It fell to my lot some years ago to be thus adopted into the Hawk gens of the Senecas, when this ceremony was repeated.
[65] Grote’s Hist. of Greece, i, 194.