[ ORIGINAL TEXTS AND TRANSLATIONS OF SONGS, &C.]
[192.] The songs of the dsilyídje qaçàl are very numerous and their recitation is governed by many rules, a few of which only have been discovered by the writer.
[193.] A list has been recorded of thirteen sets of songs which may properly be sung at night in the medicine lodge, when the ceremonies of the day are done, and in the corral on the last night, when there is no special song in progress pertaining to a particular alili or dance. The list which follows exhibits the order in which these songs may be sung on any particular night. For example, if the singers begin with a song from set III, they cannot follow immediately with a song from sets I or II, but mast select from some of the following sets, as set IV or V. Again, in each set the songs have a certain order of sequence which must not be reversed. For convenience these will be called
[SONGS OF SEQUENCE.]
| Order. | Indian name of set. | English name of set. | Number in each set. |
|---|---|---|---|
| I. | Atsátleï Bigin | Songs of the First Dancers | 16 |
| II. | Tsintsò Bigin | Songs of the Great Stick, or Plumed Wand | 12 |
| III. | ¢epè Bigin | Songs of the Mountain Sheep | 12 |
| IV. | I‘¢nì Bigin | Songs of the Lightning | 12 |
| V. | Tsilkè-¢igìni Bigin | Songs of the Holy Young Men | 12 |
| VI. | Tcikè-cac-nátlehi Bigin | Songs of Young Women Who Become Bears | 16 |
| VII. | Dsilyi‘ Neyáni Bigin | Songs of Reared Within the Mountains | 8 |
| VIII. | Tsáhagin | Awl songs | 8 |
| IX. | Nahikï-gin | Whitening songs | 8 |
| X. | ¢asàni Bigin | Songs of the Porcupines | 7 |
| XI. | Nanisè Bigin | Songs of the Plants | 8 |
| XII. | Tsin¢ilçòï Bigin | Songs of the Exploding Stick | 26 |
| XIII. | Yikàï-gin | Daylight songs | 16 |
| Total | 161 |
[194.] Besides those referred to in the above list, there are more which are appropriate to different acts in the ceremony, such as the songs sung at the obliteration of the pictures, at the building of the corral, at the departure of the akáninili, &c.
[195.] In some cases a number of songs in the same set are nearly alike; the addition or substitution of one verse, or even of one word, may be the only difference. Such songs usually follow one another in immediate succession; often, on the other hand, we find a great variety in subject and in style.
[196.] Some songs are self-explanatory or readily understood, but the greater number cannot be comprehended without a full knowledge of the mythology and of the symbolism to which they refer; they merely hint at mythic conceptions. Many contain archaic expressions, for which the shaman can assign a meaning, but whose etymology cannot now be learned; and some embody obsolete words whose meaning is lost even to the priesthood. There are many vocables known to be meaningless and recited merely to fill out the rhythm or to give a dignified length to the song. For the same reasons a meaningless syllable is often added or a significant syllable duplicated.
[197.] Other poetical licenses are taken, such as the omission of a syllable, the change of accent, the substitution of one vowel for another. The most familiar words are often distorted beyond recognition. For these various reasons the task of noting and translating these songs is one of considerable difficulty.