Page:History of Southeast Missouri 1912 Volume 1.djvu/97

 HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 37 might be possessed. Upon marriage, how- ever, the ornaments were laid aside to be kept for a daughter, and the liair was confioed in one braid. A curious form of polygamy was practiced among them. When a man took a wife he ac- quired rights over the persons of her sisters, and might bestow them in marriage as he wished or else add them to his own household. In spite of this privilege, monogamy was not uncommon among them and there frequently existed between husband and wife a strong and lasting tie of affection. The Osages possessed the ordinary weapons of the Indians, the bow and arrow, the war- club, the tomahawk, and the scalping knife. They soon learned the superior power of the gun, and after coming into contact with the traders they equipped themselves, where pos- sible, with guns. In common with most of the Indians of the continent they looked upon bravery in war as the chief virtue. Scalping was the one act that conferred the greatest distinction on a brave, and next to this steal- ing the enemy's horses. The young braves often spent their leisure time in boasting of their skill and prowess in handling the scalp- ing knife and in carrying away horses. This latter accomplishment was held in high re- pute among them, for the Osages were dis- tinguished among Indians for their knowl- edge of and regard for the horse. They pos- sessed large numbers of them and held them as their chief riches. Nuttall ("Journal," p. 247) records the fact that once they pur- chased the temporary friendship of their bit- ter enemies, the Outagamies, liy the present of a hundred head of horses. "A present," Nuttall remarks, "which though valuable was not costly to the givers, for in a raid under- taken immediately afterward they brought back three hundred horses either stolen from the Pawnees or else caught wild upon the prairies. ' ' According to Nuttall ("Journal," p. 238), who spent sometime with them, they pos- sessed some knowledge of the stars. They recognized the pole star and had observed that it was stationary in the heavens, they called Venus the harbinger of day, they knew the Pleiades and the three stars in Orion's belt, and they spoke of the Galaxy as the heavenly road or way. The religion of the Osages was not unlike that of many other of the American Indians. They believed in a Great Spirit, and looked forward to a Happy Hunting Ground after death. In accordance with this belief they frequently buried with the deceased warrior his hunting implements and his weapons of war, that he might enjoy his favorite pastime in the land of the dead. Coupled with this religion was a gross form of superstition which manifested itself in an observance of omens, a belief in the efficacy of charms and amulets, and a constant effort to propitiate evil spirits. Before going on the war-path they were accustomed to spend a night in la- mentation and in penitential exercises, in the course of which they inflicted upon them- selves sundry forms of punishments in an en- deavor to ward off misfortune in the time of war. One of their peculiar customs, seemingly unique, was a morning lamentation indulged in by some or all of the members of the tribe, each morning about sun rise. This custom prevailed to the very great annoj'ance of their white visitors. Long speaks also of "a vesper hymn of doleful sound," chanted at sun-down during one his visits. (Long's "Expedition," Vol. 4, p. 266). In common with other Indians they were exceedingly fond of tobacco and attached