Page:Journal of American Folklore vol. 12.djvu/611

 Giving Thanks : A Pawnee Ccremo7iy. 263

And under the blue line of lingering smoke drifting upward to the bright central opening in the roof, the priest stood with uplifted hands, silently facing the east.

After a few moments he gathered his robe about him, passed by the south side of the fireplace out through the entrance way where the horses stood tied to the door-posts. Introducing his hands into the mouth of the animal, he passed them down the back from the head to the tip of the tail, then clasping his hands tightly to- gether he returned to the lodge, going straight, by the north, to the buffalo skull. There he unclasped his hands, and, beginning at the jaw, passed them over the sides of the skull to the tips of the horns, while he said : " Father, I am thankful, thankful that you watch over the medicine you have given, and that it has had power to make the people well. That is what I want you to do. That is why I take care of you, why I offer you the tobacco and food which Ti-ra'-wa has given to you and to me."

After a pause he continued : " I have received presents [the horses] which I ornament you with, but now do not let your spirit touch my spirit to hurt me, for I am about to return to this young man the horses which he in good faith brought as an offering. I want him to be remembered, and I desire that we have a long life together."

Then the old priest turned to the young man, and said : " My nephew, you see how very painstaking I am in caring for and pre- serving this skull, and how often you find me in this lodge alone with this skull, thinking of the people whose words are standing in front of us, although they who spoke are dead and are no longer here ; to whom the buffalo made known the medicines which de- scended to me, and which I have given to your wife and child. When gifts were brought to these old men in the past, they gave thanks to the skull, and after prayer to Ti-ra'-wa for long life, they some- times returned the gifts to the person who had been cured of sick- ness, and who had brought them to show thankfulness. Sometimes the old men kept these gifts, as given to Ti-ra'-wa. Such were their ways of doing, and I desire to do as they did."

Once more addressing the skull, the priest said : " Do not let your spirit touch my spirit to do me harm because I return the gifts made in good faith to you. You have looked upon me and upon them."

Addressing the young man, he said : " I return you the horses you have brought." Then he took his seat at the south of the skull.

The young man arose, placed his hands upon the skull, and stroked its sides upward to the tips of the horns, then, as he stood, bending over and with his hands lightly touching it, he said :

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