Page:The story of the flute (IA storyofflute1914fitz).djvu/298

 A flute of the whistle type, called Pito, played a prominent part in the public ceremonies of the Aztecs. At the religious festival in honour of the deity Tezcatlipoca "a young man was sacrificed who, in preparation for the ceremony, had been instructed in the art of playing the flute When the hour arrived in which he was to be sacrificed he observed the established symbolical rite of breaking a flute on each of the steps as he ascended the temple. Again, at the public ceremonies which took place on the accession of a prince to the throne the new monarch addressed a prayer to the god, in which occurred the following allegorical expression, 'I am thy flute; reveal to me thy will; breathe into me thy breath like into a flute, as thou hast done to my predecessors on the throne.'" (Engel, Mus. Instruments, 63.)

The flute-à-bec is much used by the North American Indians. They do not appear, however, to possess any transverse flutes. Most of their pipes are love-flutes, such as the Winnebago courting flute. That of the Sioux and Dakotas is called "Chotonka-chanta-ki-yapi." When a chief's son wishes to get married, he takes his flute and goes at night towards his lady's cabin and plays melancholy tunes as a prelude, after which he sings words of his own composition, describing her charms and promising her a long series of happy days in his wigwam. He then plays again on his flute to express his feelings. This singing and playing is continued for hours day after day, till the lady yields.