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Show J* 0 ?,<:*&**: or AHXW AS ETHXOIXIGT iscu. 75 a i'Ut M& ivwx mmn* replied without hesitation- ~ Ther gpt better lw** im ttey don't eat and drink for a while/" Tb « r< e wa* * aid < » be no ceremony connected with the catting of ttte tree for t\& Sun dnnf^ pole, but it was not permissible for the pok? UP Uf\ u\ v the ground. After felling the tree the hark was rettwved, together with all the branches except u a few green leaves at t\ m Ufp" and a abort branch near the top, to which was fastened tome wilUm brush. When the pole had been carried to the camp it wa* lifted carefully and placed upright in the hole dog for that \ piir\ xme. Around the Sun dance pole a lodge or shelter was constructed by erecting a wall of brush about 4 feet in height and placing po\ m irom this to the Sun dance pole in the center. This lodge opened toward the east and the drum was at the left of the entrance. In preparation for the ceremony the dancers painted their bodies, thi* paint being renewed every morning during the period of dancing. The manner of decoration was decided by individual taste. The design* were simple, no " pictures" or " zigzag lines" being used. JVgitfl said that his design was " a line across the nose." Each dancer carried an eagle- bone whistle, to which was attached a white eagle plume. There was no decoration on the whistle. The ceremony lasted four days and nights, during which time the dancers abstained from food and water and remained in the lodge. Occasionally the dance was terminated at the end of the third day, but four days was said to be the proper length of time. It was * aid that a " sham battle" was held early in the morning of the day that the Sun dance began. This was sometimes followed by a Dragging- fcct dance, but no social dances were permitted in the (• amp after the opening of the Sun dance. The old men sometimes built a sweat lodge and went into it before the ceremony, but this was not a common custom. A " parade" was hold before the beginning of the Sun dance. In this, an in other parade* ( see p. 166), the participants were on horseback, the men preceding the women and beating hand drums as they song. One song of this parade was recorded ( No. 26). lVgitd ( pi. 10, v) said that 10 or 12 was the usual number of dancers and that they entered tho lodge in the early evening, when " only a rim of the sun was above the horizon/' There was no acknowledged leader of the ceremony, but a prayer was made by one of the men after they entered the lodge. He was said to " pray to the sun." This man did not sit by the pole, but sat wherever he liked. The man who prayed at the time of entering the lodge did not make another prayer during the ceremony, but others made prayers from tint* to time. It was required that these be men who had dreamed dreams. The tirst night the men danced until daylight. No one |