Tsïgë'! Hïkayû'nl-Une'ga, tsûltâ'histû'n
gûlitâ'hïstani'ga. Nâ'gwa tsûda'ntâ talehï'sani'ga. Sâ'gwa igûnsi'ya ts?skwâlï'
udû'nisate'stï, ts?su'ltï nige'sûnna. Wane'(ï) tigi'gage(ï)
tali'kanëli'ga. U'ntalï udanû'hï tsägista'`tï.
Hïkayû'nl-Une'ga, anu'ya uwâtatâ'gï agi'stï
tätsiskâ'ltane'lûhï. U'ntalï u'danû' te'tûlskew?si'ga.
Hïkayû'nl-Une'ga, nûnnâ'(hï) kana'tï
skwatetâ'stani'ga. Unigwalû'ngï te'gatûntsi'ga. Nûnnâ'(hï)
kana'tï tati'kiyû'ngwita'watise'stï. Unigwalû'ngï tigû'nwatû'tsanû'hï.
Hïkayû'nl-Une'ga, Kana'tï, sk?salatâ'titege'stï, sa`ka'ni
ginu't?tï nige'sûnna. Sgë!
Translation.
THIS IS FOR HUNTING BIRDS.
Listen! O Ancient White, where you dwell in
peace I have come to rest. Now let your spirit arise. Let it (the game brought
down) be buried in your stomach, and may your appetite never be satisfied. The
red hickories have tied themselves together. The clotted blood is your
recompense.
O Ancient White, * * * Accept the clotted
blood (?).
O Ancient White. put me in the successful
hunting trail. Hang the mangled things upon me. Let me come along the
successful trail with them doubled up (under my belt). It (the road) is clothed
with the mangled things.
O Ancient White, O Kanati, support me continually,
that I may never become blue. Listen!
Explanation.
This formula, from A`yûninï's manuscript, is recited by the
bird-hunter in the morning while standing over the fire at his hunting camp
before starting out for the day's hunt. A`yû'nini stated that seven
blowgun arrows are first prepared, including a small one only a
"hand-length" (awâ'hilû) long. On rising in the morning the hunter,
standing over the fire, addresses it as the "Ancient White," rubbing
his hands together while repeating the prayer. He then sets out for the hunting
ground, where he expects to spend the day, and on reaching it he shoots away
the short arrow at random, without attempting to trace its flight. There is of
course some significance attached to this action and perhaps an accompanying
prayer, but no further information upon this point was obtainable. Having shot
away the magic arrow, the hunter utters a peculiar hissing
{p. 372}
sound, intended to call up the birds, and then goes to work with his
remaining arrows. On all hunting expeditions it is the regular practice,
religiously enforced, to abstain from food until sunset.