Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1869 edition. Excerpt: ... A people's songs the key to their life. -- War songs. -- Love songs.-- Giving the ring. -- Songs of medicine and magic. -- Songs of sacred mysteries. -- Song of "Sounding Cloud." -- Its interpretation.-- Song of Oon-ktay'-he. -- Social songs. -- Dakota poetry. -- The sacred language.-- Dakota music. -- The minor key the favorite. -- Two Dakota melodies. -- Musical instruments. -- The drum. -- The rattle. -- The Cho'-tan-ka. -- IIow made. -- Power of savage song. -- Christian hymns. -- Dakotas love to sing. -- The Dakota hymn-book. The songs of a people furnish an entrance to their inner life, which, if we would understand them, we cannot neglect. This is especially true of a barbarous people, whose outward life is rough and forbidding. It is not enough for us to note their uncouth dress and rude ways. Such curiosity-shop knowledge is neither complete nor just, because it is not sympathetic; being content with observing the life of habit, it does not reach the real life, the life of feeling. Taking the truer method, we find the Dakotas to be men and women of like passions with ourselves. And they in like manner find in music and song their greatest means of emotional expression; either in the stirring songs of the chase or of war, or the plaintive melodies of love, or the weird chants of their sacred mysteries. The first class from which we will draw examples is that of their WAR SONGS. I. I have cast in here a soul, I have cast in here a soul, I have cast in here a buffalo soul; I have cast in here a soul. One characteristic of Dakota poetry must be mentioned here by way of explanation. It is, never to call things by their common names, if it can be avoided. Thus, " buffalo " is here the poetic term for man. This is a song of..."