A-çiⁿ´-ga.

All the sons born after the third one are Ḳa´-zhiⁿ-ga, and all the daughters born after the third one, Çi´-ge or A-çiⁿ´-ga.

To each of the first six children belongs a distinctive gentile personal name, spoken of as: iⁿ-gthoⁿ´ zha-zhe (Iⁿ-gthoⁿ´ name), mi´-noⁿ zha-zhe (Mi´-noⁿ name), etc. These names must always be ceremonially conferred upon the newly born child. All the other sons and daughters are named without any formality because the ceremony performed for the Ḳa´-zhiⁿ-ga and the Çi´-ge serves for the other children that may follow. These distinctive gentile names may be designated as gentile birth names.

BIRTH NAMES OF THE PUMA GENS

The gentile birth names of the Puma gens, as given by Wa-xthi´-zhi, are as follows:

The First Three Sons

1. Mi´-wa-ga-xe, Child-of-the-sun. This name is commemorative of the talk that took place between the “Little Ones” and the Sun when they went to him to ask for aid as they were about to come to the earth, their future home. In asking for aid, the “Little Ones” addressed the Sun as grandfather, and the Sun, in reply, said to them: “It is true that you are my children.” Hence the name, Mi´-wa-ga-xe, Child-of-the-sun. The name is mentioned in the Naming Ritual of the Puma gens. (See p. 41, lines 24 to 27.)

2. I´-e-çka-wa-the, Giver-of-speech. The Sun also gave to the “Little Ones” the power of expressing their thoughts by speech, and the skill in arranging their words so that they can be clearly understood. When a person speaks intelligently he is spoken of as i´-e-wa-çka, a clear speaker. The children are given the name I´-e-çka-wa-the as a recognition of this great gift from the Sun. The name is mentioned in the Naming Ritual of the Puma gens. (See p. 41, line 34.)

The story of the introduction of this name, as told by the Black Bear gens in their Ni´-ḳi Ritual, differs from the Puma version of the story. (See p. 228, 36th Ann. Rept. Bur. Amer. Ethn., lines 238 to 304.)

3. Moⁿ´-ga-xe, Arrow-maker. At the same time that the Sun gave to the “Little Ones” the gift of speech he gave to them a finished arrow so that when they came to dwell upon the earth they could make arrows like it and use them for defending themselves against enemies and for killing animals to use for food. The name is mentioned in the Puma Naming Ritual. (See p. 42, line 44.)

The First Three Daughters

1. Moⁿ´-ca-ṭse-xi, Sacred Arrowshaft. The name Moⁿ´-ca-ṭse-xi refers to the ray of light which was given by the Sun to the “Little Ones” for use as an arrowshaft. This shaft had the quality of unerring precision which excited the wonder of the “Little Ones.” It was to them a mysterious arrowshaft. The name is mentioned in the Naming Ritual of the Puma gens. (See p. 41, line 29.)

2. Moⁿ-zhoⁿ´-op-she-wiⁿ, Woman-who-travels-over-the-earth. This name refers to the ever recurring westward movement of the moon over the earth. The name is mentioned in the Naming Ritual of the Puma gens. (See p. 41, line 39.)

3. Noⁿ´-mi-ṭse-xi, Beloved-child-of-the-sun. This name is mentioned in the Naming Ritual of the Puma gens. (See p. 42, line 49.)

Another name follows that of the third son in the ritual, Iⁿ-shta´-sha-be, Dark-eyes, and is a Ḳa´-zhiⁿ-ga name. The name is mentioned in the Naming Ritual of the Puma gens. (See p. 42, line 54.)

The name E-noⁿ´-gi-tha-bi, The Favorite, follows that of the third daughter, and is a Çi´-ge name. This name is not mentioned in the ritual. Wa-xthi´-zhi said the fourth daughter is the favored one because if the first three should fail to bring forth children the parents would cherish the hope that their fourth daughter will give them grandchildren.

Sky Names

The distinctive birth names of the Puma gens, mentioned above, are spoken of as sky names, to distinguish them from the common gentile names. These birth names are said to have originated in the sky when the “Little Ones” were about to descend to the earth to take upon themselves bodily form. Some of these names refer to important events that came to pass before the descent from the sky to the earth. Earth names were also used by both the Puma and the Black Bear gentes. These names will be referred to later.

Every Osage gens has its own version of the tribal Child-naming Ritual. The versions belonging to the Iⁿ-gthoⁿ´-ga (Puma) gens of the Hoⁿ´-ga great division and that belonging to the Ṭsi´-zhu great division have been secured and are given below in detail.

CHILD-NAMING RITUAL OF THE PUMA GENS
(Wa-xthi´-zhi)

When a man of the Puma gens is prepared for the ceremonial naming of his newly born son he sends for the Sho´-ḳa (official messenger) of his gens. On the arrival of the Sho´-ḳa the father puts before him his customary fee of a blanket or blue cloth and a little pipe which he must carry as his official badge. The father of the child then orders the Sho´-ḳa to go and call the Noⁿ´-hoⁿ-zhiⁿ-ga of the Puma, the Ṭsi´-zhu Wa-shta-ge, and the Wa´-ṭse-ṭsi Wa-shta-ge gentes. The Ṭsi´-zhu Wa-shta-ge is the Peace gens of the Ṭsi´-zhu great tribal division, and the Wa´-ṭse-ṭsi Wa-shta-ge the Peace gens of the Hoⁿ´-ga great tribal division. Prominence was given, in this ceremony, to these two gentes because they are the favored people of the sun and the unclouded sky, the most sacred of the cosmic forces. Through these two favored gentes the blessings of peace and long life are invoked for the child to be named and formally given its place in the tribal unit.

The Noⁿ´-hoⁿ-zhiⁿ-ga of these three gentes assemble in the evening at the house of the father who, in a formal speech, makes known to them the purpose of the summons. Then the heads of the Ṭsi´-zhu Wa-shta-ge and the Wa´-ṭse-ṭsi Wa-shta-ge gentes direct the Sho´-ḳa to go and call the Noⁿ´-hoⁿ-zhiⁿ-ga of the following gentes to assemble at the house of the father on the next morning:

Hoⁿ´-ga A-hiu-ṭoⁿ, Wa-ça´-be-ṭoⁿ and the O´-poⁿ, of the Hoⁿ´-ga subdivision; Wa´-ṭse-ṭsi Wa-shta-ge, Ho´ I-ni-ḳa-shi-ga, Wa-zha´-zhe Çka and the Ṭa´ I-ni-ḳa-shi-ga of the Wa-zha´-zhe subdivision; Ṭsi´-zhu Wa-shta-ge, Ṭsi´-zhu Wa-noⁿ, Mi-k’iⁿ´ Wa-noⁿ and the Tho´-xe of the Ṭsi´-zhu great division.

The Sho´-ḳa, as he goes on this errand, does not neglect the little pipe, his official badge.