Ghost DanceSongs of the Ghost Dance 5HOLYMAP · SACRED TEXTS
Songs of the Ghost DanceSongs of the Ghost Dance 5

Songs of the Ghost Dance

Songs of the Ghost Dance 5

Songs of the Sioux

1
English · James Mooney

Songs of the Sioux

The father says so—E′yayo! The father says so—E′yayo! The father says so, The father says so. You shall see your grandfather—E′yayo′! You shall see your grandfather—E′yayo′! The father says so, The father says so. You shall see your kindred—E′yayo′! You shall see your kindred—E′yayo′! The father says so, The father says so.

2
English · James Mooney

My son, let me grasp your hand, My son, let me grasp your hand, Says the father, Says the father. You shall live, You shall live, Says the father, Says the father. I bring you a pipe, I bring you a pipe, Says the father, Says the father. By means of it you shall live, By means of it you shall live, Says the father, Says the father.

3
English · James Mooney

Who think you comes there? Who think you comes there? Is it someone looking for his mother? Is it someone looking for his mother? Says the father, Says the father.

4
English · James Mooney

Now he is walking, Now he is walking. There is a buffalo bull walking, There is a buffalo bull walking, Says the father, Says the father.

5
English · James Mooney

This is to be my work—Yo′yoyo′! This is to be my work—Yo′yoyo′! All that grows upon the earth is mine—Yo′yoyo′! All that grows upon the earth is mine—Yo′yoyo′! Says the father—Yo′yoyo′! Says the father—Yo′yoyo′! E′ya Yo′yoyo′! E′ya Yo′yoyo′!

6
English · James Mooney

I love my children—Ye′ye′! I love my children—Ye′ye′! You shall grow to be a nation—Ye′ye′! You shall grow to be a nation—Ye′ye′! Says the father, says the father. Haye′ye′ E′yayo′yo′! Haye′ye′ E′yayo′yo′!

7
English · James Mooney

Give me my knife, Give me my knife, I shall hang up the meat to dry—Ye′ye′! I shall hang up the meat to dry—Ye′ye′! Says grandmother—Yo′yo′! Says grandmother—Yo′yo′! When it is dry I shall make pemmican, When it is dry I shall make pemmican, Says grandmother—Yo′yo! Says grandmother—Yo′yo!

8
English · James Mooney

This one says—Ye′ye! This one says—Ye′ye! I belong indeed to the nation of Crows, I belong indeed to the nation of Crows.

9
English · James Mooney

It is your father coming, it is your father coming, A spotted eagle is coming for you, A spotted eagle is coming for you.

10
English · James Mooney

You see what I can do—Ye′yeye′! You see what I can do—Ye′yeye′! You see them, you see them, Ha′eye′ya he′yeye′! Ha′eye′ya he′yeye′!

11
English · James Mooney

E′yaye′ye′! E′yaye′ye′! It is my own child, It is my own child.

12
English · James Mooney

There is the father coming, There is the father coming. The father says this as he comes, The father says this as he comes, “You shall live,” he says as he comes, “You shall live,” he says as he comes.

13
English · James Mooney

I shall eat pemmican—E′yeye′yeye′! I shall eat pemmican—E′yeye′yeye′! They say so, they say so, The father says so, the father says so.

14
English · James Mooney

It was the father who gave us these things—Ye′ye′ye′! It was the father who gave us these things—Ye′ye′ye′! It was the father who gave us fire—Ye′ye′ye′! It was the father who gave us fire—Ye′ye′ye′! The father gave it to us—Ye′ye′ye′! The father gave it to us—Ye′ye′ye′!

15
English · James Mooney

Mother, come home; mother, come home. My little brother goes about always crying, My little brother goes about always crying. Mother, come home; mother, come home.

16
English · James Mooney

Now they are about to chase the buffalo, Now they are about to chase the buffalo, Grandmother, give me back my bow, Grandmother, give me back my bow, The father says so, the father says so.

17
English · James Mooney

He! They have come back racing, He! They have come back racing, Why, they say there is to be a buffalo hunt over here, Why, they say there is to be a buffalo hunt over here, Make arrows! Make arrows! Says the father, says the father.

18
English · James Mooney

Look at me! Look at me! I make a road for one of the Crow nation (?), I make a road for one of the Crow nation (?). You shall live indeed, you shall live indeed. Our friend says so, our friend says so.

19
English · James Mooney

The whole world is coming, A nation is coming, a nation is coming, The Eagle has brought the message to the tribe. The father says so, the father says so. Over the whole earth they are coming. The buffalo are coming, the buffalo are coming, The Crow has brought the message to the tribe, The father says so, the father says so.

20
English · James Mooney

It is I who make these sacred things, Says the father, says the father. It is I who make the sacred shirt, Says the father, says the father. It is I who made the pipe, Says the father, says the father.

21
English · James Mooney

Verily, I have given you my strength, Says the father, says the father. The shirt will cause you to live, Says the father, says the father.

22
English · James Mooney

My child, come this way, My child, come this way. You will take home with you a good country, Says the father, says the father.

23
English · James Mooney

Now set up the tipi, Now set up the tipi. Around the bottom, Around the bottom, Drive in the pegs, Drive in the pegs. In the meantime I shall cook, In the meantime I shall cook.

24
English · James Mooney

Father, give them to me, Father, give them to me, Give me my arrows, Give me my arrows. They have come, they have come. I shall eat pemmican, I shall eat pemmican.

25
English · James Mooney

I made moccasins for him, I made moccasins for him, For I love him, For I love him. To take to the orphan, To take to the orphan. Soon I shall see my child, Soon I shall see my child, Says your mother, Says your mother.

26
English · James Mooney

The holy (hoop) shall run, The holy (hoop) shall run, The swift hoop shall run, The swift hoop shall run. Come and see it, Come and see it, Says the father, Says the father.

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James Mooney, “The Ghost-Dance Religion and the Sioux Outbreak of 1890,” Fourteenth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology, part 2 (Washington, 1896). Public domain (U.S. government work). Text from Project Gutenberg eBook #74335; Mooney's commentary and glossaries omitted. · Source ↗

Sacred songs of the 1889–90 Ghost Dance, recorded among seven nations by the ethnologist James Mooney and published by the U.S. government in 1896. They remain sacred to the communities they come from. The translations and spellings are Mooney's; his commentary is not included.

James Mooney, “The Ghost-Dance Religion and the Sioux Outbreak of 1890,” Fourteenth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology, part 2 (Washington, 1896). Public domain (U.S. government work). Text from Project Gutenberg eBook #74335; Mooney's commentary and glossaries omitted. · Source ↗

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