A Móra Ferenc Múzeum Évkönyve: Studia Historiae Literarum et Artium, 1. (Szeged, 1997)

Nagy Imre: „The Black Came over the Sun...” Lame Bull’s spiritual oeuvre

Others still keep up the dance, but it is „very notable" that the fire hurts their feet, and that they are afraid of it by their rapid and mincing[?] motion. Seen them by some white visitors from Kingfisher (Farmer of Admire of Land office, on Harvey's invitation, probably still living at Kingfisher). Lame Bull also brought a party to the Oklahoma Cheyennes to perform it during some celebration there, about 1895 or 1896. The crowd witnessing it broke down a scaffold. Probably danced also since 1890 at Kingfisher by Lame Bull. When Harvey first took part, Lame Bull prepared about sixteen dancers, painted them somewhat like Sun Dance performers. The men wore shawls for G-string, the rest of their body naked, and painted by him. One girl, his daughter about thirteen years old also took part in it, wearing a special short dress reaching to her knees. All were bare footed. Lame Bull painted all of them, and rubbed their feet and legs below the knee with some medicine plant, which he chewed in his mouth. Used one piece for all of the sixteen dancers. The piece [of the plant?] was about one and a half inch long, and half inch thick. Same, four times over with four pieces of medicine. Sang a song before each rubbing. A tipi was set up for the purpose, and all go in. He had a rawhide handdrum. All circled around the fire once, and he then sends them out, headed by his son, to circle tipi once and reenter. He sings and drumms inside while they dance around the tipi and reenter. All had been painted and rubbed with medicine by him before going around the fire, and leaving the tipi for the first time. On reentering, they rested and prepared the wrinklets, anklets, wreaths, hand-wheels and belts of sage and willows, about [the same way] as in the Sun Dance. They smoked and talked. The paint was yellow, with arms red below the elbow. The legs [were painted] black below the knee. Same way four times, being rubbed with medicine each time before circling around inside the tipi. [They were] Painted only once, at start. The preparation began for the performers about one hour before entering the fire at about five о 'clock, and the dance ended about an hour later. The fire [was made] of large sticks of bed-willows [sic]. The red coals were about one foot high and five foots in diameter. No blaze. At the final stage, Lame Bull led, his son next, then Harvey the third (seven years old, the only child this time except next), and Lame Bull's daughter, about thirteen years old next, the others behind. A V-form shaped guard of cottonwood saplings leads from the tipi to the fire, and beyond that. The spectators [stood] beyond it. On leaving the tipi for the final performance, they approached the fire from west, and circled it four times. Before completing the fourth round, other performers line up in front of the tipi. The other four, Lame Bull, his son, Harvey, and his daughter go on, and from the east side step once into the center of the fire then step out to west. Concentric circle around again to the west side, and make two steps into it, and out again to east. Then circle around to north, and make three steps in, and out again to south. Continue, make complete circle to south again, and make four steps across the fire to north. - Other performers during all this, standing in silent line in front of the tipi, while during the whole performance, about four singers and drummers keep up music and singing inside the tipi. - Then circle around outside edge of the fire for complete circle to north, and the other performers fall in behind as their pairs. As they reach the north side of the fire, led by Lame Bull, all tread around on the edge of fire with sidewise dance step for one round, then Lame Bull and the other three front ones (his son, Harvey, and his daughter) leave the circle and stand aside as spectators. The rest continue the circle round the edge of fire, treading on coals. They were mixed up by then, but keeping the general circle direction 74