Lay out the black stone of earth thunder. Sit aloof, O, ye priests of the Middle, Ye first in the kin of All People, Watch well o'er your seed-things and children! Speak wisely to these our new children; Henceforth they shall be your first speakers, And the peace-making shields of your people, Through wasting the blood of all foemen And feeding the soil with its substance! Thus much. Then the Twain gave directions: They named the eight days for preparing. The people returned to their houses, The priests to their fastings and labors, The Twain to their high mountain-places. And when the eight days had been counted And all had been done as commanded, Around the deep pool in the valley, That leads from the walled Hán‘hlipiŋk‘ya The sacred seed-contents were gathered. And full in their midst the great drum jar Was placed by the summoned clan-fathers. Then each took his place in the circle, And the Twain Gods still further instructed The kin-priests, and knife-bearing warriors. Soft they chanted the sacred song-measure, The magic and dread Shómitâk‘ya, And whispered the seven fell names! Then they painted the round mark of thunder And the wavering trail of the lightning Around the great drum, in the middle, And on the hooped drum-stick of thunder. And over the drum-head, with prayer-dust They marked out the cross of the quarters, As on the cloud-shield they had leveled Fire-bolts to the four earthly regions. With black of shell-corpse-scales that glitters, They painted the eyes of the leaders; With blood of their own tinged their cheeks; With pollen of sleep sealed their lips. With blood of their own thus they painted The cheeks of the warriors assembled; With black of shell-corpse-scales that glimmers They shaded their eyelids and eyebrows, That their lives might endure through the trial And their eyes not be blighted by lightning. And the nostrils of each they did breathe in, That their own wind might mingle with man-wind, Give power to men's voices in battle And strengthen men's wills with endurance. Then said they to the drummer and singers: