--- title: The Feast of the Virgins., part 1 — Legends of the Northwest · full text with trees description: The Feast of the Virgins., part 1, «Legends of the Northwest» by Hanford Lennox Gordon: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: The sun sails high in his azure realms; Beneath the arch of the breezy elms The feast is spread by the murmuring river. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg8122/8/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/) / [Legends of the Northwest](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg8122/) / The Feast of the Virgins., part 1 # The Feast of the Virgins., part 1 The Feast of the Virgins., part 1 of «Legends of the Northwest» by Hanford Lennox Gordon: the whole text, 129 sentences and 2718 words. The small number after every sentence leads to its own page with its syntax tree and pragmatics, parsed by Mova itself. **1** [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg8122/8/page/2/) The sun sails high in his azure realms; Beneath the arch of the breezy elms The feast is spread by the murmuring river.[1](1/ "tree and pragmatics") With his battle spear and his bow and quiver, And eagle plumes in his ebon hair, The chief Wakâwa himself is there; And round the feast in the Sacred Ring, \[48\] Sit his weaponed warriors witnessing.[2](2/ "tree and pragmatics") Not a morsel of food have the Virgins tasted For three long days ere the holy feast; They sat in their teepee alone and fasted, Their faces turned to the Sacred East.[3](3/ "tree and pragmatics") \[21\] In the polished bowls lies the golden maize And the flesh of fawn on the polished trays.[4](4/ "tree and pragmatics") For the Virgins the bloom of the prairies wide-- The blushing pink and the meek blue-bell, The purple plumes of the prairie's pride, \[49\] The wild, uncultured asphodel, And the beautiful, blue-eyed violet That the Virgins call "Let-me-not-forget," In gay festoons and garlands twine With the cedar sprigs \[50\] and the wildwood vine.[5](5/ "tree and pragmatics") So gaily the Virgins are decked and dressed, And none but a virgin may enter there; And clad is each in a scarlet vest, And a fawn skin frock to the brown calves bare.[6](6/ "tree and pragmatics") Wild rosebuds peep from their flowing hair, And a rose half-blown on the budding breast; And bright with the quills of the porcupine The moccasined feet of the maidens shine.[7](7/ "tree and pragmatics") Hand in hand round the feast they dance, And sing to the notes of a rude bassoon, And never a pause or a dissonance In the merry dance or the merry tune.[8](8/ "tree and pragmatics") Brown-bosomed and fair as the rising moon, When she peeps o'er the hills of the dewy east, Wiwâstè sings at the Virgins Feast; And bright is the light in her luminous eyes; They glow like the stars in the winter skies; And the lilies that bloom in her virgin heart Their golden blush to her cheeks impart-- Her cheeks half hid in her midnight hair.[9](9/ "tree and pragmatics") Fair is her form--as the red fawn's fair, And long is the flow of her raven hair; It falls to her knees, and it streams on the breeze Like the path of a storm on the swelling seas.[10](10/ "tree and pragmatics") Proud of their rites are the Virgins fair, For none but a Virgin may enter there. '[11](11/ "tree and pragmatics") Tis a custom of old and a sacred thing; Nor rank nor beauty the warriors spare, If a tarnished maiden should enter there.[12](12/ "tree and pragmatics") And her that enters the Sacred Ring With a blot that is known or a secret stain The warrior who knows is bound to expose, And lead her forth from the ring again.[13](13/ "tree and pragmatics") And the word of the warrior is a sacred by law; For the Virgins' Feast is a sacred thing.[14](14/ "tree and pragmatics") Aside with the mothers sat Hârpstinà: She durst not enter the virgins' ring.[15](15/ "tree and pragmatics") Round and round to the merry song The maidens dance in their gay attire.[16](16/ "tree and pragmatics") While the loud "Ho-Ho's" of the tawny throng Their flying feet and their song inspire.[17](17/ "tree and pragmatics") They have finished the song and the sacred dance, And hand in hand to the feast advance-- To the polished bowls of the golden maize, And the sweet fawn meat in the polished trays.[18](18/ "tree and pragmatics") Then up from his seat in the silent crowd Rose the frowning, fierce-eyed, tall Red Cloud; Swift was his stride as the panther's spring, When he leaps on the fawn from his cavern lair; Wiwâstè he caught by her flowing hair, And dragged her forth from the Sacred Ring.[19](19/ "tree and pragmatics") She turned on the warrior.[20](20/ "tree and pragmatics") Her eyes flashed fire; Her proud lips quivered with queenly ire; Her hand to the Spirits she raised and said, And her sun browned cheeks were aflame with red: "I am pure!--I am pure as falling snow\![21](21/ "tree and pragmatics") Great Tâku-Skan-Skan \[51\] will testify\![22](22/ "tree and pragmatics") And dares the tall coward to say me no?"[23](23/ "tree and pragmatics") But the sullen warrior made no reply.[24](24/ "tree and pragmatics") She turned to the chief with her frantic cries: "Wakâwa--my Father; he lies!--he lies\![25](25/ "tree and pragmatics") Wiwâstè is pure as the faun unborn; Lead me back to the feast, or Wiwâstè dies!"[26](26/ "tree and pragmatics") But the warriors uttered a cry of scorn, And he turned his face from her pleading eyes.[27](27/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the sullen warrior, the tall Red Cloud, Looked up and spoke and his voice was loud; But he held his wrath and spoke with care: "Wiwâstè is young, she is proud and fair, But she may not boast of the virgin snows.[28](28/ "tree and pragmatics") The Virgins Feast is a Sacred thing: How durst she enter the Virgins ring?[29](29/ "tree and pragmatics") The warrior would fain, but he dares not spare; She is tarnished and only the Red Cloud knows."[30](30/ "tree and pragmatics") She clutched her hair in her clenched hand: She stood like statue bronzed and grand: Wakân-deè \[39\] flashed in her fiery eyes; Then, swift as the meteor cleaves the skies-- Nay, swift as the fiery Wakinyan's dart, \[32\] She snatch the knife from the warriors belt, And plunged it clean to the polished hilt-- With deadly cry--in the villain's heart.[31](31/ "tree and pragmatics") Staggering he clutched the air and fell; His life-blood smoked on the trampled sand, And dripped from the knife in the virgin's hand.[32](32/ "tree and pragmatics") Then rose his kinsmen's savage yell.[33](33/ "tree and pragmatics") Swift as the doe's Wiwâstè's feet Fled away to the forest.[34](34/ "tree and pragmatics") The hunters fleet In vain pursue, and in vain they prowl, And lurk in the forest till dawn of day.[35](35/ "tree and pragmatics") They hear the hoot of the mottled owl; They hear the were-wolf's \[52\] winding howl; But the swift Wiwâstè is far away.[36](36/ "tree and pragmatics") They found no trace in the forest land, They found no trail in the dew-damp grass, They found no track in the river sand, Where they thought Wiwâstè would surely pass.[37](37/ "tree and pragmatics") The braves returned to the troubled chief; In his lodge he sat in his silent grief. "[38](38/ "tree and pragmatics") Surely," they said, "she has turned a spirit.[39](39/ "tree and pragmatics") No trail she left with her flying feet; No pathway leads to her far retreat.[40](40/ "tree and pragmatics") She flew in the air, and her wail--we could hear it, As she upward rose to the shining stars; And we heard on the river, as we stood near it, The falling drops of Wiwâstè's tears."[41](41/ "tree and pragmatics") Wakâwa thought of his daughter's words Ere the south-wind came and the piping birds-- "My Father, listen,--my words are true," And sad was her voice as the whippowil When she mourns her mate by the moon-lit rill, "Wiwâstè lingers alone with you; The rest are sleeping on yonder hill-- Save one--and he an undutiful son,-- And you, my Father, will sit alone When Sisóka \[53\] sings and the snow is gone."[42](42/ "tree and pragmatics") His broad breast heaved on his troubled soul, The shadow of grief o'er his visage stole Like a cloud on the face of the setting sun.[43](43/ "tree and pragmatics") "She has followed the years that are gone," he said; "The spirits the words of the witch fulfill; For I saw the ghost of my father dead, By the moon's dim light on the misty hill.[44](44/ "tree and pragmatics") He shook the plumes on his withered head, And the wind through his pale form whistled shrill.[45](45/ "tree and pragmatics") And a low, sad voice on the hill I heard.[46](46/ "tree and pragmatics") Like the mournful wail of a widowed bird."[47](47/ "tree and pragmatics") Then lo, as he looked from his lodge afar, He saw the glow of the Evening-star; "And yonder," he said, "is Wiwâstè's face; She looks from her lodge on our fading race.[48](48/ "tree and pragmatics") Devoured by famine, and fraud, and war, And chased and hounded from woe to woe, As the white wolves follow the buffalo."[49](49/ "tree and pragmatics") And he named the planet the \_Virgin Star\_.[50](50/ "tree and pragmatics") \[54\][51](51/ "tree and pragmatics") "Wakâwa," he muttered, "the guilt is thine\![52](52/ "tree and pragmatics") She was pure,--she was pure as the fawn unborn.[53](53/ "tree and pragmatics") O, why did I hark to the cry of scorn, Or the words of the lying libertine?[54](54/ "tree and pragmatics") Wakâwa, Wakâwa, the guilt is thine\![55](55/ "tree and pragmatics") The springs will return with the voice of birds, But the voice of my daughter will come no more.[56](56/ "tree and pragmatics") She wakened the woods with her musical words, And the sky-lark, ashamed of his voice, forbore.[57](57/ "tree and pragmatics") She called back the years that had passed, and long I heard their voice in her happy song.[58](58/ "tree and pragmatics") Her heart was the home of the sunbeam.[59](59/ "tree and pragmatics") Bright Poured the stream of her song on the starry night.[60](60/ "tree and pragmatics") O, why did the chief of the tall Hóhé His feet from Kapóza \[6\] so long delay?[61](61/ "tree and pragmatics") For his father sat at my father's feast, And he at Wakâwa's--an honored guest.[62](62/ "tree and pragmatics") He is dead!--he is slain on the Bloody Plain, By the hand of the treacherous Chippeway; And the face shall I never behold again Of my brave young brother--the chief Chaskè.[63](63/ "tree and pragmatics") Death walks like a shadow among my kin; And swift are the feet of the flying years That cover Wakâwa with frost and tears, And leave their tracks on his wrinkled skin.[64](64/ "tree and pragmatics") Wakâwa, the voice of the years that are gone Will follow thy feet like the shadow of death, Till the paths of the forest and desert lone Shall forget thy footsteps.[65](65/ "tree and pragmatics") O living breath, Whence art thou, and whither so soon to fly?[66](66/ "tree and pragmatics") And whence are the years?[67](67/ "tree and pragmatics") Shall I overtake Their flying feet in the star-lit sky?[68](68/ "tree and pragmatics") From his last long sleep will the warrior wake?[69](69/ "tree and pragmatics") Will the morning break in Wakâwa's tomb, As it breaks and glows in the eastern skies?[70](70/ "tree and pragmatics") Is it true?--will the spirits of kinsmen come And bid the bones of the brave arise?"[71](71/ "tree and pragmatics") **1** [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg8122/8/page/2/) - ← previous: [Heyóka Wacípee \[16\]--the Giant's Dance.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg8122/7/) - next →: [page 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg8122/8/page/2/) - ↑ back to [Legends of the Northwest](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg8122/)