152 FEWKES: INITIATION AT HANO 



the ancestral parents of each clan, elevated to the cultus hero 

 and heroine of the clan. The sun of course is father, and the 

 earth, mother; they are common parents of all clans. 



With this idea of the clan arrangement of the dead in the 

 underworld let us consider their relation to the living clans, for 

 this is the foundation of this cultus. Clan relationship not being 

 severed by death, the deceased members are regarded as still 

 members of the clan, with the same obligation to the clan as when 

 alive on earth. What is most important of all is that the powers 

 of these spirit ancestors are regarded as most efficacious in an- 

 swering the prayers of the living. In other words, the clansmen 

 of earth of the Bear clan feel that by addressing prayers to their 

 relatives in the underworld, they, with their aid, can bring about 

 what they desire. This can be accomplished by the use of magic 

 or other supernatural agencies. The personation of ancient 

 members of the clans are " conjured up" to hear the petitions of 

 those of their clan, still living. 1 



The February ceremonial has for its primary purpose a cele- 

 bration of the advent of these ancestral personages, while that 

 in July celebrates their return to their homes in the underworld. 

 The flogging of the young initiates, like other ritualistic episodes, 

 contain many archaic survivals that have a foundation in an 

 early myth recounting how the cult hero was initiated by the 

 Sun father, in like manner. 



The flogging ceremony at Hano, here described, took place in 

 the larger of the two kivas, or sacred rooms, just before sunset 

 on the 14th of February, 1900. This rite has been witnessed 

 more than once, but the variations are slight, at most, and have 

 no great significance. 



As with all pueblo ceremonies some time is occupied with 

 preparation of the paraphernalia used, as it has to be renovated 

 for the special purpose. The walls of the room were replastered, 

 and its floor thoroughly swept; all secular objects, as blankets in 

 progress of weaving, were rolled up and put away, and smaller 



1 These returning clan members are represented by living members, who, for 

 the time being, believe that they really become the members of the spirit branch 

 of the clan which they represent. 



