154 FEWKES: INITIATION AT HANO 



down the ladder bearing a flat basket with sacred meal to be 

 used in the ceremonies. 



It was about four o'clock, in the afternoon, when Anote, the 

 village chief of the pueblo, Hano, entered the kiva, bearing in 

 one hand two wands made of the leaves of the yucca or century 

 plant, in the other hand his medicine bowl and a badge, indi- 

 cating his standing as a chief. He placed this badge on the 

 floor and deposited his medicine bowl near it. He then poured 

 into the latter a white liquid, making passes in sequence with 

 his hand towards the six cardinal points: north, west, south, east, 

 above and below. He then stripped off the spines from the 

 margins and points of the yucca leaves, scooped some of the 

 medicine from the bowl into one hand and drew the leaves 

 through it. Aided by another man he tied several leaves to- 

 gether making two whips, which were laid on the placque con- 

 taining the prayer meal brought by the old woman. 



By this time spectators had begun to assemble in the room, 

 each one taking his seat on the raised floor at one end of the 

 room. When they were seated, a number of adults, men and 

 women, each accompanied by a child, who carried an ear of corn 

 called "mother" in one hand, filed into the kiva and seated them- 

 selves along the sides of the room. When all were gathered the 

 chief began to construct a rude altar on the floor of the room. 

 He first made a low ridge of sand a few inches high into which 

 he planted, upright, a row of 20 wing feathers. In front of these 

 feathers he outlined on the floor, with meal, three semicircular 

 figures, side by side, representing rainclouds, and added parallel 

 lines of meal symbolic of falling rain. On the middle raincloud 

 figure he set upright the badge of his office. A few feet in front 

 of these figures near the firehole, he outlined with a line of meal 

 a square figure crossed by two diagonals, on the junction of 

 which, in the middle, he laid two small feathers. Having com- 

 pleted these preliminaries the chief took his seat back of the line 

 of feathers and gave the signal that he was ready for the rite 

 to begin. Shortly after, steps were heard on the kiva roof above 

 followed by a voice hooting down the opening or hatchway, 

 demanding permission to enter. The chief mounted the ladder 



