FEWKES: INITIATION AT HANO 157 



great daubs of white on their cheeks and hair. None of these 

 men were masked, but all claimed they personated sisters or 

 brothers of Masauu. Shortly after the author's entrance they 

 began to sing their songs, containing strains of fine archaic 

 Hopi Indian music, closely resembling in their cadences the 

 song sung by the antelope priests in the well-known snake 

 dance. While these songs were being sung a priest came down 

 the kiva hatchway bearing two large hollow gourds, the sur- 

 faces of which had been painted black, and spattered with a 

 wash containing glistening hematite. Each gourd was large 

 enough to fit over the head and both were later worn as helmets 

 by personators of Masauu. With these gourds the same priest 

 brought two planting sticks of ancient form and two flat bas- 

 ket plaques which were laid with great reverence alongside 

 the masks, near the fire hole. At the advent of this man all 

 those present ceased their singing and lighted their pipes for a 

 formal smoke, during which the pipes were passed around, every 

 man silently puffing clouds of smoke upon the masks. No one 

 of that gathering spoke a word but each fervently prayed in 

 sequence, beginning with the chief, at the conclusion of which 

 they again returned to their usual songs. During these songs 

 one of the chiefs raised the painted gourd helmet and talked 

 directly to it praying for success of crops during the coming 

 season. The songs rose and became so loud that no one could 

 tell what was said, but the intent throughout were prayers to 

 fertilize the fields that the corn might germinate and grow. 

 Shortly after, while the men were still singing and the light of 

 the fire had been shielded from all eyes by a blanket, in order 

 to darken the room, a naked man silently and unannounced 

 came down the ladder, not as is usually the case backwards 

 holding on the rungs, but as one would descend a pair of t f airs. 

 Entering the room without making the customary request, 

 "Am I welcome here?" he slipped around back of the row of 

 singers, peering anxiously at the masks on the floor. He fi- 

 nally came to the front from his hiding and squatted by the 

 fireplace. Cautiously he placed the strange human skull-like 

 gourd helmet over his head, threw a rough blanket aroui d his 



