Dec. 1901. The Oraibi Powamu Ceremony — Voth. 79 



No. 31. A totoeqpi, a bone whistle, made of an eagle wing bone. 



No. 32. A corn husk with parts ot butterflies and pieces of dif- 

 ferent roots. 



No. 33. A corn husk, containing the dessicated remains of a 

 small mouse {iarnotco) and a small quantity of corn-meal, made in the 

 kiva from a corn ear that is nearly white and which was first slightly 

 roasted at the fireplace. 



At about noon the altar is finished and at once the men arrange 

 themselves around it. (See PI. XLIVa.) Usually the Hopi divest 

 themselves of all clothing when participating in a kiva ceremony and 

 loosen their hair. In this case they all keep on their clothes, but 

 loosen their hair. Another unusual feature is that no one holds any- 

 thing in the hand to beat time with — a rattle or eagle feather — as is 

 usually the case. Later in the ceremony, however, the chief priest 

 beats time with the aspergill, when not using it for asperging. 



When all are seated, Massaveima, who usually acts as Pip- 

 mongwi (Tobacco chief), lights a pipe at the fireplace, hands it to the 

 Powamu priest, and all then silently smoke, the pipe being handed 

 from one to the other. As soon as all have smoked, the Powamu 

 priest offers a short prayer and then 



The First Five Songs are sung, in which singing all join and dur- 

 ing which no performance of any kind, not even rattling or beating 

 of time, takes place. 



Sixth Song. The Powamu priest takes from the corn husk (No. 

 32) a piece, or maybe more, of root, crushes it between his teeth and 

 drops it into the medicine bowl.* 



Seventh Song. The Powamu priest throws the meal from the tray 

 (No. 27) on the sand mosaic, a little at a time, at intervals of from 

 four to six minutes, repeating this twelve times. The song treats of 

 different kinds of seeds and is very long. The same words are 

 repeated in every stanza with the exception of, I believe, two lines, 

 which are different in every stanza. 



Eighth Song. This is also of considerable length. The Powamu 

 priest picks up the aspergill (No. 25) and stirs with it the contents of 

 the medicine bowl, after which he sprinkles it, a little at a time, during 

 the song, on the mosaic which is now covered with the meal. The 

 pieces of root and butterflies are also dipped out of the bowl with the 

 aspergill and thrown on the sand mosaic. This song treats of various 

 birds and the different kinds of food that the Hopi use, and is probably 

 a prayer for blessings upon these articles so essential to the Hopi. 



♦He says he used four different kinds: totona, polina, fcosana and homina, none of. which 

 have been identified. 



