Dec. 1901. The Oraibi Powamu Ceremony — Voth. 103 



As soon as Muyingwa has finished his talk, he goes through the 

 crowd and puts a little water from the mongwikuru first into his hand 

 and from there on the heads of the little candidates, which act resem- 

 bles very much that of baptism. When he is through with this he 

 leaves the kiva, goes over to the Honani kiva, where he divests him- 

 self of his ceremonial attire, sits down near the fireplace and smokes. 

 Shortly before he leaves the kiva the four boys, dressed as Koyemsi 

 Katcinas, emerge from the aforementioned enclosure in the southeast 

 corner of the kiva, go around the small mosaic four times, and then 

 each one takes a position on one of the four sides of the mosaic, the 

 last one in the line of the north, the second last on the west, the third 

 ori the south and the fourth one on the east side. The Katcina on the 

 north side now picks up the corn lying before him with one hand, the 

 celt with the other, reaches with both around the strings of beads and 

 feathers that are hanging over the mosaic, exchanges the corn ear and 

 celt from one hand to the other, goes and touches every candidate 

 with them and then replaces them on the floor. The three other Katcinas 

 do the same with the objects on the sides on which they are standing. 

 When they are through they retire to the enclosure and all now 

 await in silence the things that are to come. The dreaded moment 

 which the candidates have so often been told about and of which they 

 stand in such great fear has arrived. They are about to go through 

 the ordeal of being flogged. Presently a loud grunting noise, a rat- 

 tling of turtle shell rattles and a jingling of bells is heard outside. The 

 two Ho Katcinas and the Hahai-i have arrived at the kiva (PI. LXII). 

 They first run around the kiva four times at a rapid rate, then dance 

 on each side of the kiva a little while, beat the roof of the kiva with 

 whips, jump on it, constantly howling the word u'huhuhu and finally 

 enter the kiva. The two Ho Katcinas take a position on the east and 

 west side of the large sand mosaic, the Hahai-i at its southeast cor- 

 ner, the latter holding a supply of whips. The children tremble and 

 some begin to cry and to scream. The Ho Katcinas keep up their 

 grunting, howling, rattling, trampling and brandishing of their yucca 

 whips. All at once someone places a candidate on the sand mosaic, 



and only needs a short staff for fiis support. Not to " die," but to " fall asleep " of old age, is one 

 of the fondest hopes of every Hopi. And the wish that this hope may be realized is here expressed. 

 While the soul of the dead is supposed to travel -west-ward to masski (Skeleton house) towards 

 which a piihtavi (road- maker, consisting of an eagle feather with cotton strings') points the way, 

 Wi^-wayo) life /(?/«^j <?ai/ towards the "white dawn" and the "yellow dawn" and the "rising 

 sun ". In various ceremonies the author saw priests bury a piihtavi from twelve to fifteen feet 

 long on the east side of the mesa pointing towards the east, and sometimes they all slowly walk 

 along this line, all, they say. as a wish or prayer that the Hopi may walk on the good road or lead a 

 straight, upright life. The Qaqol sing a pretty little song on that occasion to the white and the 

 yellow "dawn," which they repeat on the main trail that leads from the village eastward and which 

 is sometimes also called " the way of life " that leads to the far east where the sun rises. 



