March, 1905. The Traditions of thl: Hopi — Voth. 45 



suspended strands of the twisted yarn. Old Hopi women's belts 

 were tied over the kilts. Strands of the same yam were tied around 

 their wrists. 



At about noon the singers came out first, each one throwing a 

 pinch of sacred meal towards the sun. The Hawk-man and the old 

 woman remained in the kiva. As soon as the singers had emerged 

 from the kiva they went with long strides to the plaza (the same where 

 now the Snake dance takes place) where they lined up and sang. 

 As soon as they had formed in line the Yayaatu also emerged from the 

 kiva and went to the plaza with long strides, the priest's son carrying 

 this time the mochapu which the Hawk-man had used when initiating 

 the youths. While the first party continued singing, the Ydyaatu 

 rummaged through the village, ascending the roofs of the houses, jump- 

 ing onto the people, tearing up and throwing down chimneys, taking 

 hold of children and people and swinging them over the edge of the 

 roof and threatening to throw them down, etc. The people got very 

 angry at them and beat them with sticks, so they finally returned 

 to the plaza. Arriving there, the priest's son, now the leading priest 

 of this order, handing the mochdpu to one of the others, jumped into 

 one of the ovens. The others drew him out dead, wrapped him up 

 in the mochapu, took him to the kiva and threw him into it. H^re 

 he was at once resuscitated by the Hawk -man and the old woman 

 and came up apparently unharmed, having on again the same cos- 

 tume as the one that had been burned off his body in the oven. 

 While this was going on, others had jumped into the various ovens 

 and were drawn out immediately, thrown into the kiva, and treated 

 the same way. 



By this time the parents and relatives of these youths became very 

 much alarmed and began to cry and complain that their children were 

 killed that way, but the young man that had been watching the kiva 

 told them not to come near, saying that they were going to have a 

 dance yet. After they were through with this performance, their 

 leader went into the kiva and brought out a mochapu, in which he 

 had something wrapped up. This he placed on the ground on the 

 plaza and all the Yayaatu crowded around this bundle. Covering 

 another large mochapu over them, they occupied themselves for a 

 short time with the bundle. They then threw off the covering and 

 standing in a circle around the bundle they sang. In a little while 

 they opened the bundle and there were many fine, large watermelons 

 in it. Leaving these watermelons on the plaza, the leader again went 

 into the kiva, brought out another bundle, over and around which 

 they went through the same performance. Uncovering this bundle 



