12 Introduction. 



beetles had found its way into the kiva and had been flying around 

 there for some time while a ceremony was in progress. 



The principal leaders of this cult belong to the Kukuts (Lizard) 

 clan, which is related to the Snake and Sand clans. The ceremonies 

 take place every alternate years, one in January, the other in Sep- 

 tember, both of which are described separately in this paper, the first 

 as the winter, the second as the summer ceremony. They are essentially 

 the same, and yet the numerous variations seemed to warrant a sepa- 

 rate description of each of them. 



The ceremonies on which this description of the winter performance 

 is based, took place in the years 1897, 1901 and 1903: — The author 

 was then missionary among the Hopi and it was his intention to pub- 

 lish this paper in connection with his other papers when he was con- 

 nected with the Field Museum, about nine years ago. But for various 

 reasons this plan could not be carried out. In the meantime great 

 changes have taken place in Oraibi. Strife and contentions between 

 the different factions have driven a large part of the inhabitants from 

 the village. These have started several new villages. This fact 

 makes it highly probable, that the Marau ceremony, as well as the 

 others, will, in the future, never be the elaborate affairs that they used 

 to be in the past. Hence it was thought best to publish these notes 

 even though they are not quite complete and appear somewhat late. 

 The existing circumstances in Oraibi make them perhaps so much the 

 more valuable. 



In former publications I used the letters and the spelling I had 

 used in my linguistic studies on the reservation. For various reasons, 

 especially to simplify matters, Hopi proper names and certain words 

 will be written as much as possible, according to English pronunciation 

 in this and following publications. 



