Feb., 1912. The Oraibi Marau Ceremony — Voth. 19 



The altar paraphernalia are brought into the kiva on the morning 

 of this day and placed on the floor on the north side of the kiva, where 

 the assistant priest also deposits some sand, which he gets in a blanket 

 from outside of the village. 



In the forenoon the chief priest makes four double bahos, the sticks 

 of which are six inches long and one (for the sun) somewhat longer, 

 which he paints green, except the tips, which are painted black, and two 

 single bahos which are painted black entirely. He and each woman 

 also make some nakwakwosis for the sun and one for each of the four 

 world quarters, and Wickwaya also prepares some nakwakwosis to 

 be used in the afternoon. 1 All these prayer offerings are placed on a 

 tray, and some corn -meal and corn-pollen sprinkled on them. After 

 the chief priest has uttered a brief prayer over them, and they have been 

 consecrated by a few songs, in which all present participate, and which 

 are accompanied by rattling, and the chief priest and his assistant have 

 smoked over them, most of the nakwakwosis are deposited by four 

 women on the north, west, south and east side of the village. The 

 woman going to the south side of the village on one occasion also took 

 the baho and nakwakwosi for the sun along. The three principal 

 leaders, Nos. 3, 4 and 5, then sat down on their rolled -up blankets in 

 the north-west corner of the kiva where they spent, in the same manner, 

 a great part of their time during the eight days when not engaged in 

 the performance of some ceremony. Wickwaya sits in the corner, the 

 chief priestess next to him and by her side the latter 's assistant, Sika- 

 nomsi, or on another occasion, Talangosi. 



The others, who have not gone out with the prayer offerings, either 

 sit and wait or begin to make preparations for the building of the altar. 

 On one occasion some of the women unwrapped their mother tiponis, 

 while Navini either carded cotton or smoked at the fireplace. 



After a brief rest Wickwaya begins to put up the altar. He first 

 places the sand, previously gotten by Navini and a woman (see Plate 

 IV, b), on the floor, forming it into a semi-circular ridge. Into this he 

 inserts first the larger slabs and zigzags and then the smaller sticks 

 and eagle feathers, and finally places all the smaller objects, the medicine 

 bowl, ears of corn, etc., into their proper places (see Plate V). When 

 the altar is finished Wickwaya resumes his place in the corner with the 

 two priestesses, the other participants also sitting in different parts 

 of the kiva and waiting. At about two o'clock two of the priestesses, 

 one of them Pungnyanomsi (No. 1), the other Qotchwuhti (No. 7), 

 who acts as sprinkler, put on their white ceremonial robes, Wickwaya 



1 These nakwakwosis and the four green and two black bahos were taken by two priestesses to 

 two springs in the afternoon, as will be described on a following page. 



