Feb., 1912. The Oraibi Marau Ceremony — Voth. 33 



of importance takes place on this day. There is no fasting on this 

 j and the succeeding four days. 



Sixth Day (Shush tala, First Day). 

 Komok-totokya (wood preparing). 

 Xo ceremonies of any kind take place in the kiva, but in the after- 

 noon the women again prepare and practice for a performance on the 

 plaza in the evening. These performances vary in the different years. 

 Sometimes they are of the nature described under the fifth day, some- 

 times they are to imitate, in a burlesque manner, a Katcina dance. But 

 they are always of a humorous nature. 



Seventh Day (Losh tala, Second Day). 

 Pik-totokya (piki preparing). 

 The notes on the previous day also apply to this day. On one 

 occasion a mock Momchito dance was performed in the evening on the 

 plaza. The men never take part in these performances on the fifth, 

 sixth and seventh days. They seem to be performed for entertainment 

 and fun for the inhabitants of the village, and do not now seem to be 

 considered an essential part of the ceremony proper, though this was 

 undoubtedly formerly the case. 



Eighth Day (Bayish tala, Third Day). 

 Totokya (general preparing). 



The early morning rites, putting up of the natsi, the offerings out- 

 side of the village, etc., are the same as on the previous days. The 

 chief priest then makes four green double bahos of the usual kind, two 

 single black bahos (chochokpi) and one larger baho, with two eagle 

 nakwakwosis attached to it, one for the sun, one for the moon, all of 

 which are deposited later (see Plate XXX). The reconstruction of 

 the altar then takes place in the description of which I follow my 

 notes of 1897: 



At about 10:30 a. m. Navini got some fresh, moist and some dry sand, 

 and Wickwaya divided this into three piles in a semicircle, and then 

 formed the sand ridge. He then reconstructed the altar (see Plate V 

 and Plate X, b). First he sprinkled some meal on the ridge at the 

 four places where he afterwards inserted the four corn-ear slabs, first 

 slightly west of the centre, then near the west end of the ridge, then 

 east of the middle and lastly near the east end. He then put into the 

 sand ridge the four big slabs in the same order, waving each one first 

 from the direction of the six world quarters, north, west, south, east, 

 north-east (above) and south-west (below). Next he sprinkled meal 



