Feb., 1912. The Oraibi MArau Ceremony — Voth. 51 



kiva at four o'clock, as I wished to observe all the rites and 

 ceremonies of this important day. Everything was quiet in the kiva 

 yet. But when they heard me outside they got up. Wickwaya had 

 also spent the night in the kiva, as usual. Soon one of the women 

 took a prayer feather and some sacred meal to a shrine at Apohoniwe — 

 I was told. 1 At about 4:30 the aged chief priestess, Tangakweima, took 

 out the natci very reverently, waved it from the six ceremonial world 

 quarters towards the point where it was to be inserted into the matting 

 at the south end of the hatch-way, then sprinkled meal in the same 

 manner and then inserted it, saying to me: It is now going to rain; I 

 asked the rain to come. 



At about five o'clock every woman took her corn-ear and some 

 prayer-meal and all went slowly, as usual, to a rock, south of the 

 village, for the usual morning rite of kuiwato. As they passed the 

 Kwan kiva they all cast a little meal toward it. Arriving at the rock 

 they threw a pinch of meal on the ground, where, I believe, a small 

 shrine is located; then all faced towards the east where it just began 

 to dawn, waved the corn-ears towards the east and threw the rest 

 of the meal also in that direction, whereupon they slowly filed back 

 to the kiva. Here I met Homihoiniwa, Wickwaya's half brother, who 

 in the meantime had come into the kiva. He succeeded Wickwaya 

 a few years later as chief priest. He just left the kiva to make his 

 morning offering, which Wickwaya probably had done while the 

 women had been out for that same purpose. 



In the kiva Wickwaya had just built a fire and Navini had come in. 

 When all were in, some sat down in front of the altar, others on the 

 banquettes along the walls and soon they began to sing, evidently for 

 practice. 



Then the same ceremony took place as on the two preceding days 

 after No. 8 had, as usual, strewn a meal line from the effigies on the 

 east side of the altar to the ladder which is supposed to close the cere- 

 monial chamber, and is not supposed to be crossed by any one. 2 



When the ceremony was over, Homihoiniwa, instead of Navini, 

 lighted the pipe at the fireplace and handed it to Wickwaya, who smoked 

 awhile, blowing the smoke towards the altar. Navini then did the 

 same, handing the pipe to Homihoiniwa, who also smoked a few puffs 



1 Apohoniwe is several miles from Oraibi, but as in other cases, a shrine closer by probably rep- 

 resents that place. Thus the San Francisco Mountains. Kishiwuu and other distant places, sacred to 

 the Hopi. have a substitute place closer by that bears the same name and where the offerings are 

 deposited, that are intended for those distant shrines. 



J This applies to all ceremonies where this line is made. They usually objected to any one going 

 up or down the ladder while the ceremony was in progress, but more particularly to the use of the 

 right or east side of the ladder. 



